Cake Pops - Yummo

Well, Cake Pops seem to be the rage. If I drive by Starbuck's my four-year-old always asks for a pink one. Well, I was inspired this week by a post on Couponing to Disney to try this out. I have taken the recipe from Veronica's Cornucopia. Try it out this week while mix is on sale. There are also some great coupons out that you can use to make the mix and frosting a super deal!

Cake Pops
http://reciperhapsody.wordpress.com

What you will need:
1 (14.25 oz) box cake mix, any flavor
1 (16 oz) tub frosting, any flavor (you will not need all of it)
or 1/3-3/4 cup homemade frosting
1 (24 oz) package of almond bark/candy coating (white or chocolate)
Sprinkles
Lollipop sticks
3″x4″ cello bags*
Curling ribbon

Directions:

Bake the cake mix according to package directions. Once it’s cool, crumble the cake into a large bowl. I prefer to process mine in the food processor to fine crumbs. Place in a large bowl and stir in about 1/3 cup of frosting. Mix with your hands until thoroughly combined and thick like a truffle center. Mix in additional frosting if necessary. You only need enough to get the crumbs to stick together when you roll them into balls. Do not add so much that the mixture becomes soft and mushy!

Roll mixture into 1″ balls and place on a cookie sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour or overnight. I usually do this step the day before and then dip them the following day. Do not freeze them before dipping or the chocolate coating may crack.

Melt chocolate in the microwave per directions on package. Dip the tip of your lollipop stick in a little of the melted candy coating and insert into the flat end of the cake balls. (Bakerella says to insert a little less than halfway, but I go more than halfway b/c I imagine they stay put a little better when dipping.)

Carefully insert the cake ball into the candy coating by holding the lollipop stick and rotating until covered. Once covered, remove and softly tap and rotate the stick on the edge of the bowl until the excess chocolate falls off. Don’t tap too hard or the cake ball will fall off, too. Immediately cover with sprinkles before the chocolate has a chance to set, then insert in a styrofoam block to harden. Continue with remaining cake balls.

Once finished with all the cake pops, begin packaging them in the same order they were dipped. This part is easiest if you have a helper. Place a cello bag over the top, bring it down and while someone holds it, tie some curling ribbon below the base of the ball. Curl the ribbon and continue with the remaining pops. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for two days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week. If you want to freeze them, I'd recommend moving them to the refrigerator the day before serving so they can thaw at a slower rate and you don't risk as much condensation. They will get quite wet if you move them directly from the freezer to the counter top, and if you have sprinkles, the color will run. Serve cold (not frozen)or at room temperature.

Makes 40-50 pops

*I found this size of cello bags near the cake decorating and wedding supplies at Walmart. They were Wilton brand, called "treat bags."

*Go to the link to see some great pictures!