We were driving back home from picking Rich’s mom up for a week’s visit when we made a stop for coffee (mom), Iced Americanos (Rich and I), and, cake pops. Lemon and salted caramel cake pops, to be precise, and they were a hit.
Then Rich and his mom wondered if I might could make a batch, so when we got home, I went to da Google and did some research. The first thing I discovered is that no, you do not need to buy one of those ‘cake pop pans’. You just need some time…
INGREDIENTS
Cake Pan Coating:
•1 tbsp shortening (Crisco)
•1 tbsp flour
•1 tbsp canola oil
Cake:
•1 box Betty Crocker Super Moist Butter Recipe Yellow cake mix
•3 eggs
•1 cup ice cold water
•1 cup mayonnaise
•Lollipop sticks
Cake Pop Moistener:
•1/4 stick (2 tbsp) butter, softened
•1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
•1/4 cup brown sugar
•1/4 tsp vanilla
•1/3 cup Fleur de Sel Caramel Sauce
•Salt
Glazes/Frostings:
•11 oz white chocolate chips
•1 tbsp solid shortening (Crisco)
•22 oz dark chocolate chips
•1 tbsp butter
•11 oz Caramel chips
•1 tbsp milk
•Coarse sea salt
First, a note: Starbucks cake pops are way more pretty than mine turned, AND they made their salted caramel version with chocolate cake. I don’t apologize for the look of mine, I kind of like a rustic looking cake pop, and I specifically chose yellow cake because Rich’s mom thought there was a bit too much chocolate in the originals; so feel free to try a batch with a chocolate – or dark chocolate mix, it’s all good.
OK, bidness out of the way, let’s make us some cake pops!
Heat your oven to 350º.
Combine the shortening, flour, and canola oil together in a small bowl, then brush on a 13 x 9 cake pan to coat – your baked cake will pop out of the pan with ease.
Add the cake mix, eggs, mayonnaise, and ice water to a large mixing bowl and combine on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase the speed to high and continue mixing for four minutes.
Turn the batter into your prepared baking pan and bake more or less according to the instructions on the cake mix box, for my glass 13 x9 baking pan, 30 minutes was perfect.
Remove the cake from the oven and let cool completely – which’ll give you time to clean out the mixer bowl and get ready for the next step…
Beat the softened butter together with the confectioners’ sugar, brown sugar, and the vanilla in your large mixing bowl until creamy.
Cut your cooled cake into rough cubes, add to brown sugar mixture in the bowl and mix on low until well crumbled.
Add the caramel sauce and continue to mix until combined and the mixture is moist enough to hold together when shaped into balls.
Shape the dough into balls and arrange on a parchment paper lined pan. I used a two tablespoon scoop to shape my cake balls, and ended up with thirty after stealing a bit from each huge cake ball to complete the batch. Next time, I will look for a 1-1/2 tbsp scoop.
Sprinkle each cake ball with a bit of salt, then stash in the fridge for an hour.
Pour the white chocolate chips into a ‘wave-safe bowl with 1 teaspoon shortening and heat at 50% power for 60 seconds.
Remove from the ‘wave and stir until smooth. Repeat until melted, then add another teaspoon shorenting and stir until totally smooth. If the chocolate still seems a bit lumpy, ‘wave for another 30 seconds, stir until smooth, then add one last teaspoon of shortening and stir until melted into the chocolate.
Dip a cake stick into the chocolate to coat about one inch of the stick, then stick that end into a cake ball.
Repeat with the remaining sticks and cake balls, then dip each cake pop into the white chocolate at an angle, then tap lightly on the edge of the bowl to remove excess dripping chocolate.
Place the coated cake pop on a parchment paper lined pan and repeat with the remaining pops. chill for an hour.
Add the dark chocolate chips to a ‘wave-safe bowl with a tablespoon of butter and stash in a turned off gas oven, (or an electirc oven set at 100º) while the white chocolate layer is chilling.
After an hour, heat in the ‘wave at 50% power for 60 seconds.
Remove from the ‘wave and stir until the bowl no longer feels warm.
Continue heating in 20 second intervals, stirring after each, until the chocolate is smooth.
Dip each chilled cake ball in the warm dark chocolate, sprinkle with a bit of coarse sea salt, then pop back into the fridge for another hour to set up.
Add the caramel bits and a tablespoon of milk to your ‘wave-safe bowl toss into the oven while the dark chocolate is setting. After an hour, heat in the ‘wave for two minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until the caramel is melted and smooth.
Dip the pops into the caramel and/or spoon the caramel over, then pop back onto the parchment paper lined pan and into the fridge for – yup, an hour – to set up.
Messy? YeahSureYouBetcha – and rich, too, but oh! so tasty!