Cake pops are pretty trendy right now, especially in the wedding cake industry. For those of you that don't know about cake pops, they are lovely little balls of cake on a lollipop with candy coating.
Most of the recipes you'll find on the internet call for a simple vanilla or chocolate cake mix and a simple white chocolate candy coating. If you're looking for recipes that spice it up a bit, this is probably the only place you'll find it. The reason--everyone is stuck on creative decorating and have left creative flavors behind.
My friends Megan and Alek went to a lovely little bakery for their wedding cake and while this bakery makes cake pops, they charge $2.50 per pop. That's expensive and silly. So I'm making them instead!
Today I'm trying out a recipe for Champagne Mango Cake Pops with a orange butter cream, mango puree and champagne filling, with a coral candy coating shell.
You will need:
1 box of Betty Crocker white cake mix.
3 egg whites
1 orange (peel and juice)
Champagne (for the pops, and to sip on!)
Vegetable oil
1 mango
3 sticks Unsalted butter, room temp
1 bag white candies
I start with box cakes from Betty Crocker because they are cost efficient, simple and the mixes are easy to add your own twist.
1. Take a white cake mix and with a hand mixer, mix in 1/3 cup Veg oil, 3/4 cups champagne, 1/2 cup orange juice, 1 teaspoon grated orange peel, three egg whites and two tablespoons mango puree.
Grease 2- 9x9 baking pans and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
While you wait for the cakes, start on the Butter cream recipe, although you could make one recipe if you wish. I am trying two different recipes to decide which works best for the wedding.
Cake pops need a gluing agent to stay in a solid ball. I typically use a blend of frosting, fresh fruit puree, and a little more champagne for flavor.
Do whatever you like, there is always room for variation.
2. So for one recipe, mix one stick of room temp unsalted butter, 4 tblsp of champagne, 1 teaspoon orange zest and between 2 and 3 cups of powdered sugar. Whip until stiff.
The original recipe calls for 6 c. of powdered sugar but you will not use all of the frosting with cake pops. So cut the needless money and calories out of the equation.
For the other, the Buttercream frosting is 2 sticks of unsalted butter (room temp), 5 tblsp of champagne and 4 cups of powdered sugar. Whip until stiff.
So easy!!!
3. Use a food processor to make the cake into crumbles. Add as much or little frosting as you want to the crumbles. Just make sure there is at least 1 cup of a wet agent to make sure the cake pops don't fall apart on you later. One really important tip to remember is to add a little at a time. Just a dollop of each to start with, mix and test the consistency. Keep adding and mixing until you reach a texture that is still dry enough to easily roll into small balls.
4. Next, melt a few candies and dip the end of the lollipop stick in, then place it in the cake ball to make a cake pop. After all of the cake balls have lollipop sticks, stick in the freezer for 5 minutes.
5. Melt the rest of the candies and dye them whatever color you like. My friend's wedding color is coral, so I add a 1 part pink to 2 parts orange. A little goes a long way.
6. Stick the pop in the candy coating and use a spoon to cover the sides with the coating without agitating the pop too much. If you continually twist it, the resistance from the coating will break it apart. Use your finger to smooth out the coating, take off the excess candy and you can make a swirling design as well.
Just use a foam core to stand the cake pops up so they can dry. Decorate as you like and then you can eat!
Alek and Megan loved them and I'm using this recipe with the second Butter cream recipe for the wedding!
Send me questions if you have them! I've got tons of variations.
My next recipe will be Mojito Cake Pops!
1. Mix the cake mix as instructed on the box. Add 1 cup of mini chocolate chips to the batter. The chips will settle near the bottom of the cake, if this bothers you, coat them with flour before adding to the batter. Bake as instructed and allow to cool. 
6. Melt chocolate candy melts, dip in sucker stick and insert the stick in the cake ball and allow to harden. Process down 2 more graham crackers and quarter the mini marshmallows.
