The Recipe: Cake Pops

from Cake Pops by Bakerella

You'll Need:

18.25 oz. box cake mix

13x9-inch baking pan

Large mixing bowl

16 oz. container ready-made frosting

Large metal spoon

Wax paper

2 baking sheets

Plastic wrap

48 ounces (3 pounds) candy coating

Deep, microwave-safe plastic bowl

48 paper lollipop sticks

Styrofoam block

Bake the cake as directed on the box, using a 13-by-9-inch cake pan. Let cool completely. Once the cake is cooled, get organized and set aside plenty of time (a couple hours) to crumble, roll, and dip 4 dozen cake pops.

Crumble the cooled cake (hands work well for this) into a large mixing bowl. You should not see any large pieces of cake.

Add three-quarters of the container of frosting. (You will not need the remaining frosting.) Mix it into the crumbled cake, using the back of a large metal spoon, until thoroughly combined. If you use the entire container, the cake balls will be too moist.

The mixture should be moist enough to roll into 1 1/2-inch balls and still hold a round shape. After rolling the cake balls by hand, place them on wax-paper covered baking sheets.

Cover with plastic wrap and chill for several hours in the refrigerator or place in the freezer for 15 minutes. You want the balls firm but not frozen.

Place the candy coating in a deep, microwave-safe plastic bowl. These bowls make it easier to cover the cake balls completely with candy coating while holding the bowl without burning your fingers (work with 16 oz. of candy coating at a time).

Melt the candy coating, following the instructions on the package. Now you are ready to dip. Take a few balls out of the refrigerator or freezer to work with. If they're in the freezer, transfer the rest of the balls to the refrigerator at this point so they stay firm but do not freeze.

One at a time, dip about 1/2-inch of the tip of a lollipop stick into the melted candy coating, and then insert the lollipop stick straight into a cake ball, pushing no more than halfway through.

Holding the lollipop stick with the ball attached, dip the entire cake ball into the melted candy coating until it is completely covered and remove it in one motion. Make sure the coating meets at the base of the lollipop stick. This helps secure the cake ball to the stick when the coating sets.

When you remove the cake pop from the candy coating, some excess coating may start to drip. Hold the cake pop in one hand and use the other hand to gently tap the first wrist. Rotate the lollipop stick if necessary to allow the excess coating to fall off evenly, so one side doesn't get heavier than the other. If you didn't completely dunk the cake pop, this method of tapping and rotating generally takes care of that. The coating will slowly slide down the surface of the cake ball until it reaches the lollipop stick.

When most of the excess coating has fallen off and it is no longer dripping, stick the cake pop into the prepared Styrofoam block.

Repeat with the remaining cake balls and let dry completely.

Store the cake pops in the refrigerator for several days.

Makes 48 cake pops.