Hey gorgeous! I know I’ve been MIA for a while and haven’t been blogging at all, but I promise I have a good reason! I’ve been away on a 2 month long vacation, and just got back in 2 weeks ago. I needed to settle into my old routine before I could sit down and focus on blog content; buuuuut I’m back and to celebrate my return, I’ve decided to add a new category to my blog ~ the “Sweet Tooth” corner ~ to share my love of baking with you. To help launch this category right off the weboshpere, here’s a deliciously scrumptious recipe for chocolate cake pops!

What you’re going to need:
♥ 1 box of chocolate cake mix
♥ Baking powder
♥ Vanilla extract
♥ 1 can of cream cheese frosting (450g or 16oz)
♥ 1 package of baker’s chocolate or 1 package of semi-sweetened chocolate chips
♥ Lollipop sticks (found at craft stores like Michaels)
♥ Styrofoam block (found at craft stores like Michaels)
♥ Wax paper / cookie sheets
♥ Sprinkles (optional)

How to make the cake pops:
Start by baking your cake! Follow the directions as stated on the cake mix box. To make the cake more fluffy, I added 2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract into my mix. Once the cake is ready (the back of the box should let you know how long it needs to be in the oven for and what heat setting is ideal), leave it out to cool for a few hours. Once it is completely cooled, get a large bowl and TEAR YOUR CAKE APART! Sounds horrible after all that effort but I promise it’s tons of fun! :)

Take your can of cream cheese frosting and mix it all in with the crumbled cake. It will get a bit messy, so I suggest wearing gloves for this part. You don’t want to get yourself in a sticky situation! Once the frosting and cake are thoroughly mixed together, begin making little quarter sized balls and lay them on the wax paper / cookie sheet on top of a tray or large plate. This recipe will make approximately 45 – 50 cake pops. Place the tray in the freezer for a couple of hours.

Here is the tricky part of all this ~ melting the chocolate and dipping the cake pops in them. I tried two different ways – microwaving the chocolate and using the double boiler method. I prefer the double boiler method a lot more. To do this, all you need are two pots; put water in one pot and place the second pot on top of the first one; this is where your chocolate goes. Turn your oven-top on and let the water boil; once it boils, lower the heat setting to low. I found this method easier to work with, as the chocolate stayed hot and did not harden. Dip your lollipop sticks one by one in the melted chocolate and stick them in the cake balls. Wait a few seconds for the chocolate to harden, thus stopping the cake ball from slipping off the stick, then take each stick with a cake ball and dip it in the melted chocolate. Be quick and use a spoon to smooth the chocolate all around the cake pop and get rid of any excess chocolate. If you wish to add sprinkles or any other decoration, this is the time to do it ~ the chocolate is still hot and decorative items will adhere to the cake pops easily. Place each cake pop in your styrofoam block to hold them upright while the chocolate covering hardens and that’s it! You’re done :)