Valentine's Cake Pops

I miss the simplicity of Valentine's Day back in the day...cheesy little cartoon valentines and candy all around, and everyone in your class was happy. Valentine's Day for grownups is all "did you get reservations at the best restaurant in town" and "what expensive new piece of jewelry did you get", when I'm like "can I just get some valentine's colored m&ms over here?!" This year I decided to throwback and make Valentine's treats to take into the office for my co-workers. I  made red velvet cake pops over the weekend and really enjoyed making a fun little treat I wouldn't ever make for just Caleb and me. And who can resist those adorable little heart sprinkles?! 

If you're intimidated by the idea of making your own cake pops, don't be! This was only my second time making cake pops; they really aren't as complicated as they seem! You can read my cake pops for beginners tips here. I've followed these tips both times and have not had any troubles. This time I used a red velvet cake mix and cream cheese frosting. To make the heart cake pops, form the cake/frosting mixture into a thick hamburger-like patty. Using a small heart cookie cutter, cut out the center, making sure it's still thick enough to insert the lollipop stick in. 

P.S. If you want a fancy pants Valentine's day treat, try this red velvet cheesecake!

Cake Pops for Beginners

My fun goal for 2012 was to make cake pops!  When I've done it before they crumbled and didn't stay on the stick and it was a disaster.  Last week I decided it was time to try again - and they turned out!  I got into a good rhythm and the ones at the end of the batch even looked pretty!  I brought them for the weekend with my family and everyone, especially my nieces, loved them.  I found these tips to be very helpful, so I'm going to spell out how I had success with my cake pops, if you wish to make them.

Cake Pops

supplies:

box of cake mix

can of frosting 

lollipop sticks

candy melts

styrofoam (I got mine in the floral department at Michael's)

sprinkles

mini treat bags or cellophane candy wrappers

twist-ties 

1. Make cake in 9x13 pan according to box directions.  Let cool completely!

2. Scoop the cake out with a spoon and crumble it into a large mixing bowl.  The crumbs should be fine - you don't want big chunks of cake in there.

3. Add frosting to the cake crumbs and mix to combine.  I started with just 1/3 of the can.  Test the consistency by rolling into a ball.  If the cake ball crumbles in your hand, add a little bit more of the frosting.  (I used just under half of the can.)  

4. Roll out your cake balls.  If you're having trouble getting them to be uniform in size, use a small cookie dough scoop.  I was able to get 32 cake balls.  Put them in a casserole dish with a lid, or on a rimmed baking sheet covered with saran wrap or foil.  Place them in the refrigerator overnight.

5. Melt your candy melts according to the bag instructions, but add 1 Tbsp of vegetable oil to the candies before sticking in the microwave.  This will help thin out the melts a little.

6. Dip your lollipop stick (about 1") into the melts and then stick into the cake ball about halfway.  Repeat with the the rest of the cake balls.

7. Place the cake balls with the sticks into the freezer for about 7 minutes (I used an 8x8 dish so that it would fit into my already-full freezer, so I did this in batches).

8. Dip the cake ball straight into the bowl of melts.  Do NOT swirl the cake pop in the melts.  Use a spoon to pour more of the melts over the cake ball if it is not completely covered.  If the cake ball is not completely covered, some of the cake might ooze out of the bottom, so make sure you cover it completely. 

9. Pull the cake pop out of the melts and then lightly tap the lollipop stick on the side of the bowl to get rid of excess coating.  You may want to gently roll the lollipop stick in your fingers to help make sure the coating is even.  

10. Place the dipped cake pop into the styrofoam to let harden.  If some of the coating drips down the lollipop stick, then you know that you need to let more drip off before sticking in the styrofoam.

  

11. If you're decorating the cake pops with sprinkles, place the styrofoam on a rimmed baking sheet to help catch the sprinkles.  Decorate with sprinkles immediately after dipping.

12. Once cake pops have hardened and are dry, put the cellophane wrappers over and close with a twist-tie.  Store at room temperature.