Chocolate Cake Pops

In my first attempt at making cake pops, I made a yellow cake from scratch and a vanilla Swiss meringue frosting, dipped in melted chocolate.  I had big expectations for them and was a little dissapointed.  They had an odd texture and were way to sweet.  But for my little boy's 3rd birthday I wanted to give them another try.  I mean, cake pops are too cute and perfect for a party.  I went with a chocolate cake mix, prepared cream cheese frosting, and candy melts.  Damn were they good!  I guess cake mixes and canned frosting have their place after all.

Liam's birthday colors were green and blue (yes, I'm a matchy matchy nut when it comes to parties), so I did a few different decorations, all of which I thought turned out pretty cute.  They were a big hit with kids and adults alike.  I can't wait for an excuse to make them again!

Photo by Jamie Lacey Photography

Photo by Jamie Lacey Photography

Cake Pops
from Bakerella 

1 box chocolate cake mix, I prefer the super moist with pudding in the mix
1 can cream cheese frosting (16 oz)
candy melts, for a full batch you will probably need about two of the Wilton-sized bags

Lollipop sticks (you can find these at Michael's)

Decorations (I used sanding sugar, nonpariels, and star sprinkles)

1. Bake the cake according to instructions.
2. When the cake has cooled completely, crumble it into pieces with your hands, the crumbs should be pea-sized or smaller.  Mix the frosting and cake together in a large bowl until the cake is moist.  Start with about 1 cup of frosting and try rolling it into a ball about the size of a quarter.  If the ball falls apart add 1/4 cup more frosting and try again.  I ended up using about 3/4 of the can of frosting.  Yup, ate the rest with a spoon.
3. Form the cake and frosting mixture into balls with the hands and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Chill in refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
4. Melt a small amount of candy melts in a double boiler or in the microwave and dip each stick about 1/2-inch into the melted chocolate, then stick about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way through the cake ball.  If it starts to crumble just reshape.
5. Place the finished balls onto a sheet of parchment paper and put in the freezer for about 30 minutes or longer.
6. Melt chocolate in a double boiler in the microwave.
7. Remove the cake pops one at a time from the refrigerator and dip them into the melted candy. Rotate them as the candy drips off to thoroughly coat. 
8. If you're using decorations that stick on do this before the chocolate dries, so pretty much right away.
9. Place the finished pops on parchment paper until thoroughly cool.

Linked to:
Sweets for a Saturday
Sweet Tooth Friday