Cake pops make any celebration more festive! This white chocolate and vanilla version is an especially fun, sweet surprise for a birthday, Valentine’s Day, or any other kind of party.
Making cake pops is easier than you probably think: Just crumble up cake, moisten it with frosting, and roll the cake mixture into bite-sized balls.
For this pretty-in-pink version, you’ll dip them into a rich white chocolate coating and pipe red and pink melted candy on the white chocolate.
In making these treats, we opted for a moist homemade butter cake rather than a boxed mix.
Why? Because homemade takes just a few moments more than boxed, but the gain in flavor will make your sweet tooth over-the-top happy you took the extra time.
Baking and crumbling the cake are easy, but dipping the cake balls takes more care.
You begin with the sticks: Dip them into the melted white chocolate first, before inserting them into the cake balls. This keeps the cake from slipping off when you’re dipping or eating the cake pop.
Next, quickly and smoothly dip the cake balls into the white chocolate, completely covering each one.
Allow the excess chocolate to drip off, give them a swirl to avoid drips, and set the pops up on a styrofoam block to allow the chocolate coating to harden.
Finish off your cake pops with some red and pink candy melts; make swirls, dots, miniature hearts, and other fun designs on the white chocolate coating. Once the decor is set, your vanilla cake pops are ready for the dessert table.
Dress up your cake pops even more by displaying them in red or pink flower pots, Valentine’s Day boxes, or mason jars adorned with jewels and ribbons. Simply cut a piece styrofoam to fit inside the container of your choice, insert the cake pop sticks, and fill in the spaces with party decorations that suit the occasion.
Baker’s note: Vanilla-flavored candy melts are available in many colors. You can use paste food coloring in white candy melts to produce whatever colors you prefer, or simply buy colored melts.
Equipment needed:
1 styrofoam block
Cake pop sticks (like lollipop sticks)
Vanilla cake pops
Yield 13-18 cake pops
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2-3/4 cups cake flour (measured using the spooning method)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
Cake pops:
- White cake (see details above)
- 2 spoonfuls white frosting (homemade or store-bought)
- 2 boxes premium white chocolate, cut into chunks
- Sprinkles (optional)
- 1 package vanilla-flavored candy melts
- Red food coloring
- Pink food coloring
Instructions
Cake:
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Preheat oven to 350F.
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Grease and lightly flour two 9-inch square cake pans; set aside.
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In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Stir with whisk until well combined.
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Using stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
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Add eggs, one at time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla and continue blending.
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Add flour mixture to butter mixture in three batches, alternately with milk and beating well after each addition.
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Divide batter evenly between prepared pans.
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Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
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Cool for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely on wire rack.Note: Cakes can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored in refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Cake pops:
- Add cake to large bowl. Crumble until it resembles fine crumbs.
- Add frosting in small amounts until cake is moist and can hold ball shape, yet still stays crumbly. Use hands to incorporate frosting into cake crumbs.
- Using miniature ice cream scoop, remove two balls of cake mixture. Roll into one tight ball and place on plate. Repeat until all of cake mixture has been rolled into balls.
- Melt 3 ounces white chocolate in small double-boiler.
- Dip tip of cake pop sticks into white chocolate and insert into cake balls about half way.
- Freeze all cake balls for approximately 20 minutes.
- Add remaining chocolate in double boiler, ensuring you have enough to completely submerge each cake ball.
- Remove cake balls from freezer.
- Dip cake balls carefully into white chocolate until completely covered. Allow excess chocolate to drip off. Swirl each ball, and tap gently. Roll in sprinkles, if desired.
- Stick decorated cake pop into styrofoam block to finish setting. Place into freezer to speed up setting time.
- Clean double boiler. Melt candy melts and divide into two small bowls. Add red food coloring to one and pink (or less red) to other.
- Using small piping tip, place melted candy melts into two separate bags and pipe red or pink lines in circular motion around each pop.
- Place back on styrofoam block and continue to cool.
- Store in single layer in airtight container.
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