For Valentines Day last week, I really wanted to bake and cook a dinner for both Matt and Hudson to make the night feel more special. I am kitschy like that, and I want Hudson to grow up remembering fun little things, like baked goods and presents on Valentines Day to make his childhood more special. My mom created traditions like that for me, like carving pumpkins on halloween every year, so I strive to be that kind of mom too! In an attempt to be fun, I wanted to surprise Hudson with cake pops, since he loves them so much! I had made them once before years back, so I sort of remembered how, and learned along the way.
You need:
A box of cake mix (+ whatever the box calls for – mine was eggs, oil and water)
2 C Whipped Cream
1 bag of Candy Melts
Lolipop sticks
Foam board for drying
Sprinkles
Step 1 is to bake a cake! I used a red velvet cake, since that is Matts favorite flavor. Once the cake bakes, just let it cool off a bit. Then you mix it in a bowl with 2 cups of whipped cream – the one I used was a cream cheese flavor! Mix it all together until it is moist and sticky!
Once your cake is mixed with the cream topping, start rolling the batter into balls, using your hands. It can get a bit messy! One tip here is to make the balls small-ish. I made mine about an inch big, and some I felt were a bit too big! I’ve read that you can use a TBSP scooper to help shape them.
After you roll out the balls, place them in the freezer for about 1-2 hours. The harder they get, the easier the next step will be.
Once the cake balls are hardened, get your candy melts ready. I poured the entire bag into a glass bowl, and put them in the microwave on high for 1 minute. Make sure not to overcook them, which can cause the melts to be a bit too thick. I added a little oil in with the melts to thin out the chocolate as well.
Pull the cake balls out of the refrigerator, and begin adding them to the lollipop sticks. Another tip: Dip the stick into the candy melt batter FIRST, and then push it into the cake ball about halfway through the ball. Place the cake pop onto a plate, and then put them all back in the freezer for about 20 minutes. It really helps to solidify the pop, so the cake ball does not fall off when you are dipping them! After the cake pops are all on sticks, and have sat in the freezer for about 20 minutes, begin dipping them in the candy melt chocolate! I would gently spin the pop around to cover the entire cake ball evenly.
When you pull the cake ball out of the Candy Melt, add on sprinkles, and then stick the pop into the foam to cool.
They didn’t come out perfect, but I am proud of them, and they tasted delicious! Good luck!
