Okay, I won’t deny it, I love cake pops. The perfect combination of cake, frosting, and chocolate coating makes them an addictive little treat and irresistable dessert at parties.
So when I had the opportunity to attend a cake pops baking class on Mother’s Day, I signed up immediately. I was determined to finally learn the secrets behind making this delicious treat. Prior to the class, I had many cake pops woes. The little cake balls rarely stayed on the stick and my chocolate coating got goopy and thick, no matter how many times I reheated it in the microwave. But, after learning the following tricks, my cake pops have been quite successful. They are now a special treat that I like to include at any event.
Set the stick in the cake pop before covering the pop with chocolate. Dip the end of the lollipop stick into chocolate and place it into the cake pop. Let the chocolate harden in the freezer for about 30 minutes. This extra dab of chocolate helps the stick stay in place during the chocolate dipping stage. What color to use? Either select a color that matches the dipping color or choose white. I found white was the easiest color to cover during the dipping process and didn’t look out of place if specks peeked through.
One of the reasons that cake pops fall off the sticks is because the ball is too large. Many tutorials suggest making the cake pop the size of a golf ball. Have you ever tried sticking a golf ball on a stick? It’s way too BIG and will slide off the minute you dip it in chocolate.
Instead, make your cake pops more the size of a ping pong ball. Better yet, use a cookie dough scoop. This will help make all of your cake pops the same size without eyeballing it.
Have you ever taken melted chocolate out of the freezer and noticed how thick it was? The thickness is okay for molding chocolates and dipping Oreos, but it is too heavy for the cake pops. If your chocolate is too thick, it could be weighing down your cake pops and making them fall off of the stick. To thin your chocolate, add a few drops of vegetable oil. This will make your chocolate coat the cake pop better. Test the thickness of your chocolate by scooping some up in a spoon. The chocolate should drizzle back into the bowl. Chocolate too thin? Melt some more chocolate pieces to get it to the right consistency.
So, clean out a shelve in your freezer to make room for the cookie sheet and give your cake pops the coolest spot in the kitchen.
The original recipe for cake pops calls for a box of cake mix and one tub of frosting. If you find that this ratio of ingredients is making your cake pops too sticky, try adding less frosting. I’ve found that 3/4 of the frosting container is plenty of sugary goodness to go around. By adding less frosting, my cake pops are firmer and easier to roll into a ball.
One of the most important things to remember when making cake pops is to have confidence. Making cake pops is a skill like anything else – you aren’t going to master all of the secrets right away. Be patient with yourself and, with some practice, you will be a cake pop master before you know it!
Hi Natalie, i was using dark chocolate but i thing it’s too thick and heavy, can i add a fews drop vegetable oil too?
I recommend trying a few drops of vegetable oil to start. Then, let the chocolate drip from the spoon. If it has a steady drip, then you have enough oil. If not, add a few more drops and try again. Remember you can always add more oil, but can’t subtract it once you add it. If add too much oil and you find the chocolate running all over the place, then mix in some more melted chocolate. If you still having difficulty, consider remelting the chocolate. It can become thick and heavy if it is too cool.
I find that regular candy melts (available at the craft store) give a pretty solid coating, especially if you are making cake pops. You could also try a high end chocolate melted down. The better consistency chocolates tend to harden better.
Thanks! To make the cake part of the pop you need one baked cake and one container of prepared frosting. Although you can make both of these from scratch, I find it easier to use store bought mixes and frostings. Then, to cover the cake pop you need candy melts. They harden the best and make for the smoothest covering. Be sure to let me know if you have any other questions!
Thanks for checking in. Although I actually haven’t come across this problem, I can see it being an issue – particularly with dark chocolate cake and white chocolate coating. The important thing to remember with the chocolate melts is to make sure that they are properly tempered with the oil. On cake pops that have not gotten a good coating on the first dip, I have double dipped them, but I do this immediately before the first coat dries. I find that the pop ends up with a smoother and thicker finish, but not too thick. I have heard that you can redip cake pops that you don’t like the color or the coating texture on before decorating. It doesn’t sound like a different chocolate color shines through on these either. Sorry I can’t be of more help.
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Thanks so much for replying so quickly! I’ll try the second coat, if needed, before the first one dries. And I haven’t tried oil, but I might. Right now I use paramount crystals.