Valentine Cake Pop's, Oh My!

I received a wonderful cake pop pan for Christmas this past year and decided Valentines would be the perfect chance to try it out.  I am so glad I did.  (Once again, thank you Aunt Jo Ann, what a wonderful and creative gift.) 

Cake Pop Pan

This pan is unique because it consists of two parts, a bottom half that you fill with the cake batter and a top half that you secure with the silicone clips that are provided by the pan. It also comes with plastic sticks but I chose to use cake pop sticks I bought at Michael's so that I did not have to worry about getting my plastic one back.  As the cake bakes it will rise and fill the top half of the pan to form a ball.  The holes on top provide an escape for any extra batter that is unneeded.  This batter may cook and form a hard top crust. Just allow the cake to cool for about ten minutes after pulling them out of the oven this flick the top crust of the pan before opening the top.  Make sure to use ovenmits while opening the pan so you are not burned by escaping steam. 

I made these yummy cake pops for my daughters' class Valentine’s Day party.  They turned out so good and stirred up a lot of questions from the other mom's about how I made them, how long did it take, what method did I use and if I were willing to sell them.  Of course I am more than willing to share my secrets on how these delicious cake pops are made and I am always willing to sell my homemade items to my friends. So I decided that putting the directions into my blog would be a wonderful idea. 

Ok, let's begin...

It is very important to make sure your pans are clean and COMPLETELY dry before you start to cook with them.  Next, coat the inside of both pans with cooking spray that include flour.  There are several on the market.  I have one from Pam and one from Baker's Joy in my pantry and they both work very well.  Do Not use canola or vegetable oil on the pans as it will result in unevenly cooked Bake Pops. 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, never exceed 375 degrees or might damage your pans.

Time to make your batter.  I followed the directions inside the small pamphlet that came with my pans.  Use one standard box of cake mix according to directions.  For best results: use an extra egg, substitute milk for water and use half as much as the recipe calls for and add a package of dry pudding mix that matches your cake choice (ex. chocolate cake with chocolate pudding)  This will create a denser cake. 

Pour batter into bottom of Pan until all cavities are filled (start filling in the center of pan and work your way out to the sides)  I use a large Zip Lock Freezer bag and snip the end off to fill the cups.  The pan will make 18 cake pops but the batter will make 36.  Be sure to lay your bag so that the extra batter does not escape while you are waiting for you first set of cake pops to cook.  Next cover the bottom pan with the top Pan make sure that the holes are on top and then secure the two pans together with the clips.  (see the photo above)

Bake at 350 Degrees for 25 to 30 minutes

Let the pans cool before removing the top pan.  If any cake has baked through the holes, after the pans have cooled at least ten minutes simply scrap the batter off the top with anon-metal spatula so not to damage the pan)  using dry ovenmits remove the clips and carefully take the top pan off the bottom.  Be careful not to get burned by the steam.  After the cakes have completely cooled you may need scrape off a ring of crust that has formed around the balls, it should be easy to remove with your fingers.  You may find that your cake seems to have a hard crust on the bottom.  If this is the case, after you are sure they are completely cooled, simply place all the balls in a Ziploc bag over night.  They will be nice and soft and easy to use the next day.

Now for the fun part, Decorating!

Melt a small amount of candy coating in a microwaveable bowl following the instructions on the candy melts.  1 min. on half power and stir, then 30 sec. at half power until it reaches the desired consistency being sure to stir between heating. 

Take a cake pop stick and pierce a hole into the bottom of each of the cake balls being careful not to pierce all the way through.  Next dip the end of the stick into the melted candy and then place the end into the cake ball.  Repeat until all the cake balls have a stick in them and allow to cool and set.  You may place the cakes into the freezer for a brief amount of time, about 15 minutes or so which will allow the candy to harden and the cake balls to become cool.  This will be helpful later when we coat the cake balls. 

Next, hopefully you paid attention to the Tips and Tricks section in the pamphlet and purchased a large foam block (like a floral block)  It will allow the Cake Pop's to cool upright which helps in preparation and while you are decorating.  I would also like to suggest that laying a piece of wax paper of the block will be helpful to keep the foam block clean during the final part of decorating.  (As you will see I did not read my Tips and Tricks until later so I had to improvise this part. I used my cooling racks and the top part of my cake pan and carefully place the stick through the hole which allowed the pop to cool without being touched.  Not perfect but it worked.

Melt a larger batch of candy melts in the microwave using the same directions above.  Once fully melted take a cake pop and begin spinning the cake in the candy coating until fully coated.  It took me a while but I found that the best way to completely coat the pop was a spinning wrist movement that flung the candy off the cake.  I would then occasionally bring the cake back upright until and if I noticed large drips forming I would then again give it another spin.  It took about 1 to 2 minutes for each cake pop with this method to get it to a point I could place it upright without having a lot of candy coming down the stick.  You can place the cake pops in the fridge to help them to harden quicker.  Once dry they will turn opaque.

There are many ways to add a little pizazz to your pops I choose two different colored candy melts.  I melted another color of candy melts in the microwave (red) and dipped a spoon in and then just dripped the red melted candy over the top of the cake pops.  Again, the foam block and wax paper would have been helpful here and made for easier clean up.  But they turned out really cute anyway.  (If you use this method, for cleanup place pan on a cookie sheet in a warm oven until the candy on the pan becomes soft and then take a paper towel and wipe it off.  Do not use something abrasive on the pan or you will ruin your pan.)

Here is another option for drying your pops,  I wish I had thought of this myself but I found this idea on www.pinterest.com.

To add other decorations you can take a wet pop before the candy dries and dip it into colored sugar, jimmies, and nuts or even after you have added a second color sprinkle with colored sugar.  The possibilities are endless. 

Last but not least, the final touch.  Michael's and other stores like Michael's sell Cake Pop bags.  The bags are the perfect size to put in one cake pop and wrap in the provided twisty tie.  They should have whatever theme you like. Such as these Valentine ones seen on this page here.

Well, that is it.  Easy Peasy and so much fun.  The cake pops turned out really good and moist and just the perfect bite, not too much not too little. Just right.

Well as always, if you have any questions or need clarification on something let me know.  Feel free to make comments or ask questions.  I always appreciate feedback and always happy to lend a hand.

Have a wonderful day and Happy Baking!