Easy Strawberry Cake Pops
These strawberry cake pops are an absolute treat! They start with a strawberry cake mix that gets baked, crumbled, and then transformed with the addition of cream cheese and freeze-dried strawberries. Once formed into pops, they’re dipped in luscious white chocolate!
Equipment
- 9X13inch baking pan
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Lollipop sticks
- Foam block or a cardboard box with small holes to place the sticks in, ensuring perfectly round pops without a flat base.
Ingredients
Strawberry Cake
- 1 box (15.25 oz) (432 grams) strawberry cake mix
- Ingredients needed for the mix
Mixture for after baking
- 7 oz (196 grams) room temperature cream cheese full fat, brick style
- heaping ¼ cup (28 grams) freeze dried strawberry powder
- ¼ cup (32 grams) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Coating
- 1 ½ cups (12 oz, 340 grams) high quality white chocolate chips can also use melting wafers(If you use wafers, the chocolate will have a firmer texture and a harder bite. Real white chocolate melts more smoothly and has a softer texture, which I personally prefer)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil try not to add more oil or else your cake pops will leak oil
Instructions
Strawberry Cake
- Bake the strawberry cake mix according to the box instructions, I like baking in a 9X13 pan lined with parchment paper. Allow the cake to cool completely.
Cream Cheese Mixture
- Pulverize freeze-dried strawberries in a food processor or blender and measure out a heaping ¼ cup of the powder.
- In a bowl, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, freeze-dried strawberry powder, and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined. Set aside.
Form the Cake Balls
- Once the cake has cooled, break it into crumbs in a large bowl. Add the cream cheese mixture to the crumbs and mix until fully combined.
- The mixture should stick together when squeezed; if not, add an additional tablespoon of cream cheese.
- Roll the mixture into balls about 1 inch in diameter. Place the balls on a parchment-lined tray and refrigerate until firm.
Prepare the Cake Pop Sticks and Coat
- Melt white chocolate and oil in a microwave safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval. Be careful, as white chocolate can burn easily. Add a little more vegetable oil if needed for a thinner consistency.
- Dip the tip of a cake pop stick into the melted chocolate, then insert it halfway into a cake ball. Repeat with the remaining cake balls. Allow the chocolate to harden.
- Once the sticks are secure, dip each cake pop into the melted white chocolate, swirling and lightly tapping the stick on the edge of the bowl to remove excess chocolate for a thin coating. If the cake pops are getting warm while sitting while you're dipping, place them back in the refrigerator.
- If the chocolate isn’t coating the cake pop smoothly, try these fixes: First, if it seems too thick, microwave it for a few seconds and stir well to ensure it’s not just too cold. If it’s still too thick, add 1 teaspoon of oil and mix until it reaches a thinner consistency.
- Place the dipped cake pops ball side down on parchment paper (if you prefer a "foot") or stick the sticks into a foam block or a box with holes for a perfectly round shape.
- For Cake Bites: Skip the sticks and simply dip the cake balls into the white chocolate. Use a fork to remove the balls from the chocolate, tapping off the excess, and place them on a parchment-lined tray.
Notes
How to store cake pops:
Room Temperature: Store at room temperature for one day.
Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. You can place a piece of paper towel in the container to absorb moisture.
Freezer: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 months, thaw in the refrigerator.
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below and tag @stir.taste.smile on social.