Seven Types of Cake Pops for Parties and Entertaining

Cake pops are a delicious treat that mixes cake and frosting into one small ball. Each cake bite is the perfect one or two-bite dessert. Adding a chocolate or frosting coating to the top of the cake pop gives it some extra flavor. Newer devices let you make the round cake balls without using any frosting on the inside or baking the cake before mixing the ingredients. Before trying your hand at cake pops, learn the different types available to you.

The traditional cake pop uses a mixture of frosting and cake crumbs. You bake the cake and let it cool for several hours or overnight. Then you break the cake into fine crumbs, similar to breadcrumbs. Pour the crumbs into a large bowl and add pre-made or homemade frosting. Add enough frosting that the mixture resembles clay. Mold the cake mixture into small balls and insert a skewer or stick into the bottom. Dip the traditional cake balls in melted chocolate or decorate with more frosting.

Molded cake pops use a mixture similar to traditional cake pops, except that you mold the pops into different shapes and sizes. A simple way to make molded cake pops is with candy molds. Typically designed for chocolate candies, the molds come in various shapes and sizes. Use molds of popular cartoon characters or for holiday items, including Christmas trees and valentine hearts. Pack the dough into a nonstick mold and place in the freezer. Once the dough cools and hardens, remove from the freezer. Insert a stick in the bottom and decorate as you want.

If you ever had a rice cereal treat, you know that it has a rich and sweet flavor. You typically make the treats with a mixture of cereal and marshmallows, which you melt and press into a baking dish. The same idea works for making cake pops. Make the cereal treats as you usually would, but cut into small squares after they cool and insert a stick into the bottom. Or, cut the cereal treats into shapes with cookie cutters. You can also place the treats in candy molds. Decorate the cereal treat cake pops with chocolate, frosting, or leave as-is.

Baked cake pops are essentially individually baked cakes attached to a skewer. Wilton, one of the top manufacturers of baking equipment, makes several cake pop molds that let you bake individual cakes in different sizes. Wilton is far from your only option. You can bake the cakes in molds designed for decorative candies, or use molds intended for doughnuts or bundt cakes. Once the cakes finish baking, let cool before adding your stick. Dip or decorate the cake pops as you would the traditional varieties.

Cut cake pops are a fun alternative to traditional cake pops, especially if you aren’t so handy when it comes to molding and shaping. Bake a cake in a long, rectangular cake pan and let cool for several hours. Press cookie cutters into the cooled cake and carefully remove the cutout cake pieces. Slide a skewer or stick into the bottom of each one. Fill pastry bags with frosting dyed in different colors and decorate the cake pops.

Cookie cake pops are a fun twist on the traditional cake pops idea. Make your favorite sugar cookie recipe, or use a prepackaged sugar cookie dough. Roll the dough out to a thickness of ½-inch and cut into different shapes with cookie cutters. Bake the cookies as the recipe or box suggests and let cool on baking sheets. While the cookies are still warm and soft, carefully slide a stick through the bottom edge. After the cookies cool, decorate with candies, sprinkles, frosting, or icing.

If you love chocolate more than cake, try making brownie cake pops. Make the pops even easier by using a brownie mix. Bake the brownies in cake molds, or bake the brownies and cut out designs with cookie cutters. Use a stick in the bottom of each brownie and decorate like cake pops. Keep in mind that softer brownies might fall apart when you add a stick. Consider baking the brownies a few extra minutes, which keeps the insides from falling apart when you bite into a brownie cake pop.