So, uh, apparently I haven’t received the memo that everyone else has. Cake pops are officially in. They are the latest trend and they don’t seem to be going anywhere. Personally, while they are good, I don’t see much of the hype. Maybe, it’s just the glutton in me, but I’d take a big piece of cake and a cup of milk any day over a measly cake pop. For those of you that do prefer cake pops instead of a big cake, but have never had the courage to make them yourselves, then you've come to the right place. I’ll be honest, I don’t make cake pops often. I just don’t have the need for them and like I said I prefer bigger cakes. But, I can still help you get started. When first making cake pops, here are a few essential tips.
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First, ensure you use a tasty moist cake. If your cake is dry, then obviously the cake pop will be dry. If the cake doesn’t taste good, then the cake pop won’t either. So, first we want to start with a great moist cake.
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Next, I like to make the crumbs course. I think it really provides a better mouthfeel. As if you were eating a big slice of cake. If you used tinier crumbs, the texture would be off.
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Next, use a great tasting buttercream. When you use so little ingredients, you want to use the best ingredients.
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Use a good chocolate that is made for dipping! Don’t just grab a candy bar from the cashier aisle and think that will work. No. Buy a good brand name chocolate in the baking aisle. Baking chocolate could work, but I recommend melting wafers or candy melts. These have the ideal fat ratio in the chocolates so they will melt perfectly. This way, you won’t have to thin it out later on.
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The freezer is your friend. Use the fridge and freezer throughout this process. I use the fridge when I form the balls, freezer when I first insert the dipped sticks the freezer again when I want to begin dipping. I make sure the pops are frozen for at least an hour before I begin dipping. This way, the pop won’t fall off the stick and I won’t get any crumbs. It’s just so much easier.
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If you are putting sprinkles on, make sure you put them on while the dip is still wet. If you’re drizzling decorations, make sure it is hardened before you add the drizzle.
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Lastly, have fun! The best part about cake pops is that you can really let out your creative juices. There is no right or wrong decoration for cake pops. Once you dip them, you can decorate them as you please! As you get more experienced with cake pops, you can really go crazy and make them as elaborate as you'd like.
To begin, you want to process your cake pieces into course crumbs. Then you want to add the buttercream, a tablespoon at a time. The amount of buttercream really depends on how moist your cake is to begin with. My cake only needed two tablespoons. Give it a thorough mix.
Now, start forming the balls. You can use a mini ice cream scoop if you want to be exact every time. For the balls, by shaping in between the palms of your hands. Once formed, place them in the fridge for 5-10 minutes.
Melt some chocolate in the microwave in 15 second bursts, mixing in between or over a double boiler. Dip the candy stick end into the chocolate and stick it into the ball, making sure not to go all the way through.
Freeze the pops for 30 minutes to an hour. Once out of the freezer, dip and if you're sprinkling, do it while the dip is still wet. If you're drizzling, wait for the first coat to dry. Place them on a piece of Styrofoam to dry and enjoy once they're dry!
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