Before dipping, should cake pops be chilled?
Describe your weekend. My friend’s birthday celebration took up the majority of the time. This cake (in cupcake form) and these cookies, as well as these cookies—I hadn’t made a batch of those in particular in far too long—were among the sweets I created. These three were an obvious choice because the birthday girl adores chocolate, peanut butter, and caramel.
No happier event—a birthday, shower, wedding, you name it—than a happy occasion to indulge on your favorite foods exists. Last month, my mother and sisters hosted my baby shower, and one of the surprises they gave me was a massive collection of cake pops. Although I adore cake pops, I don’t often take the time to prepare them. I did, however, make a batch for the recent bridal showers of both of my sisters. (Recall the pink and green cake pops? For a bridal shower, no less!)
These cake pops are unique from others you may have tried because they are entirely handcrafted. Because there is neither box cake mix nor canning icing, the cake pop experience is completely unique. The handmade is ACTUALLY TASTEABLE. Each cute pop is made with a lot of love, passion, and attention.
And what’s this? Do you wish to view the entire procedure from beginning to end? On Wednesday at 1 p.m. ET, watch on Facebook or Instagram LIVE. (At that time every week, I’m LIVE!) As we move forward, I’ll produce a batch and respond to all inquiries regarding cake pops!
Today, I’ll share all of my insider knowledge on making the perfect pop, including the homemade vanilla cake and vanilla buttercream that were utilized. We have a lot of territory to cover, so let’s get started. (I’ll continue being nerdy for the time being.)
We’ll need to spend a little more time preparing both from scratch since we’re leaving the box cake mix and canned icing on the store shelves. The cake is always started the night before, and the cake pops are finished the following day. The general method is as follows:
- make your own cake.
- Create your own icing.
- Add homemade frosting to cake crumbles.
- Mix.
- Ball up and roll.
- Dip.
- EAT!
The vanilla cake and frosting recipes are really simple, although I do recommend using the right size cake pan. The usual 9-inch cake pan is not big enough to hold this cake. Since it rises quite a bit, a 9-inch springform pan is required. Alternately, you might use a 117 pan. Alternatively, a 10-inch springform pan might be used.
Simple components are used in cakes. The essential crew enjoys milk, flour, butter, sugar, and vanilla. Butter, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and milk are the same ingredients in the vanilla frosting (or cream). The taste is what sets this apart from what you get in a box. You can definitely tell that these cake pops are exceptional because you made all of the ingredients from scratch. VALUE IT!
(When you think about it, crumbling the cake into the frosting seems really strange, and cake pops are exactly the same way. Cake and frosting are combined to create a ball that resembles a truffle. Insert a stick, then submerge it in the coating. Yes, it is great and bizarrely tasty, and you should embrace it.)
Roll the mixture into balls after the two have been combined. Here’s my method for doing it.
My Rolling Trick
If the cake and frosting combination is cool, it will be simpler to form the mixture into round balls. And after the two have been blended together, I roll the balls up. Because the cake and icing are extremely moist and at room temperature, they are rather deformed. So I put the balls in the fridge to chill for at least two hours. I then give them a second small roll to round out the sides. They are simpler to smooth out and mold into perfect spheres when they are cold.
This approach accomplishes both procedures since the cake balls need to be thoroughly refrigerated before dipping.
Let’s dunk now. Although it is somewhat pricey, you can dip the cake balls in pure white chocolate, which is what I recommend for the greatest flavor. And plenty is required for all 40 cake pops! Instead, you can use candy coating or candy melts. In the recipe below, I provide two possibilities along with remarks for each selection.
Another tip: dip the cake ball just a little bit into the coating to keep it firmly attached to the lollipop stick. then insert into the cake ball’s core. the picture up top!
Another tip: placing the cake pops right side up in a sizable block of styrofoam or even a box will help the coating to dry and harden without destroying the perfectly round shape of the treat. For this batch, I used a box as shown in the image below. I simply pierced it with incredibly tiny holes. cheap and simple.
Cake pops are a brilliantly festive treat to prepare in advance since they freeze well. When they are completely dry, I just place them in a huge freezer bag with a sealed top and freeze them. They keep well for up to 6 weeks; after that, simply defrost them over night in the refrigerator.
Cake Pop Tips
- Isn’t the frosting the best part of the cake? Well, cake pops are an exception. Too much frosting results in a cake pop that is extremely wet and oily instead of the beautifully moist pop you were hoping for. This frosting recipe makes *just enough* to wet the cake crumbs just a little bit. Here, a proper ratio is crucial!
- Before dipping, the cake balls must be absolutely cool. Ensure there is adequate place in your freezer or refrigerator for them. They always chill on a large lined baking sheet for me.
- The cake pops can be dipped to the perfect depth using a 2-cup glass liquid measuring cup.
- The coating can be tinted to add a colorful POP! I generally limit myself to white and one other color. or at most two colors. (Such as these.) Americolor teal gel food coloring is the shade I’ve chosen for this project.
- Of course, sprinkles are required. You were aware of that, though.
You essentially only need lollipop sticks and the appropriate size cake pan to get started!