How To Get Cake Pop Icing Smooth

No doubt about it, cake pops are fun. But while these bite-sized cakes on a stick can be a blast to eat, making them can turn into a not-so-fun affair, especially when those super-sweet morsels fall off the stick, crack, leak or are just plain lumpy.

We’re here to tell you there’s a fix to all sorts of cake pop fails, and it starts with a nice, smooth finish. We’ll show you how.

To guarantee the cake pops are all the same size, use an ice cream scoop to shape the cakes. After you’ve scooped them all out, roll each one between your hands to bind crumbs together until the surface is smooth. Place the balls in the refrigerator for at least an hour so they don’t fall apart during the dipping process. Or you can store them in the fridge overnight.

Pumpkin Cake Pops [+ Video]

Once your cake pops are sufficiently chilled, take them out of the fridge and roll them between your hands again to form each one into a tighter ball. If you’re opting for hearts or other shapes, form them now — before you insert the sticks!

After you’ve shaped your pops, gently slide in the sticks and put the cake pops back in the fridge for a few more minutes while you make the coating. Take the pops out about 10 minutes before you dip them so they don’t crack or fall apart after the chocolate coating has dried.

The most important part of getting a smooth finish to cake pops is the consistency of the coating, and one of the easiest ways to guarantee this is by melting candy melts correctly.

Easy Cake Pop Recipe

It’s suuuuuper easy to overheat candy melts. When they get too hot, they clump (so not good) and don’t fall off the spatula easily. Keep the following in mind as you melt the melts.

Dip each cake pop into the melted chocolate, lift up, turn and dip again until the entire surface is coated. Gently shake the excess coating from the top of the cake pop while it’s upside down.

Once you’ve shaken out the last drop of excess chocolate, turn the cake pop right side up and gently shake it while twirling between your fingers. This helps even out the coating.

Easy Homemade Cake Pops Recipe

Once you’re done, stick the pop on a piece of Styrofoam to dry. For a more planet-friendly option, use an egg carton turned upside down.

Once they’re finished drying, you’re ready to decorate your cake pops, which will go much easier now because your cake pops are so smooth. Have fun!This easy to follow cake pops recipe includes helpful tips on how to prepare your cake, as well as instructions on how to properly melt our famous Candy Melts candy, to make decorating super easy!

Easy to make and fun to decorate, cake pops make great edible gifts or party favors. They’re a cinch to customize with your favorite flavors and colors and are perfect for those moments when you just need a little taste of something sweet!

Celebration Cake Pops

You can make cake pops with your favorite homemade cake recipe; however, there’s no shame in using a boxed cake mix here. Boxed cake mixtures produce a moist cake crumb that’s perfect for cake pops. You can also add in your favorite mix-ins to make it feel a little more “homemade” (we suggest mini chocolate chips or sprinkles for a confetti look).

The easiest way to make consistent, uniform cake balls is to use a measuring spoon. Depending on the size, you can get anywhere from 16 to 48 pops with one batch!

For dipping, we suggest melting wafers in a Candy Melting Pot with a little bit of EZ Thin Dipping Aid. The melting pot will help keep your candy at the right temperature and the EZ Thin will make your candy the perfect consistency for dipping.

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Candy Melts make it easy and fun to decorate and customize your cake pops. They’re easy to melt and can be found in a variety of colors and flavors.

For more information on how to melt, use and decorate cake pops with Candy Melts, check out our step-by-step How to Use Candy Melts for Baking and Decorating guide.

Dipped cake pops decorated with Candy Melts candy can be stored at room temperature for a week. If you used melted chocolate or white chocolate to dip or decorate your cake pops, store them in the fridge so the chocolate doesn’t melt.

Ingredient Funfetti Cake Pops (using A Box Of Cake Mix)

Simply place your cake pops in a large reusable freezer bag. Cake pops will last in the freezer for up to 6 weeks.

If you’re busy as a bee and don’t have time to make cake pops for your party – use store-bought donut holes instead! These adorable Busy Bee Donut Pops are great for baby showers or birthdays and all you need to do is dip and decorate.

Show off your pride with these Team Spirit Cake Pops. Made using two colors of cake and candy, these treats are great for any sport or school event!

How To Make Cake Pops (easy And Fool Proof)

Your mixture can be prepared a couple days in advance and kept in the fridge until ready to use. You can even form the cake balls a day ahead and let them chill in the fridge for easier dipping.

If you want to prep your cake balls and freeze them, store them in a large freezer bag and keep in the freezer for up to 6 weeks. Let your cake balls come to room temperature before dipping.

If your candy shell is cracking, it’s mostly due to an extreme change in temperature (cold cake balls being dipped into hot candy). This can also happen with hot candy or chocolate being put into a cold refrigerator or freezer.

Beach Ball Cake Pops

To avoid cracking, let your cake balls warm up to room temperature a bit before dipping in warm candy or chocolate. Once dipped, let your cake pops sit at room temperature for 5 to 7 minutes before placing in the fridge or freezer so the candy has time to cool. 

To get that nice, smooth finish, try rolling your cake ball again to smooth out the sides before inserting the stick. We also suggest using EZ Thin to thin out your candy, making it the perfect consistency for dipping and dunking.

If your cake balls are falling off your treat stick, they could be too heavy due to size or adding too much frosting.

The Best Chocolate Cake Pops

To help ensure your cake balls stay, be sure to dip the stick in melted candy before inserting it into the cake ball. This hardened candy coating acts as a glue to hold the stick in place.

When it comes to adding frosting to your cake, you want just enough to moisten it. This is especially important to keep in mind if you’re using a boxed cake mix, which is already pretty moist. Start with a small amount and add more as needed.

Not a fan of buttercream frosting? Try using cream cheese frosting instead! Cream cheese frosting is great for red velvet cake pops, or can be used with your favorite dark chocolate cake mix.

How To Use Candy Melts For Cake Pops

What are some of your favorite cake pops that you’ve made? Share a picture of them on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter and tag us @wiltoncakes.

This homemade cake pop recipe is ultra-moist and easy to make. These cake pops are a blast to decorate and even better to eat!

This simple recipe is perfect for making cake pops in all shapes and sizes. Great to use as edible favors for birthdays and other celebrations, these treats can be customized using Candy Melts candy and colorful sprinkles.

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