The Key To Keeping Your Cake Pops From Falling Off The Stick
Cake pops are a popular treat. Apart from being delicious, they're aesthetically pleasing and are a great way to make use of stale cake or cake crumbs. While they're time-consuming to make at home, they generally aren't very difficult as long as you have the proper supplies and ingredients. However, there is a lot that can go wrong when making this dessert yourself. Some common issues include falling apart, not getting them evenly coated in candy, and cake balls falling off sticks. However, there are plenty of tried and true cake pop tips which can combat the most common roadblocks.
There is an easy hack to keeping your cake pop tops from falling off their sticks, and all it takes is a quick step and a little extra patience. To keep the cake attached, simply dip the sticks in melted candy topping before sticking them in the pre-formed cake mixture. After hardening, the candy will act like glue to keep the cake from falling off.
Use candy coating as glue on the stick
The key to keeping your cake pops on the stick is super easy. After forming spheres out of your cake mixture, let them chill in the fridge so they can firm up. Once they're mostly set, melt the candy topping in a bowl. Food Network recommends dipping the sticks in the candy before pushing them into the cake balls. Once you've done this step for every cake pop, return them to the fridge or freezer to allow the candy to set.
The candy, once dried, acts as a glue between the stick and the cake, helping hold them together. This makes the cake much less likely to fall off the stick when dipped in external candy coating or when you take a bite. After all, no one wants a cake pop that falls and gets lost in the candy when attempting to coat it or ends up dropping on the floor when you try to eat it. This hack takes only a few extra seconds per cake pop and doesn't use any ingredients beyond those you already have for the recipe, and it's well worth it to keep your dessert intact.
Other reasons your cake pops might be falling off their sticks
If your cake pops fall off even with this trick, there might be other factors at play. If you don't chill your cake pops enough before adding the sticks and coating them, they may not be completely set. This could cause them to fall apart rather than hold their shape. In addition, your cake pops could be too big for their sticks. While you don't want your guests to feel you're skimping on their cake pops, keep in mind when forming the balls that you'll be fighting gravity when dipping. The candy on the stick can only hold so much force; if the cake is too big, it can still fall off.
Finally, ensure you're being gentle with the cake pops. Despite following all of the advice above, the tops can still fall off if you're too rough while dipping them in the candy and shaking off the excess coating. Cake pops are a delicate dessert that require a lot of finesse to get right. Slow down and take your time to ensure this aesthetic treat turns out as intended.