Red Velvet Cake Pops

Looking for a delightful and charming treat to impress your loved ones? These heart-shaped red velvet cake pops are the perfect choice! They’re not only adorable but also incredibly delicious. Follow along with my easy-to-follow instructions to make these sweet delights.

Tips for making Red Velvet Cake Pops

1. Skip the oil when making the cake

We can use store-bought red velvet cake mix to simplify the process of crafting our cake pops.

Many people, myself included, have encountered issues with the cakes becoming excessively oily when strictly following the instructions provided on the package. A simple solution is to omit the addition of oil. This adjustment is crucial because, in the process of making cake pops, you will add frosting to create a mixture that can be easily shaped into balls. Adding oil on top of this can result in a mixture that is too greasy and difficult to shape.

What’s more, the absence of oil helps the cake pop mixture to adhere better to the wooden sticks. Too much oil can create a barrier between the cake mixture and the stick, causing the cake pops to slide off or become unstable.

2. Cake Baking Time and Temperature

Baking time and temperature may vary depending on the type of baking container used, such as a large baking pan versus a muffin pan. Bake according to the instructions on the box. If there are no instructions provided, follow the alternative baking times provided in the recipe.

To manually check if the cake is fully baked, you can insert a clean toothpick or wooden skewer into the center. If it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs clinging to it, the cake is done. If it comes out with wet batter, it needs more baking time.

3. Optionally remove the outer layer of the cake

The outer layer of the cake may be slightly drier or crustier compared to the interior, which can affect the texture of your cake pops. By removing the crust, you ensure that only the softer, moister part of the cake is used, resulting in a smoother and more consistent texture for your cake pops.

Nevertheless, as you could see in the video, I didn’t remove the outer layer of the cake. The slightly crumbly texture doesn’t bother me too much, so I decided to skip this step.

4. Crumble the cake while it’s still hot

When the cake is hot, its structure is softer and more pliable, making it simpler to crumble into fine crumbs. This step is particularly important when making cake pops because it allows for a smoother and more uniform texture in the final mixture, which helps the cake pops hold together better and ensures an even distribution of ingredients throughout. Waiting for the cake to cool before crumbling it may result in larger chunks and uneven mixing.

5. Cream Cheese Frosting

Typically people would use cream cheese frosting or buttercream frosting to add moisture to the crumbled cake, helping it stick together and form the desired cake pop consistency.

I’ve frequently discovered that pre-made cream cheese frosting or buttercream frosting is overly sweet for my taste. That’s why in this recipe, I used softened butter, cream cheese, and marshmallow creme as substitutes for canned frosting.

The cream cheese adds a tangy flavor that complements the sweetness of the cake, while marshmallow creme bind the cake crumbs together and add sweetness. Feel free to adjust the ratio of cream cheese and marshmallow creme in this recipe to tailor the sweetness level of your cake pops to your preference.

After adding the frosting to the crumbled cake, the resulting mixture should have a dough-like consistency that holds its shape when pressed together.

6. Shaping the cake

When shaping the cake pop mixture using a silicone mold, make sure you press the cake mixture firmly into the cavities to ensure well-defined shapes. I recommend layering the mixture in each cavity, adding it in 3 to 4 layers. Press firmly after adding each layer, gradually filling the mold until it’s completely filled.

7. How to prevent the cake pops from falling off from the sticks?

Dipping the wooden sticks in melted chocolate before inserting them into the cake pops!

The layer of chocolate around the base of the stick provides extra stability, anchoring it firmly within the cake pop. This helps to prevent the stick from shifting or loosening while you’re dipping the cake pop into the chocolate coating. As the chocolate cools and hardens, it forms a secure bond between the stick and the cake pop, reinforcing the attachment.

8. Do not chill the cake pops for too long

After inserting the wooden sticks into the cake pops, you will only need to chill the cake pops in the freezer for about 5 minutes to harden the chocolate on the sticks.

While some recipes may recommend overnight chilling to ensure the cake pops firm up adequately and maintain their shape, in this particular recipe, that step isn’t necessary. As long as the cake pop mixture holds together firmly when pressed, it will remain intact during the dipping process without the need for extended chilling.

