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cake pops
“It looked store-bought and pretty because they turned out so well. The sprinkles made it look fantastic.” —Tanner, recipe tester, age 10½
Prepare Ingredients
For the Cake
To Finish Cake Pops
Gather Baking Equipment
For the cake: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray inside bottom and sides of 8-inch round metal cake pan with vegetable oil spray. Line bottom of cake pan with 8-inch round piece of parchment paper.
In bowl of stand mixer (or large bowl if using handheld mixer), whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add softened butter, sour cream, egg and egg yolk, and vanilla. Lock bowl into place and attach paddle to stand mixer, if using.
Start mixer on medium speed and mix until batter is smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Stop mixer. Remove bowl from stand mixer, if using.
Use rubber spatula to scrape down sides of bowl and stir in any remaining dry flour. Scrape batter into parchment-lined cake pan with rubber spatula and smooth top (make sure to spread batter out to edges of pan to create even layer).
Place cake pan in oven. Bake until cake is light golden and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.
Use oven mitts to remove cake pan from oven (ask an adult for help). Place cake pan on cooling rack and let cake cool completely in pan, about 1 hour.
Remove cake from cake pan and discard parchment (click here to learn how to remove cake from cake pan). (Cooled cake can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 24 hours.)
For the cake pops: In clean, dry bowl of stand mixer (or clean, dry large bowl if using handheld mixer), break cooled cake into rough 1-inch pieces. Add milk to bowl. Lock bowl into place and attach paddle to stand mixer, if using.
Start mixer on medium-low speed. Mix until cake has broken into fine crumbs and begins to clump together, 2 to 4 minutes. Stop mixer. (Mixture should feel like cookie dough when pinched together. If mixture is still crumbly, add 1 more tablespoon milk and mix until dough comes together.)
Use 1-tablespoon measuring spoon to scoop 1 tablespoon dough (dough should be packed into spoon). Roll dough into ball and place on large plate. Repeat with remaining dough to make 24 dough balls. Cover with plastic wrap. Place plate in freezer and freeze until firm, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Place chocolate chips in 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Heat in microwave at 50 percent power for 1 minute. Use rubber spatula to stir chocolate. Return to microwave and heat at 50 percent power until melted and smooth, about 1 minute longer.
Working with 1 chilled cake ball at a time, insert lollipop stick, dip into melted chocolate, and transfer to floral foam block before decorating with sprinkles or sanding sugar. (Stir and rewarm chocolate in microwave as needed to keep it fluid. If cake balls become too soft, refreeze them until firm.)
Cake Pops steps 1
Insert lollipop stick into cake ball, stopping at center.
Dip entire cake ball into melted chocolate. Turn until completely coated (tipping measuring cup to side as needed).
Lift cake ball out of chocolate (do not turn upright) and gently shake from side to side to allow extra coating to drip off, about 15 seconds.
Cake pops steps 2
Turn cake pop upright and gently twist back and forth to even out coating.
Insert stick into foam block (or stand upside down on parchment paper–lined baking sheet).
Sprinkle with your favorite sprinkles or sanding sugar. (Make sure to work quickly! The sprinkles will only stick to the cake pops when the chocolate is still melted.)
Food for Thought
Cake Pops in a Hurry!
If you need to save on time, one option is to use store-bought plain pound cake as a base for the cake pops instead of baking your own cake. Measure out 15 ounces of cake and break into 1-inch pieces (about 7 cups of 1-inch pieces), and start the recipe at step 8.
Make It Your Way
The decorating options for cake pops are endless! You can add drops of food coloring to turn melted white chocolate chips into different-colored coatings and mix and match sprinkles or sanding sugar in fun combinations. You can also crush up cookies, nuts, or candy and dip the coated cake pops in them as a topping. Let your imagination run wild!
