If you follow our blog, you know we recently celebrated my son’s 9th birthday. He still lets me make treats for him to take to class to celebrate! I am soaking it in as long as I can! My 12 year old son has already put the kibosh on it. #SheSobsSilentlyToHerself
Every year, since I learned how to make cake pops from the Bakerella cookbook, titled Cake Pops!, he requests me to make these Ghost Cake Pops. I have fortunately/unfortunately become known as the Cake Pop Lady at his school. I wear this as a badge of honor.
Sort of.
I love to be known as someone who regularly supplies classmates and faculty with various treats (seasonally and randomly) throughout the year. Cake Pops however, are a tedious and time consuming baked good. I have a sense of pride, because they look impressive (even if not executed perfectly!), and when I deliver them, people get really excited. And all that hard work is worth it.
Also, this item is featured on our Fall Bucket List!
Let's get started!
Here is how YOU can make them too! Just make sure you have all of the necessary elements before you get started and plenty of time set aside! Like an entire afternoon! And read this thoroughly to make sure you have everything you need!
First, you need to bake a cake. I prefer to bake it in a 13x9 pan. You can bake whatever type of cake you like. In this instance, I used Red Velvet. I have used yellow cake and chocolate cake before. You can get really wacky with it, and add unusual icing flavors. I usually use whatever type of icing I would put on cake or cupcakes of the same flavor. But I am getting ahead of myself. Once your cake it baked, let it cool completely. See? Just this step takes a long time to bake a cake and let it cool. Sometimes, I even make the cake the day before to speed things along.
Next, after your cake is cool, cut the cake into quarters. Each quarter of the cake should make between 9-12 cake pops, obviously depending on the size you choose to make them. I suggest smaller than you think because once it is dipped in chocolate, it gets larger.
Crumble up the amount of cake you decide you need into fine crumbs into a bowl.
Add a dollop of icing to the bowl...
And stir it together. You want to add a little at a time until you can roll it into a ball and it stays.
I like to use a small ice cream scoop (like below and here) for size consistency.
Since I was making ghosts, I formed them into sort of a bell shape rather than a ball. I placed them on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Then, I put them into the freezer for 20-30 minutes to firm up, so they don't fall apart once you put the sticks in and dip it into the chocolate.
Next, while the cake balls were in the freezer, I melted the chocolate in this VERY handy Wilton Chocolate & Candy Melts Melting Pot. Note: When looking up a link to share with you, mine has apparently been updated, so look for this instead of the brown version.
I made the mistake this time of starting by melting the chocolate in a tall, skinny mason jar.
I know better. I really do. I regretted it instantly. The chocolate stays nice and warm, melted and perfect consistency in the fancy candy melter.
Depending on what you are making, you can melt regular chocolate, or candy melts designed for making things such as this. Hands down for white chocolate, this Candiquik is the best. It melts evenly and is very smooth and easy to dip these fragile pops. Trust me on this one.
Here is my rookie mistake mason jar. Ugh. Still kicking myself. It wasted so much chocolate and the pops turned out gloppy looking. But anyway, back to the process, but learn from my mistakes!!
You dip the Lollipop Sticks into the chocolate so that the cake ball/bell/ghost stays on better.
Gently press the stick coated with the chocolate into the bell shape about halfway in.
And dip! Gently!!
(Please excuse my two different containers. I had to make so many I melted two packages of chocolate, and I was so displeased with using the mason jar!)
Gently tap off the excess on the side of the melted chocolate container.
Stand them up on a foam board or cake pop holder.
Note: I made my own holder by buying craft foam in the floral area from a craft store. I wrapped it in wrapping paper (pick a neutral one so you don't have to make a new one every time!) to make it pretty. I used a lollipop stick to poke holes in the paper and foam board. Next, so the chocolate dripping (because it WILL drip!) doesn't ruin the paper, I wrap it in plastic wrap and poke the stick through while the cake pops are drying.
Once the chocolate has hardened and dried, use a Food Marker (don't worry, it's food coloring in pen form!) to draw on different ghostly faces on them.
I try to mix it up and make several variations of the faces.
FINALLY!!! DONE!!
Now, I usually eat the ruined ones. Because there will be losses. Plan to make a few extra just in case you are taking them to an event or something where you need a certain number.
The very last step is to wrap each one individually, for sanitary reasons, and as you wrap each one, lift to remove the plastic wrap on the foam display board. I use these bags with twist ties. You can find them here.
But I much prefer these bags for a prettier presentation because of the ribbon. They are, of course, more expensive.
I know that was a lot of information!! These are not TOO hard to make. They are time consuming. And equipment intensive! I hope you will try them! Let me know if you have any questions or you want to curse me (KIDDING, please don't!) in the comments!!
Hope you have a BOO-tiful Day! Sorry. I couldn't resist.
-Sara
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