Chocolate Cake Pops
These triple chocolate cake pops start out as a homemade, small batch chocolate cake thatβs almost too good to crumble up. A few tablespoons of deep, dark fudge frosting later, and theyβre ready for a crunchy chocolate shell.
Make the cake
This chocolate cake is super rich and fudgy, making it the perfect starting point for these cake pops. It bakes up in a smaller 9 x 9 pan, rather than a 9 x 13 rectangle or 2-3 round pans. You donβt need a ton of cake to make a good amount of cake pops!
Real chocolate or coating?
Thatβs up to you! The melting instructions are the same for both. I usually have enough Valrhona around my kitchen to use real chocolate, but coating or wafers achieve the same coverage. The taste will be different from one to the other, so make sure to consider that when deciding which to go with.
Adding frosting
The great thing about these chocolate cake pops is that the cake itself is almost moist enough to ball up without frosting. Adding a single tablespoon is plenty to bind the crumbles together nicely. One more tablespoon, and youβve crossed over into the truffle category.
Both are fantastic! Iβve made these with one tablespoon and two, depending on what I wanted in the end. Ultimately, your finished cake will be a bit different than mine, so add frosting until you get the right texture.
But one important thing to remember is to not overdo it with the frosting. Two tablespoons is the absolute MAX for this recipe. Because again, the cake is very moist. Adding too much frosting creates a greasy mess when itβs time to dip these cake pops in the heated chocolate, and you risk them falling apart.
Dipping
After the formed cake balls have chilled, dip the end of each stick about an inch into the melted chocolate before pushing into the ball. A little button will form around where the cake ball meets the stick. That button helps the rest of the chocolate to cling to the cake pop and stay put.
I usually just heat up my chocolate in the microwave, using a glass measuring cup. Because measuring cups are more narrow than a bowl, theyβre ideal for dipping these cake pops. Just dunk each cake pop straight down into the chocolate until itβs completely submerged, going a little bit past that button.
Gently tap the stick on the edge of the measuring cup to get rid of any excess chocolate and place the cake pop upright to dry. I like to use floral foam blocks for this, but you can also use a cardboard box with holes in the top.
Serving & Storage
Add your favorite sprinkles immediately after dipping, if youβre using them. The cake pops will dry at room temperature within 30 minutes, and 15 minutes in the fridge. I recommend allowing them to set for at least an hour before serving them, to make sure the chocolate has really set up.
Store any leftovers in the fridge. An airtight container isnβt necessary, since the chocolate shell acts like a seal around the cake. I usually just keep mine in a gallon zip top bag.
Chocolate Cake Pops
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Chilling + Assembly: 12 hours
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 13 hours
- Yield: 25 cake pops 1x
- Category: Dessert, Bite Size
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
Dense and deeply chocolate, these cake pops are perfect for a small but mighty chocolate hit.
Ingredients
For the chocolate cake:
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup + 2 TB cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup hot brewed coffee
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 3/4 cup whole milk buttermilk
- 1/2 cup + 1 TB vegetable oil
- 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour, sifted
- 2 oz chopped chocolate, melted and cooled
To form the cake pops and dip:
- 1β2 TB dark chocolate frosting
- 12 oz chopped dark chocolate or chocolate coating
Instructions
To make the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and line a 9 x 9 square pan with parchment paper. Alternatively, use butter or baking spray to grease the insides of the pan. Set aside.
- Stir the vanilla extract and cocoa powder into the hot coffee, whisking to dissolve well. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, salt, baking soda, egg and egg yolk. Whisk well for one minute, the mixture should be more pale and thick.
- Add the buttermilk and oil, and mix for another minute. Add the flour and whisk well for 2 minutes. The batter should thicken up a bit more as you mix in the flour.
- Pour in the coffee/cocoa/vanilla mixture and the melted chocolate and gently mix for one minute until well combined. Use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and make sure everything is incorporated.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared 9 x 9 pan and bake for 35 minutes. The cake should be crowned in the center with no wrinkles, use a toothpick to test for doneness. If the toothpick comes out clean, then the cake is ready.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before chilling overnight. The cake must be cold before assembling the cake pops.
- Crumble the cold cake into the bowl of a stand mixer and beat with the paddle attachment for 30 seconds to create uniform crumbs. You should have about 7 cups of crumbled cake. Add a tablespoon of frosting to the crumbs and beat for 30 seconds to combine.
- Test the cake/frosting mixture to see if it will hold together. If you are able to roll it between your hands like cookie dough without it breaking apart, itβs ready. Add another tablespoon of frosting if necessary, but NO MORE than that.
- Use a medium cookie scoop to form each cake ball. Scrape the cake mixture into the scoop so that it overflows, then press the flat side of the scoop against the inside of the bowl to pack it and level it off.
- Roll each packed ball between your palms to smooth it out, and repeat for the remaining cake mixture. Allow the formed cake balls to chill for an hour before adding the sticks.
To assemble and finish the cake pops:
- Melt the 12 oz of chopped chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds on full power. Stir well and heat for another 30 seconds. Stir again. Repeat once or twice more, stirring between each 30 second interval to distribute the heat and completely melt the chocolate. If youβre working with coating instead of actual chocolate, keep a close eye on them during the melting. The coating is much more prone to overheating and seizing up than chocolate.
- If the coating does overheat and seize, add a few more ounces of coating and stir vigorously to cool everything down. The coating should be pourable again within 10 minutes.
- Add the melted chocolate to a tall, more narrow container, such as a measuring cup. Dip each treat stick about 2 inches down into the chocolate before pressing the stick halfway down into the cake ball. This will form a small βbuttonβ where the stick meets the cake ball. Repeat for the remaining cake balls.
- Beginning with the first cake pop you added a stick to, dip each cake pop in the melted chocolate. Be sure to totally submerge the cake pop just above the chocolate button, so that the chocolate goes up onto the stick a little bit.
- Swirl and tap each coated cake pop on the edge of the measuring cup to get rid of any excess chocolate.
- Invert each freshly dipped cake pop onto a block of floral foam or cardboard box, pressing the free end of the stick into the foam to securely hold it in place while it dries. Repeat for the remaining cake pops. If you are using sprinkles, add them to each cake pop immediately after dipping, before the chocolate dries.
- Allow the completed cake pops to chill for an hour before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 coated cake pop
- Calories: 201
- Sugar: 15.7 g
- Sodium: 125.2 mg
- Fat: 11.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 23.3 g
- Fiber: 1.8 g
- Protein: 2.4 g
- Cholesterol: 16.4 mg
