Easy & Fast Cake PERFECT cakepops. There is absolutely no reason, and I seriously mean NONE, not 1 reason or need to freeze or refrigerate cakepops. Well maybe when you are finished making them in record setting time and you just want to store them.
This post will show you some of the best, tips, tricks and hacks I have learned and will be the the last “how to make” cake pop tutorial you will ever have to search for. Even if this is your first time, if you follow through with this tutorial this can be the last time you will ever throw your hands up in frustration, with all of the issues that so many, myself included have encountered making these tasty little treats.
I get A LOT of questions about cake pops and the problems with making them. Instead of repeating myself over and over I decided I would answer the questions I get most about the most common issues that come up when using “standard” recipes and the simple easy hacks or basic solutions that take the process of making little balls of frustration to happy, delicious treats that can be made fast and with little to no frustration on your end.
Really, cake pops are easy to make, but only IF f you follow these easy tried and true tips and hacks for making them that way.
Lets face it, just the mere fact that you mighty still be reading this, tells me a few things…
1-You are having trouble making cake pops.
2-Instead of it being easy, they are literally the new definition of difficult
Here are the most common issues encountered when making cake pops and the solutions I have discovered.
1- Oil oozing from the finished pops.
2-Cracked Cake Pops- The outer shell randomly cracks.
3-They take halfway to forever to make them. No need to chill them for hours
4-The mixture is too mushy and messy, can’t shape them
5-Fall off of the sticks.
6-Lumpy, thick melted chocolate (candy melts)
7-They look bad.
Listen I understand. I really do. Please, If you have any of the above issues, I have THE answers and solutions. This post is exactly what you are looking for.
I have made literally thousands of these since I began making them, and along the way I discovered many do’s and just don’t do it, helpful hints and quick hacks that make these seriously delicious treats easy as pie.
Now as a disclaimer, there are many ways to make cake pops; this just happens to be “MY” way. I’m 100 % positive that others are perfectly happy with whatever way they make them. If you are one of those people, then this post doesn’t necessarily apply to you. This is for those that like myself, struggled with what did/does not work. Chances are if you are still reading this, then you probably haven’t found a way that really works either.
So please, have a look and then try some of my tips out for yourself and if you feel inclined, please let me know your thoughts.
Just so we start out on the right foot, I always use a box mix. Betty Crocker, Pillsbury and Duncan Heinz to name a few. I have no issues with using them, I never found a recipe I liked so much that I discarded these quick go to’s. They just have always worked for me, but I do doctor the mix slightly to help me avoid common pitfalls. If you use a recipe, I’m sure with the right amount of tweaking, you could apply some of the changes I make and still find success.
Tip ONE Reduce-
I reduce 75% of the oil the box recipe calls for. Instead I add unsweetened apple sauce to make up the difference. Here is a picture of the ratio, because visuals help me too! Broken down its about 1/4 cup of apple sauce with 2 tbsp. oil , if even that much. It is not an EXACT science, so if it’s off by a little don’t worry, it still works out. You would still follow the rest of the directions that the boxed recipe calls for, eggs, water, etc.
Quick Hack: I tend to use those little individual apple sauce containers, as they offer the right amount, with a spoonful or so left for snacking.
Hack TWO Add in-
I add in a box of instant pudding to the mix. Let me repeat that, because I can’t tell you how many people ask me what kind of pudding, even though I clearly have it written out above.
USE INSTANT PUDDING . DO not prepare the pudding, which means do not make the pudding. Just add the powder to your cake batter. I add the powder in after I mix up the rest of the boxed cake ingredients. I have found that this boosts up the flavor ten fold and gives the cake more body and the right type of moisture.
What flavor of instant pudding should I use? What amount?
-The flavor of INSTANT pudding I use will correlates with the cake flavor, meaning I use chocolate flavored instant pudding with chocolate cake, vanilla flavored instant pudding with yellow or white cake. But you can mix flavors in any combo you choose.
-I use the smaller instant pudding size which is(approx 3.5 oz)
What these two hacks do is………
–Reduces the baking time. (Bonus!!) Typically in an 13×9 pan it takes 22-24 minutes to fully bake. Disclaimer: You know your oven best, so be mindful that that reduction in time could mean something different in YOUR oven. Bake it until a toothpick or knife inserted into middle comes out clean.
–Prevents the need to refrigerate the cake pops. Wait what!! Yes you read that correctly, you do not have to waste hours cooling roll cake balls in the freezer or fridge. As soon as you mix and roll them you can dip them in the chocolate.
