Halloween Cake Pops
- Level: Easy
- Yield: about 46 cake pops
- Total: 3 hr 40 min (includes cooling and chilling times)
- Active: 1 hr 15 min
Ingredients
One 15.25-ounce box yellow cake mix (plus required ingredients)
1 cup vanilla frosting, plus more as needed
10 ounces orange candy melting wafers
Jumbo black nonpareils, for decorating
10 ounces black candy melting wafers
Black sanding sugar, for decorating
Small orange nonpareils, for decorating
Directions
Special equipment:
46 lollipop sticks (each about 6 inches long); two 9.8-by-11.8-inch Styrofoam blocks; a small piping bag- Prepare and bake the cake according to the package directions for a 9-by-13-inch pan. Let cool completely.
- Break the cake into pieces and transfer to a food processor. Add the frosting and process until the mixture forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 30 seconds. If the mixture doesn't come together, add more frosting 1 tablespoon at a time until it holds its shape.
- Using a 3/4-ounce scoop, form the mixture into about 46 balls and put them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, put the orange candy melting wafers in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted according to the package directions. Dip 1/2 inch of the tip of each of 46 lollipop sticks into the candy and then stick each tip halfway into a cake ball. (It's ok to use one color for this part.) Refrigerate the cake pops until completely chilled, about 1 hour.
- Microwave the orange candy again until melted and pour into a tall narrow glass. Dip 23 cake pops into the candy and let any excess run off. To make spider cake pops, place a jumbo black nonpareil on top and slightly above center of as many of the orange-dipped pops as you choose while the coating is still wet. Stick the orange-dipped pops--both the plain and nonpareil-topped ones--in a 9.8-by-11.8-inch Styrofoam block and let set completely.
- Meanwhile, place the black candy melting wafers in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted according to the package directions. Pour the candy into a tall narrow glass. Dip the remaining 23 cake pops into the candy and let any excess run off. To make black sparkle cake pops, sprinkle as many of the black-dipped pops as you choose entirely with the black sanding sugar while the coating is still wet. To make black cake pops with orange nonpareils, sprinkle the remaining black-dipped pops with the small orange nonpareils while the coating is still wet. Stick the finished black-dipped pops in a second 9.8-by-11.8-inch Styrofoam block and let set completely.
- Microwave the black candy again if needed. Transfer to a small piping bag and cut a small piece off the end.
- To finish the spider cake pops, pipe a mound of black candy directly behind the jumbo black nonpareils. Pipe 4 legs on each side. Stick the finished pops back into the Styrofoam block and let set completely.
- To make orange spider web cake pops, hold each remaining plain orange-dipped cake pop over a sheet of parchment paper and pipe black zigzag stripes over the pops, letting the excess fall onto the parchment paper. Sprinkle with black sanding sugar while the piping is still wet. Stick the finished pops back into the Styrofoam block and let set completely.