MAKING THE MOST OF IT
There’s no denying the novel appeal of cake pops; after all, everyone loves food on a stick, and if it’s dessert, even better. Most recipes call for starting with cake made from a store-bought mix, breaking it into crumbs, combining it with canned frosting, and forming the mixture into balls. We knew we could do better. Making a simple homemade yellow cake was easy enough and far superior to anything from a box; baking it in an 8-inch square pan gave us just enough cake for about three dozen pops. While traditional frosting worked as a binder, tasters found the pops overwhelmingly sweet.
Moistening the crumbs with milk worked just as well, and a couple of tablespoons of confectioners’ sugar provided just enough sweetness.
Briefly freezing the cookie dough-like cake balls made them firm enough to stay put on their sticks, and also helped set the coating of melted chocolate chips (chips worked better than bar chocolate because their stabilizers created a smooth, snappy coating).
We like to use a 2-cup liquid measuring cup to melt the chocolate; its tall, narrow sides allow for easier coating of the cake balls. You’ll need a floral foam block (available at craft stores and online) to stand the cake pops upright as the coating sets. If you’re unable to find one, stand the dipped cake pops upside down on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet (note that this will give the tops a flat appearance). To make different colors for the coating, add drops of food coloring to the melted white chocolate chips.
For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, visit https://www.americastestkitch en.com. Find more recipes like Party Cake Pops in “The Perfect Cake.”