How to Make Cake Pops | Red Velvet Cake Pops

Since Valentines is right around the corner, I wanted to share how to make Red Velvet Cake Pops. Cake pops are pretty labor intensive however the results are absolutely fabulous. I went the easy way and made my cake from store bought cake mix but I'll get into that later and I decorated them differently. So you can really play these up as much as you like. The outside of these cake pops are hard from the chocolate candy coating and the interior is moist because I added frosting. These cake pops are not at all hard to make but they will require a bit of time. So if you are willing to make these Red Velvet Cake Pops follow along step by step and watch the video tutorial. Let's go!

Supplies

Some of the tools I used for this recipe

Hamilton Beach Hand Mixer
9x13 Baking Dish
Baking Sheets
Rubber Spatula
Ice cream scoop
Cake Pop Sticks (I bought mine from Hobby Lobby)
Styrofoam (I bought mine from Hobby Lobby)

Step 1: Ingredients

For the Cake

1 box Red Velvet Box (15.25 oz) plus the ingredients needed on the back of the box
2 tablespoons Cream Cheese Frosting

The Candy Coating

1 12-ounce bag of White Wilton Candy Melts
1 12-ounce bag of Red Wilton Candy Melts
3 teaspoons flavorless oil (1 ½ teaspoon for each batch of candy melts )
Sprinkles (optional)
Weight Converter (if you need help converting the measurements)

Step 2: To Make the Cake

Prepare and bake the cake according to the package instructions and let it cool down to room temperature. You can use your favorite Red Velvet recipe (homemade or store bought) as long as it isn't frosted. I am using a store bought cake mix because it is easier and still taste amazing. I like to make my cake the night before I want to make the cake pops so it has enough time to cool and I am not waiting around for the cake to cool completely.

Step 3: Cut Edges and Crumble Cake

Cut out the edges and remove the cake from the baking dish and add to a large mixing bowl. Crumble the cake with your hands. By cutting out the edges, you are leaving behind any hard bits because you want the interior of the cake pops to be soft and moist.

Step 4: Add Frosting

Add 2 tbsp of frosting to the crumbled cake and mix with a spoon or your clean hands.

Step 5: Form Cake Balls

Scoop cake with ice cream scoop/cookie scoop and press cake into hand and then roll the cake ball with the palm of your hands to smooth any imperfections. Place formed balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Step 6: Melt White Candy Melts

In a heat safe bowl, melt about 1/4 cup of white candy melts in a microwave. Heat in 30 second intervals to avoid overheating the candy, you can also do this with a double boiler as I have in the video tutorial. If you are using the double boiler method, make sure you add a bit of water to the bottom of your saucepan and add a heat safe bowl on top but make sure that the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water because the candy melts can burn.

Step 7: Dip Cake Pop Sticks

Dip the tip of each cake pop stick into the melted candy and poke it into to balls about halfway through. Place each cake pop onto a baking sheet and transfer to the freezer for 20 minutes, don’t go over.

Step 8: Melt the Rest of the Candy Melts

Meanwhile, melt the rest of the white candy melts in a bowl. Make sure you melt them in 30 second intervals with mixing in between (again you can use the double boiler method if you don’t own a microwave). Add the coconut oil to the melts and mix well. If you are using the red candy melts, melt those in separate bowls and add the oil into those as well. You don't have to use two colors for the cake pops, I choose to have them look different and to have options. The reason you add oil to the candy melts is so they can stay melted longer without you having to keep melting them again.

Step 9: Dip and Sprinkle Cake Pops

Once the cake pops have been in the freezer for 20 minutes (no longer!) dip each into the cup and tilt to the sides slowly to make sure the entire cake pop is covered. Then slowly pull up the cake pop, do not swirl (they will pop off), hold the cake pop in one hand and tap your wrist so that all the extra melted candy drips off. Sprinkle the cake pop right away so that the sprinkles stick to it before the candy hardens and place the stick part inside the styrofoam and allow the candy to harden.

Step 10: Try Different Designs

I also allowed some of the cake pops outside coating to harden and then drizzled the opposite color of candy melts on top. For the marbled cake pops I didn't allow the outside coating to harden and then I drizzled the opposite color on top and I swirled and gently tapped the extra off and they turned marbled. You can play around with each design and decorate the cake pops however you like.