Cake Pops Part 2

Since I had a couple of people ask how to make the cake pops, I thought I'd post it. :)

Supplies:
*One cake mix in the flavor of your choice
*One can of frosting, also your choice
*Lollipop sticks
*Candy Melts/Almond Bark (white bark)/chocolate bark, etc (whichever you want. I used the Almond Bark (which has nothing to do with almonds at all) for the eggs and bunnies, and the yellow candy melts for the chicks.
*Miscellaneous decorations
I used edible food decorating pens for the eyes and smiles. Michael's sells the Wilton FoodWriters, which is what I used, but I wouldn't recommend them, they are a joke. It was so hard to get them to write nicely on the candy. You can order them online from cake supply companies, but I didn't have time before Easter. If you're really determined to get some food decorator pens, search for them on Amazon.com.

You can get the sticks, decorations, and candy melts all at Hobby Lobby or Michael's in the candy making/cake decorating aisle. For white or chocolate, I'd recommend just going with the bark coating, it's cheaper! For anyone who is an Aldi shopper, they sell both white and chocolate there and it is, by far, cheaper than Meijer.

First, you bake a cake mix in a 9x13 pan, according to the directions on the box.

When it is cool, crumble the whole cake into a large bowl. Mix the crumbled cake with approximately 3/4 of a can of frosting. (I used cream cheese flavor with the strawberry cake, and lemon flavor with the lemon cake...so you'd use chocolate with chocolate cake, etc.) It's easiest to mix with the back of a large spoon, or just mixing it with your hands.

Once it's all mixed up, you practice your playdoh skills (Betsy, you should be good at this. lol) and roll the cake/frosting mixture into balls. (or shape them however you want!)

You know, as I was making them, the thought crossed my mind to take step by step pictures, but I didn't do it.

Okay, once you have the balls made, heat up your candy melts, white bark, candy coating, etc.

Take the lollipop sticks and dip the end of them into the melted candy, just a little, and then insert them into the cake balls, not quite half way into the ball. Stand it up in the styrofoam block, once you've done this to some of them, put them in the freezer to firm up a little (about 20 minutes??)

After they've firmed up, hold them upside down by the stick and dip them into the bowl of warmed candy melts (melt them by placing them in a bowl and microwaving in 30 second increments and stirring between each increment.) This works best if you have a bowl deep enough to submerge the entire cake ball in one dip. To shake off the extra, VERY gently tap the stick against the bowl while continuing to rotate it between your fingers. When finished, stand up in the styrofoam to harden.

Once they are hardened, which only takes a couple minutes, you can decorate them! I used all different types of "sprinkles" and sanding sugar. You can either use the candy melts to "glue" things on, or, you can use a little corn syrup, but the corn syrup takes longer to dry.

If anyone makes them, you have to take pictures and post them on your blog...then comment here to let me know! LOL

They are actually pretty easy to make...it seems like there are a lot of little steps, but it really isn't bad. I'd make them again, for sure.

You don't have to put them on sticks, either...I've seen some red velvet cake balls dipped in chocolate coating that looked really good, and they weren't on sticks...more like a little bon bon or something...I'd like to try them...but my diet starts Monday!

If anyone has questions, just let me know!