Cake Pops

I have been wanting to try to make cake pops for quite some time now and was in a real baking mood last week so I decided to go for it.  I made half a pan of cake and it made about 15 cake pops, so I brought some into work and gave some to my friends.  Everyone loved them!!!!  They're easy and really fun to make - great treat to make with kids!

Cake Pops
(makes a lot of pops)

1 Box of Duncan Hines Cake Mix (any flavor)

Eggs, Oil and Water (each cake needs different amounts, so check the cake box)

1 container of cake frosting

Parchment Paper

Paper/Chocolate Lollypop sticks (available at any craft store)

2 bags of Chocolate Chips or baking chocolate (amount will differ, depending on how many cake pops you choose to make)

About 4 Tbsp Oil

1.  Bake a cake according to directions in a 9x13 pan.

2.  Once the cake has cooled, cut it into 6 pieces.

3.  Take each piece of cake and crumble it up into a bowl.

4.  Add about 1/2 a container of frosting into the cake (you may need to microwave the frosting for about     5-10 seconds to soften it) and mix it together.

5.  You may need to add more frosting if when you take some mixture into your hands and it doesn't form together.

6.  Form the mixture into balls and place them onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.

7.  Freeze the balls for about an hour.

8.  Place chocolate chips into a tall glass and melt chocolate chips in the microwave in 10 second intervals until it is fully melted.  Stir after each interval.  **Be careful not to burn the chocolate**

9.  Add about a teaspoon of oil into the melted chocolate, this will cause the chocolate to become thinner so it can coat the balls better.

10.  Dip the tip of a paper stick into the melted chocolate and stick it about half-way into a cake ball.  Place back on parchment paper with the sticks up in the air.  Repeat with remaining cake balls.

11.  Place back into freezer for about 20 minutes.

12.  You may need to reheat the melted chocolate, but microwave it in 5-seconds intervals so that the chocolate does not burn.

13.   Dip the cake balls into the chocolate fully coating the cake.

14.  Tap off the excess chocolate off the balls and place them carefully back onto the parchment paper.  If you don't want the chocolate to pool a little at the bottom of the cake pop then stick the cake pops, ball up into a styrofoam block, available at any craft store.

15.  Repeat with remaining cake pops.

16.  If you want to decorate your cake pops with sprinkles or nuts, you must do while the chocolate is still wet.  I recommend dipping the cake pops into chocolate and then directly into the decorations.

17.  Freeze for about 10-20 minutes.

ENJOY!