–Stops the cake pops from oozing oil after they have been dipped, since the amount of oil in the recipe has been reduced, there will be no excess oil looking to oooze out and ruin your creations
–Completely and totally eradicates any type of cracking. Most cake pop/ball recipes require them being refrigerated or frozen for a while to help the balls “firm” up. The constant temperature change after dipping in the chocolate candy melts ends up creating cracks on the finished cake pops. Since there is no need to firm them up by cooling them, they will no longer crack. And yes, after they are finished you can store in the fridge. They still won’t crack.
Trick THREE Let it cool,…
Crumble the cake after it cools completely. If you crumble it when it is still warm to the touch, it will have excess moisture in it, which will create havoc later on. Crumble into a fine crumb
Hack Four Less is more…
Don’t add in ridiculous amounts of frosting. There are far too many videos and “how to’s” in which a lot of frosting is used. It only creates a gloppy, heavy, overly sweet mess. The key to perfect cake pops is mixing a small amount with the crumbled cake, you want it moist and pliable not super moist and mushy. It should easily mold in your hands without sticking to your hands in a mushy mess .For a box mix (13 x 9 size cake) I may use a little over 2 -2-1/2 Tablespoons of frosting.
Quick Hack- have you ever molded things with play- doh? The mixture will be similar to the consistency and pliability of play-doh, but will not be as dense!
When I mix the cake and frosting together …
I mix the cake and frosting together by hand and NOT with a hand mixer or my Kitchen Aid mixer. I have found when I using my Kitchen Aid, I can roll out ridiculous amounts of cake pops in record setting time, because it mixes it so well that the mixture does not stick to my hands at all. You also need a lot less frosting, as the mixer is so powerful it changes the mixture,
They look pretty, and still taste good. So it becomes a personal preference on your part.
Tip Five keep it even…
When you roll out the mixture use a tablespoon, in the beginning I would use a plastic one, but I constantly found myself snapping them. So I moved onto a metal one that I use, Some people use mini ice cream scoops, but I myself never have used one. Scoop out all of the mix first and then roll them out.
What these three hacks do is………
–Stops the cake pop from falling off the stick. Because the mixture isn’t so mushy and heavy because of the weight of excess frosting, they sit on the stick perfectly and not to top heavy
–Allows you to roll out a cake pop into any shape, as well as perfect little balls. Because the mixture is created with a ratio that makes more sense, they are mold-able and will hold whatever shape you create.
–Provides you the right balance of cake and frosting and not a ball of mush.
–Size Consistency. When you scoop all the mixture out before you roll them, you can see that the end result will be all the pops being the same size.
Tip SIX Slower is better…
Melt the chocolate correctly, well actually candy melts because technically they aren’t real chocolate, they are just favored to taste similar to chocolate. Candy melts are temperamental and can and will become lumpy and annoying in the matter of minutes. Take the time to melt them s.l.o.w.l.y, seriously melt them slow 30 -40 second bursts will have them dissolve into a smooth bath for your pops to bath in. I add in about a tablespoon or vegetable oil to help thin the consistency as well. You can add this in before you start melting the candy melts.
When all the candy melts look like they are starting to melt stop heating them and mix them, they continue to melt even after they are heated, so give them the time they need to get to the right consistency. Mix, mix mix them. If they are melted enough the, the chocolate should run off the spoon…easily and with no clumping.
Obviously if you do need to heat them more, do so, but realize that they don’t have to be heated until they are all melted. But also clumpy chocolate often means you are closer to overheated candy melts. This happens more so with the white and colored candy melts, so melt them slow!
QUICK HACK: When using chocolate candy melts, add in some dark (80%) chocolate to thin it out instead of oil. This adds in an amazing real chocolate flavor and the cocoa butter in the dark chocolate adds in the right amount of “oil” to thin the consistency for smooth dipping.
Tip SEVEN Finish them off…
If you have spent all of this time up until this point preparing the perfect cake pops, please don’t skip this tip. Before you dip the cake pops, dip the tip of the stick into the melted chocolate before you put it into the stick.
Quick Hack: You can actually dip the stick put it in the pop ans dip the pop for a seamless edge if you like. There is no need to wait..at all. It comes down to personal preference with this.
What these two tips do is………
–Adheres the pop to the stick. So when you dip, they have a sort of “glue” to hold them in place.
–Finishes the pop in a clean way when you dip it. You wont have to dip the whole cake pop and the stick into the melted chocolate, also letting you know when to stop dipping.
–Smooth Dipping- Since you have taken the time to slowly melt your candy melts, the resulting smooth outer shell is a testament to this.
Here are just a few other cake pops I have made though out the years, there are so many variations on shapes, flavors, occasions.
Monster High
Ice Cream Cone
Peanut Butter Cup
Whopper (Malt Ball)
Snickers
Baby Boy Cake Pops
Thanks for reading, I hope these tips help you in your journey to the perfect cake pop. Please feel free to reach out to me privately or just leave a comment if you have any questions to just want to say “hello”
