I made some cake pops for Emma's class in honor of her birthday.
Here is a down-and-dirty cake pop tutorial for those of you who still have not tried them. Trust me, they are way too easy to be so yummy.
You need:
cake mix, can of frosting, sprinkles, chocolate-flavored almond bark, lolly pop sticks, something to stick the pops into while they set...a block of styrofoam or a box poked with holes.
Steps:
::make the cake as usual and let cool completely. COMPLETELY.
::Crumble the cake into a bowl, and mix in about half of a can of frosting. Knead with your hands until mixed. You are looking for a moist, doughy texture. Not gloppy. Knead in about 1/4 cup sprinkles.
:: Roll the dough into balls. Bigger than a shooter marble, but smaller than an egg. Try to make them close to the same size. Freeze for at least one hour.
::Melt the chocolate almond bark in the microwave or a double-boiler. Read the directions on the package if you have never done this. It's possible to burn it, so be careful.
::Take out the frozen cake balls. Dip each stick into the melted bark, and insert it into one of the balls. Freeze again for about 15 minutes.
::Making sure the cake pops are very cold, and the almond bark is very hot, dip each pop completely. Tap off the excess chocolate coating. Lightly tap the warm pop into a bowl of sprinkles and stick it into your cake pop stand at a slight angle. If it drips, you don't want it to drip down the stick. As they harden, move them to a plate to make room for more dipped pops.
::Let set for 30 minutes before packaging.
::If these are for a group of kids, put each one in its own bag with a few candies and tie with a twisty.
So simple, but so impressive. Emma's teacher called them "balls of chocolate delight!"
Don't forget to save one for yourself!