Cake pops, or pop cakes, are little lollipop-shaped balls of cake. They have become a real trend and are perfect for birthday parties or birth buffets. Originating in the United States, like cupcakes and muffins cake pops appeal to young and old alike.
The original idea behind pop cakes was to recycle leftover cake to avoid waste. Easy to prepare, these little lollipops are irresistible, especially with their colorful pearl decorations. They add a festive, elegant touch to a birthday buffet. What we particularly like is the crunchy chocolate shell that contrasts with the softness of the interior.
Very popular for birth buffets and baby showers, cake pops can easily be personalized according to the baby’s gender. They’re also very popular for themed birthday parties, where they add a gourmet, decorative touch.
Table of Contents
Tips for perfect cake pops
Making these chewy treats is child’s play! You can use any type of cake as a base: chocolate cake, chocolate sponge cake or vanilla sponge cake, pound cake, madeleines, or even a yogurt cake.
The possibilities are endless, including store-bought cakes. You can also add hazelnut powder, speculoos, etc. to your crumble cake.
To prepare your cake pops, start by crumbling the cake as finely as possible. Add your choice of jam, praline paste or a chocolate ganache made from a mixture of 50% cream and 50% chocolate. You can also opt for buttercream.
This recipe can also be used to make magnum cakes.
How to coat and decorate pop cakes?
For the popcake coating, you can use white, dark, milk or flavored chocolate. The Valrhona brand offers excellent colored and flavored chocolates, with inspiring flavors like strawberry, yuzu, or raspberry.
You can also opt for icing paste, chocolate sugar or candy melts. Candy melts are particularly practical because they come in all sorts of colors and even flavors.
Decorate with pearlescent powder for a shiny, festive effect. Sprinkle pop cakes with colorful sugar pearls, confetti sprinkles or multicolored vermicelli.
You can also add a drizzle of melted chocolate using a cornet, then sprinkle with small sugar balls for an elegant, gourmet finishing touch.
How to present the pop cakes?
If you shape your pop cakes round, as I did, you can plant them in foam covered with pretty paper for an elegant presentation. If you prefer them to stand upright on a tray or in small boxes, place them on parchment paper or a silicone mat after dipping them in the glaze. By placing them upright, they take on a flat base, ideal for stability and presentation.
The recipe on video
Ingredients:
NB: Find the printable recipe card at the end of the article.
For 26 cake pops
Chocolate cake
- 150 g ( 5.3 oz ) dark chocolate
- 150 g (5.3 oz )butter at room temperature
- 20 ml (0.7 oz) whole milk
- 15 g ( 0.5 oz)cocoa powder
- 3 eggs
- 100 g ( 3.5 oz)sugar
- 100 g flour (3.5 oz)
- 6 g baking powder (1 1/2 teaspoons)
Coating and decoration
- 500 g ( 1.1 lb )white, dark or milk chocolate. You can also use candy melts.
- 10 g (0.35 oz )cocoa butter (can be dispensed with)
- praline, salted butter caramel, spread or jam to form the cake into balls.
- sugar pearls or coloured vermicelli (sprinkles or coloured sugar confetti)
- sticks for pop cakes
- a few roasted hazelnuts 10 minutes at 180°C (350°F) (optional)
Preparation steps :
Chocolate cake, base for cake pops.
1. Preheat oven to 170°C (340°F)
2. Sift the flour with the cocoa powder and baking powder (1 and a half teaspoons) and mix everything together.
3. Melt the chocolate with the milk in a double boiler. As soon as it begins to melt, add the butter a little at a time, mixing well between each addition.
4. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar. Then add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
5. Pour the mixture over the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth.
6. Pour into the buttered and floured baking tin and bake for approx. 35 minutes. A skewer inserted in the center should come out dry.
7. Turn out and cool completely.
Chocolate cake, base for cake pops.
Making the pop cakes
1. Crumble the chocolate cake as finely as possible.
2. Divide into two bowls if you wish to offer two different flavours.
3. Add salted butter caramel to one bowl, and praline, gianduja or a spread of your choice to the other. Mix well to obtain a homogeneous texture. You should be able to shape the mixture into balls easily.