What’s more, if you chill the cake pops for too long, the chocolate coating could potentially crack when dip cold cake pops into warm melted chocolate.

9. Why is my chocolate coating so thick?

Melting chocolate wafers or candy melts are specially made for melting and coating purposes. They can be melted quickly in microwave, without the needing of a double boiler. They also have a smoother texture when melted compared to regular chocolate chips.

If you have chocolate chips on hand, you can certainly use them; there’s no need to purchase additional candy melts specifically for this recipe. However, you might want to consider using a double boiler instead of the microwave to prevent the chocolate from becoming too thick when melted. Additionally, adding some coconut oil can help achieve a smoother consistency once melted.

EQUIPMENT

• Measuring cups
• Large mixing bowl
• Hand mixer
• Baking Pan (Bake according to the instructions on the box.)
• Oven
• Stand mixer (Optional. You can also crumble the cake into a large bowl using a fork or hand mixer.)
• Heart-shaped cake pop/ice pop molds (Or use any shape of your choice.)
• Wooden Sticks
• Parchment paper

INGREDIENTS  

– For the Cake

• 1 box of Red velvet cake mix
• 1 cup of Milk (Can also use water or plant based milk)
• 3 Eggs

– For the Frosting

(To simplify the process, you can substitute the listed frosting ingredients and use a can of cream cheese frosting instead.)

• 2 tbsps of Unsalted butter (softened)
• ½ cup of Cream cheese (softened)
• ½ cup of Marshmallow creme

– For the Coating

• 24 oz pink candy melts (I used pink. Feel free to use other colors)

INSTRUCTIONS 

1. Preheat oven to 350℉. Line a baking pan with parchment paper, or spray the bottom and sides of the pan with baking spray. Take out the butter and cream cheese from the refrigerator to allow them to soften at room temperature.

2. Add red velvet cake mix, milk (or water), and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Use the low speed setting on a hand mixer to blend the ingredients for approximately 30 seconds, followed by a medium setting for 2 minutes. (Skip the oil in the baking instructions on the packaging box.)

3. Pour the cake mixture into the cake pan. Bake according to the instructions on the box. (In the absence of instructions, you can bake in a 9×13 inch baking pan for 30 minutes, in an 8-inch round baking pan for 45 minutes, or in two 8-inch round baking pans for 30 minutes.)

4. Once baked, quickly transfer the hot cake to a stand mixer. Use the medium speed of the stand mixer to crumble the cake for about 5 minutes. (You can also use a fork or a hand mixer to break it apart until it reaches a fine crumb consistency.)

5. Add the softened butter, cream cheese, and marshmallow creme to the crumbled cake. (You can also use a can of cream cheese frosting to substitute these 3 ingredients.) Use medium speed of the stand mixer to mix for about 1 minute or until all the ingredients are well mixed. Add more marshmallow creme as needed until the mixture can hold its shape when pressed together.

6. Take small portions of the cake pop mixture and press them firmly into each cavity of the heart-shaped silicone mold, making sure to fill them completely. Insert a wooden stick into the center of each heart-shaped cake pop.

7. Carefully remove the shaped cakes from the silicone mold. Should the wooden sticks seem insecure at this stage, melt some candy melts in the microwave. Carefully remove the wooden sticks from the cake pops, dip the tip of each stick into the melted chocolate, and then reinsert it into the center of each cake pop. This ensures proper adhesion of the stick to the cake pop. Place the cake pops on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, put them in the freezer for about 5 minutes (or in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour) to allow them to firm up.

8. Melt pink candy melts in a microwave-safe cup or using a double boiler until smooth and fluid. Dip each cake pop into the melted chocolate, coating it completely. Allow any excess chocolate to drip off. Place the dipped cake pops on a parchment-lined baking sheet to allow the chocolate coating to set completely.

9. Optionally decorate the cake pops with chocolate drizzles, sprinkles, edible glitter, or edible flowers. Once the chocolate has hardened, your heart-shaped red velvet cake pops are ready to be served and enjoyed!

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