The Precise Technique That Makes Icing Cake Pops Way Easier
Sometimes, all you really want is a bite or two of cake, which is why cake pops are so ingenious. All they are is a poppable ball of cake on a stick dipped in a yummy candy coating, and if you're hosting a party, they're the perfect finger food. Cake pops are not hard to bake and assemble, but when it comes to decorating, things can get a little tricky, especially if you're baking with kids. It seems like it should be easy to just dip a cake pop into the glaze or frosting and have it come out perfectly. Unfortunately, what happens more often is that the whole ball of cake comes off the stick and makes a big mess of the icing. The trick is to tilt the bowl and dip the cake pop to glaze at an angle.
It's a bummer to go through the trouble of making a batch of cake pops only to have them come out looking a little worse for wear, but thankfully, the busy bakers of the internet have it all figured out. Make gravity work in your favor for your next batch of cake pops, and you'll never lose one to the bowl of frosting again.
Tilt the stick when you dip your cake pop
Angie Dudley, aka Bakerella, invented cake pops, which she popularized through her blog in 2011. Since then, they've become a worldwide phenomenon, and it's not hard to see why. They're portable; you can make a ton of them using the smallest amount of cake mix, and you don't have to worry about baking a perfect cake because they're made up of crumbs squished together. Plus, they're adorable to look at. They're an excellent party favor if you're throwing a baby shower or a child's birthday party.
Decorating cake pops is really all a matter of getting the dip to work with you and not against you. If you stick your pop straight into the bowl to immerse it in glaze, the sticky candy or frosting can latch onto the cake ball and pull it off the stick. This is because your entire cake pop is immersed in the glaze, making it harder to remove from the bowl. However, if you tip the bowl to the side, roll your pop through the glaze at an angle, and then shake off the excess, it won't ever be totally submerged, and you'll get an even coating all the way around.
@mainstreetsweets_frisco if you struggle with your cake pops falling off your stick, this may be a good “dipping†method to try out! #cakepops #cakepopdipping #fyp #foryou
Glaze consistency is important
The other most important factor in cake pop decorating is the glaze itself. You want it thick enough to stick but not so thick that your cake ball gets stuck in the bowl or clumps up and looks lumpy. Follow the directions carefully for making the candy glaze. If you find after you dip your first cake pop that things are too thin or too thick, you can adjust with more liquid to thin it out or add powdered sugar to thicken it up before tackling the whole batch.
If you plan to use melted chocolate for your dip, use candy melts instead of chocolate chips or baking chocolate. These candy nibs are formulated to melt down perfectly smooth and cool a little more slowly, so there's no clumping. You can find them at most well-stocked grocery stores, although they might be labeled as melting wafers.
Also, before dipping, freeze your cake pops for 15-20 minutes so they are nice and firm and more attached to their sticks. Once they're cooled down, grab a pop in one hand and the glaze in the other, and tilt your way to professionally decorated cake pops.