4. Fill the cavities of the popcake mould. If you don’t want to use a mould, you can shape the balls by hand. In this case, weigh each ball so that all pop cake balls are of equal size, about 25 g each (0.8 oz)
5. Add a hazelnut to the center of each ball half. Top with a little crumbled cake and smooth the surface. Both cavities must be filled to the brim and smoothed.
6. Close the mold and press lightly to weld the two parts together.
7. Turn out the cake pops and repeat with the remaining crumbled cake.
If you wish, you can make a small hole in one half of the ball and add a little salted butter caramel.
Finish
1. Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie and add the cocoa butter.
2. Remove the pan from the bain-marie once or twice to mix well and avoid overheating the chocolate.
3. dip the tips of the sticks in the chocolate, then prick them into the center of the cake pop. Let the chocolate set. You can leave them in the fridge for about 20 minutes. 
4. Pour the chocolate into a tall, narrow container.
5. Dip the pop cakes one by one in the chocolate, letting the excess drip off, then immediately decorate with pearls.
6. Prick them into Styrofoam or, like me, into the opening of an aluminium foil packet.
I hope this recipe helps you make pretty cake pops and inspires you for other cake pop or magnum cake ideas.
Chocolate cake pops recipe
EQUIPEMENTS
INGREDIENTS
- For 26 cake pops
Chocolate cake
- 150 g (5.3 oz ) dark chocolate
- 150 g (5.3 oz )butter at room temperature
- 20 ml (0.7 oz) whole milk
- 15 g (0.5 oz)cocoa powder
- 3 eggs
- 100 g (3.5 oz) sugar
- 100 g flour (3.5 oz)
- 6 g baking powder 1 and half teaspoons
Coating and decoration
- 500 g (1.1 lb) white, dark or milk chocolate. You can also use candy melts.
- 10 g (0.35 oz) cocoa butter (can be dispensed with)
- praline salted butter caramel, spread or jam to form the cake into balls.
- sugar pearls or coloured vermicelli sprinkles or coloured sugar confetti
- sticks for pop cakes
- a few roasted hazelnuts 10 minutes at 180°C (350°F) optional
PREPARATION
Chocolate cake, base for cake pops
- Preheat oven to 170°C (340°F)
- Sift the flour with the cocoa powder and baking powder (1 and a half teaspoons) and mix everything together.
- Melt the chocolate with the milk in a double boiler. As soon as it begins to melt, add the butter a little at a time, mixing well between each addition.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar. Then add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Pour the mixture over the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth.
- Pour into the buttered and floured baking tin and bake for approx. 35 minutes. A skewer inserted in the center should come out dry.
- Turn out and cool completely.
Making the pop cakes
- Crumble the chocolate cake as finely as possible.
- Divide into two bowls if you wish to offer two different flavours.
- Add salted butter caramel to one bowl, and praline, gianduja or a spread of your choice to the other. Mix well to obtain a homogeneous texture. You should be able to shape the mixture into balls easily.
- Fill the cavities of the popcake mould. If you don't want to use a mould, you can shape the balls by hand. In this case, weigh each ball so that all pop cake balls are of equal size, about 25 g each (0.8 oz)
- Add a hazelnut to the center of each ball half. Top with a little crumbled cake and smooth the surface. Both cavities must be filled to the brim and smoothed.
- Close the mold and press lightly to weld the two parts together.
- Turn out the cake pops and repeat with the remaining crumbled cake.
- If you wish, you can make a small hole in one half of the ball and add a little salted butter caramel.
Finish
- Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie and add the cocoa butter.
- Remove the pan from the bain-marie once or twice to mix well and avoid overheating the chocolate.
- dip the tips of the sticks in the chocolate, then prick them into the center of the cake pop. Let the chocolate set. You can leave them in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
- Pour the chocolate into a tall, narrow container.
- Dip the pop cakes one by one in the chocolate, letting the excess drip off, then immediately decorate with pearls.
- Prick them into Styrofoam or, like me, into the opening of an aluminium foil packet.
- I hope this recipe helps you make pretty cake pops and inspires you for other cake pop or magnum cake ideas.
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