Moist cake pops in school colors, dipped in chocolate, decorated with sprinkles for a festive graduation dessert.
# Components:
→ Cake
01 - 1 box vanilla or chocolate cake mix (approximately 15 oz), plus eggs, oil, and water as specified on package
02 - or 1 homemade 9-inch cake, fully cooled
→ Frosting
03 - 1/2 cup cream cheese frosting or buttercream frosting
→ Coating & Decoration
04 - 12 oz candy melts in school colors, or white chocolate and food coloring
05 - 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening (optional, for thinning chocolate)
06 - Sprinkles, edible glitter, or colored sugar in coordinating colors
07 - 24 lollipop sticks
08 - 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
09 - Fondant in school colors (optional, for cap decorations)
# Directions:
01 - Bake the cake according to package or recipe instructions using ingredients as directed. Allow to cool completely.
02 - Crumble the cooled cake into fine crumbs using a large mixing bowl.
03 - Add frosting to the crumbs. Mix thoroughly with a spatula or clean hands until the mixture forms a moldable dough. Adjust the quantity of frosting as needed.
04 - Scoop out tablespoon portions and roll into 24 uniform balls. Place them on a lined baking sheet.
05 - Cover and refrigerate cake balls for at least 1 hour, or freeze for 20 minutes, until firm.
06 - Melt candy melts or chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl using 30-second intervals, stirring between each. If the mixture is too thick, incorporate vegetable shortening for a smoother texture.
07 - Dip the tip of each lollipop stick into melted coating and insert halfway into each chilled cake ball.
08 - Dip each cake pop entirely into the melted coating, gently tapping off any excess.
09 - Apply sprinkles or colored sugar immediately while coating is wet. To create graduation caps, place a fondant square atop each pop and attach a mini chocolate chip with melted chocolate for the tassel.
10 - Position pops upright in a styrofoam block or cake pop stand and let the coating harden fully before serving.
