How to Cake Pop

Mold Instructions:

1. Place cake ball into mold making sure to fill all edges.
2. Press, release, and remove molded cake pop. If using a mold with an open bottom we suggest double molding.
3. Mold cake pop as usual then remove cake pop, pat down edges, place back into mold and press mold on a flat surface to push dough back up into mold to flatten any remaining edges.

TIPS FOR BEST RESULTS

1. Cutting line can be lessened by not overstuffing.
2. Use corn starch sprinkled on cake pop ball to prevent any sticking issues should you find that your dough is sticky.
3. Wipe edges before removing cake pop from mold. A paint brush may be helpful for this.
4. Pat down any remaining edges before dipping.
5. On pumpkin mold due to manufacturing limitations in injection molding the grooves if not indented further before dipping may be shallow. In order to get the deepest grooves possible use a cake pop stick to indent lines (after cake pop has been molded) before dipping.

CAKE POP DOUGH CONSISTENCY

The easiest dough to cake pop with is Play-Doh consistency. Dough should be neither dry nor oily. The best dough can keep it’s shape without chilling. Dough should be smooth and soft with no lumps or hard pieces.

1. Our #1 tip in making great cake pop dough is to substitute oil for another ingredient that is less oily. We like to use butter as it is a solid, tastes great and works well.
2. We get asked all the time what cake pop recipe we use. We use boxed cake (no particular brand) for our cake pops. 
3. Do not over cook your cake, take out of oven promptly and cover with a clean dish towel. While still warm but not hot put cake n a mixer (or food processor) to grind to a smooth consistency. We recommend removing any hard or brown pieces and use only soft fluffy cake. This will produce the most flawless, truffle like consistency.
4. Add a small amount of frosting if needed. Only add one spoonful at a time until you get a dough that sticks together, is not dry but is not overly moist.

WHAT RECIPE IS BEST FOR CAKE POPS? 

• Perfect cake pop dough is smooth, play dough consistency, moldable and neither dry nor sticky. Many cake recipes call for oil in their recipe and oil is a liquid and not a solid therefore it will always try to separate from your cake especially when it gets warm and it is for this reason that oily dough is harder to work with.
• My magic tip is to substitute butter for oil. You can do a straight 1:1 swap, melt butter and use in place of oil. 

WHAT BRAND OF CANDY MELTS IS BEST?

There are many good brands of chocolate. Merckens, Guittard are both good brands. However, we have been using Sweet Shoppe by Stovers and really loving the results.

On the advice of Alex @CakePopTV (Poppy Paint) we use her recommended candy melt recipe. Equal amounts of Sweet Shoppe Ultra White and eleven o'one.

HOW DO YOU MELT CANDY MELTS?

• Proper melting is very important. Do not let your candy melts get above 90 degrees through the entire melting process. You may find a candy thermometer useful in the beginning to get the proper temperature.
• Set your microwave setting to a lower setting when melting and only do 15-30 second intervals. Stirring in between.
• We like to use this silicone cup to melt in because you can squish the bottom to really help move melted candy around.
• Heating candy melts at high temperatures will ruin chocolate. Also dipping cake pops when candy melts are too hot will result in a thin drippy covering.

Hand wash cake pop molds and do not put in oven or dishwasher.

HOW DO YOU THIN CANDY MELTS?

• If you use a good chocolate that is fresh and hasn't been exposed to extreme heat, extreme cold or strong smells you should not need to thin your candy melts. However, when you do use Paramount Crystals or Crisco to achieve the desired consistency for dipping.

HOW DO YOU COLOR CANDY MELTS?

• We recommend buying white chocolate and mixing your own custom colors. This will achieve the nicest most vibrant color possible. We sell Colour Mill Oils and we love them best for coloring candy melts. They come in a wide range of colors and you can mix colors to get the desired shade you are looking for. (available here)

HOW DO I GET MY CANDY MELTS TO DRY SHINY?

• Immediately after dipping place candy melts in refrigerator briefly to finish drying. Or have a small table top air conditioner to cold dry your pops.

WHY DO MY CAKE POPS FALL OF THE STICK?

• Usually, this problem has to do with the consistency of the dough you are using. Oily, too soft, or too dry dough won’t hold well and falls off the stick.
• Candy melts can also be the culprit. When candy melts are too thick, they can push the cake pop off the stick. If you are using quality chocolate, however, this is a less common reason for cake pops falling off the stick. 
• Dipping your stick in candy melts before inserting them into your cake pop is also very helpful. Allow the dipped stick to fully dry in the cake pop before dipping the whole cake pop into the candy melts. 

WHY DO MY CAKE POPS CRACK?

• Cold cake pop dough dipped in melted chocolate that is hot can cause cracking. The closer these two temperatures are the less cracking you will get. 

WHAT IS CAKE POP POOP AND WHAT CAUSES IT? 

• Cake pop poop is oil that seeps from cake pops.
• Oily dough is the cause.
• Prevent cake pop poop by using butter or sour cream in place of oil in your cake pop dough and use as little frosting as possible.

WHY DO MY STICKS TURN YELLOW? 

• Sticks turn yellow due to the oil from the cake pop dough seeping into the stick. Using a dough made with butter or sour cream will lessen this effect as butter is a solid and tends to not run as fast from the cake pop dough especially if cake pops are stored in cool conditions.

DOES CAKE POP DOUGH NEED TO BE CHILLED BEFORE SHAPING? 

• If you follow our recommended recipe you may not need to chill your cake pops before dipping. However, if you find your cake pops are falling off the stick or losing their shape then we recommend chilling your dough for a couple of hours before dipping.
• Wrap cake pop dough in parchment paper and place in a zip log bag or in an air tight container. Store in refrigerator for a couple of hours or over night before molding.
• Store cake pops in this manner as well.

HOW DO I STORE MY CAKE POPS? 

• Wrap cake pop dough in parchment paper, wrapped in a zip log bag or an air tight container in the refrigerator for a couple of hours or over night before molding.

CAN YOU FREEZE CAKE POPS? 

• You can freeze cake pops in the same way  you  store them in the refrigerator by wrapping in parchment paper and then an air tight container. However, if cake pops are for professional use we do not recommend freezing cake pops. 

OUR TOP 5 QUICK TIPS TO MAKE THE MOST OUT OF YOUR CAKE POP MOLDS AND SAVE YOU TIME: 

1. The best recipe to use with the molds is one that is made with butter or sour cream. This will make your dough less sticky and easier to work with. 
2. Do not over stuff the molds. If you have a kitchen scale, weigh the dough before putting it in the mold. Most molds take around 1 ounce of dough.
3. You can use corn starch sprinkled on the cake ball before putting in the mold. If you are having a hard time getting a good shape this step really helps create a better and more defined result. 
4. Clean off all seams before taking the cake pop out of the mold and pat down any remaining seams after the cake pop has been removed from the mold and before dipping for a smoother finish.
5. Since the molds are 2 parts and they cut the excess dough off, there will always be a seam. With this in mind it is best to insert your stick into the seam line whenever possible. This will give you a perfect front and back.