Description
These festive Christmas Cake Pops are a delightful holiday treat featuring moist vanilla or chocolate cake balls dipped in smooth white or dark chocolate and decorated with colorful sprinkles. Perfect for holiday parties or gifting, these bite-sized desserts combine the fun of cake and candy on a stick with customizable decorations to brighten up any celebration.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cake Pops
- 1 box vanilla or chocolate cake mix (plus ingredients listed on the box)
- 1/2 cup frosting (store-bought or homemade)
For the Coating and Decoration
- 12 ounces white or dark chocolate candy melts
- Assorted sprinkles and decorations (red, green, white)
- Lollipop sticks
- Optional: gel food coloring or edible glitter
Instructions
- Bake the Cake: Prepare the cake according to the package directions and allow it to cool completely to room temperature before proceeding to ensure easy crumbling and handling.
- Prepare the Cake Mixture: Crumble the cooled cake into fine crumbs inside a large mixing bowl. Gradually add the frosting and mix well with your hands or a spoon until the mixture has a dough-like consistency that holds together when shaped.
- Shape Cake Balls: Roll the cake mixture into 1-inch balls using your hands, then place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet to prevent sticking.
- Chill the Cake Balls: Refrigerate the cake balls for at least 1 hour or freeze them for 20 minutes until they are firm enough for dipping, which helps maintain their shape during the coating process.
- Melt the Candy Coating: In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the candy melts by heating in 30-second intervals, stirring each time until the chocolate is smooth and fully melted.
- Insert Lollipop Sticks: Dip the tip of each lollipop stick into the melted chocolate, then insert the stick halfway into each chilled cake ball to secure it in place.
- Coat the Cake Pops: Dip each cake pop completely into the melted chocolate, gently tap off any excess coating to achieve an even layer, and work quickly to prevent hardening.
- Decorate: Immediately after coating, decorate the cake pops with sprinkles, edible glitter, or gel food-colored chocolate before the coating sets.
- Dry and Set: Place the cake pops upright in a styrofoam block or a specialized cake pop stand and allow the coating to dry completely at room temperature.
Notes
- Use gel food coloring to tint white chocolate into festive colors for customized decoration.
- Try different cake flavors like peppermint or red velvet for variety.
- Store cake pops in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to a week to maintain freshness.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
