If you haven't triedStarbucks Copycat Strawberry And Cream Cake Pops this summer or already grabbed one paying $3-4 each just to find out how delicious they are (gosh, damn it!), here's a recipe that will easily make you a big batch of 30+ cake pops at home. The best part - they're better than the original and no drive-thru line required.
⅓cupany neutral oilavocado, vegetable, canola, etc.
1cup milk or water
4large eggs
3tablespoonfreeze-dried strawberriescrushed
Buttercream
¼cupunsalted butter
1cuppowdered sugar
pinchsalt
1teaspoonmilkadd more if needed
Coating
6-8ozstrawberry crème candy wafersmelted
6-8ozred candy meltsmelted
6tablespoonfreeze-dried strawberriescrushed and sifted
2-3teaspoonnonfat dry milk powdersifted
1tablespoonany neutral oiladd ½ tablespoon increments as needed
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325-350℉ (162-175℃). Refer to recipe on cake box for exact temperature depending on your baking pan size.
Combine all cake ingredients in a large bowl except the strawberries. Pour batter into greased/lined pan and transfer into oven. Stick a toothpick in the center of cake to see if it comes out clean 5-7 mins PRIOR to the end of bake time. DO NOT OVER BAKE.
1- 13.25oz any store-bought box vanilla cake mix, ⅓ cup any neutral oil, 1 cup milk or water, 4 large eggs
Transfer baked cake into a large stand mixing bowl immediately while it's still hot. Crumble cake on low speed using a paddle attachment until no large pieces remain. You can also use a handheld mixer or crumble slightly cooled cake by hand.
In a small mixing bowl, combine all buttercream ingredients. Stir well until fairly smooth, small lumps is common. Add all the buttercream to the crumbled cake and mix until fully incorporated.
¼ cup unsalted butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, pinch salt, 1 teaspoon milk
Using a mortar and pestle or food processor, crush 1.2 oz (34g) bag of freeze-dried strawberries. Measure out about 3 tablespoon (9g) of the crushed strawberries and mix it directly into your crumbled cake.
3 tablespoon freeze-dried strawberries
Roll cake pops about 30g each or 1¼-inch (3cm) in diameter. Chill cake pops in freezer for 15 mins, then bring them back to room temperature for 10 mins as you melt your candy melts.
Combine strawberry crème and red candy melts in a medium bowl using the microwave in short 15-30 second increments until melted. Sift both the dry milk powder and the remaining crushed freeze-dried strawberries to remove any large flakes or seeds. Add all the dry milk powder, about 6 tablespoon (18g) of the sifted freeze-dried strawberries (it should be close to what is left), and oil into the melted candy and stir until smooth. It should be a thin coat-able consistency.
6-8 oz strawberry crème candy wafers, 6-8 oz red candy melts, 6 tablespoon freeze-dried strawberries, 2-3 teaspoon nonfat dry milk powder, 1 tablespoon any neutral oil
Take cake pops out of the freezer and bring them back to room temperature for 10 mins. Dip cake pop into melted candy melt, making sure it's submerged all the way to the stick. This will help adhere the cake pop and prevent it from falling off the stick.
Holding the stick with one hand, use your other hand to gently tap cake pop until all excess candy melt has dripped off. You want to achieve one even coating. Do not dunk again, as this extra weight may cause your cake pop to detach from the stick. Place into styrofoam block to keep upright until fully dried. Repeat until all cake pops have been dipped. If candy melt starts to thicken, microwave again in short bursts.
Melt green and white candy melts and transfer into small piping/ziplock bags. Draw strawberry designs and shake gently to allow candy melt to dry smoothly.
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
For the best consistent results, use a kitchen scale. Measuring ingredients accurately gives you the best chance for success, and a scale will give you the most precise readings.