Valentine Heart Cake Pops

Valentine’s Day is almost here! I was inspired to make Heart Cake Pops this year after seeing all the wonderful  Cake Pops on Bakerella’s website. This was my first attempt at making cake pops and it was a learning process but well worth the end result.

Two things I learned in the the process was that if you are going to make shaped cake pops such as hearts like I did you definitely need to make them thick enough for the lollipop stick  to insert into without the cake pop falling apart. I made mine about 3/4″ thick and they really needed to be at least 1 inch thick or more. Sadly I lost a few hearts due to this.

Secondly I learned that you definitely have to freeze the cake pops for several hours and only take out a few to coat at a time . They didn’t harden up as much as I thought they would in the freezer so you just have to be quick. I had to be very precise about inserting the lollipop stick up through the bottom center of the heart and then had to coat quickly for it to set.

During my adventure of making heart cake pops I also made basic cake pops (ball shape). The ball shaped cake pops worked out great and I didn’t run across problems. This recipe takes time so be sure to prepare in advance and maybe make it a 2 day event. I really enjoyed decorating the cake pops along with my daughter and will be making more in the future.

Heart Cake Pops

1 box Devils Food Cake Mix (prepare as directed in a 13×9)
1 can of chocolate frosting 16oz (I only needed to use half of a can)
Wilton Candy Melts (pink, white, red)
Sprinkles for decorating
Styrofoam block to stick lollipops into
Heart shaped cookie cutter

Directions:

Prepare cake as directed. One thing I change is the oil. I use half of the oil called for and replace the other half with applesauce. Cool cake completely. Crumble cake into a large bowl and then add frosting. I ended up only using half of the can of frosting and it was plenty. For heart shaped cake pops you’ll need to place the cake mixture on a piece of parchment paper and pat down into a rectangular shape. I used a rolling pin at the very end to even out the cake layer. Be sure it is 1 inch thick or more. Freeze the cake layer for at least 2 hours. You can then take out the cake layer and cut into heart shapes. Shape remaining cake mixture into cake balls. Freeze both cake balls and cake hearts for several hours before coating. When ready, melt coating and then take out a few cake balls/hearts at a time. Insert lollipop stick and quickly coat cake ball or heart into the melted coating. Decorate with sprinkles and place into a styrofoam block for them to harden. Enjoy!

Note: Mix it up and try a new cake mix and frosting flavor. Combinations are endless!