Holiday Cake Pops Recipe (with Video)

Chocolate Cake Method
1. Preheat the oven to 350 °F and prepare a 10-inch cake pan with nonstick spray and a light coating of cocoa powder.
2. Combine the cocoa powder and boiling water in a medium heat-proof bowl.
3. Add the cold milk to the mixture and whisk to combine.
4. Reserve until ready to use.
5. Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer.
6. Mix the ingredients together until the butter is lighter in color and fluffy in texture, about 3-5 minutes.
7. Add one egg at a time and mix thoroughly in between each egg.
8. Add the vanilla extract and mix to combine.
9. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl between each addition.
10. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
11. Whisk to well combine the dry ingredients.
12. Alternate adding the reserved cocoa powder mixture and the dry ingredients, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.
13. Once combined, pour the batter into the prepared 10-inch baking pan.
14. Bake the cake for 40-45 minutes or until cooked through.
15. Allow the cake to cool to room temperature, about 1-2 hours, before crumbling.
16. Reserve until ready to use.
Peppermint Frosting Method
1. Whip the butter and about half of the powdered sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Add the remaining sugar, milk, and peppermint extract.
3. Whip until creamy, about 2-3 minutes.
4. Reserve until ready to use.
Chocolate Peppermint Cake Pops Method
1. Add about 400 grams of chocolate into one medium heat-proof bowl and the remaining 100 grams into a smaller bowl.
2. Melt the larger bowl of chocolate over a simmering water bath.
3. Make sure not to overheat the chocolate by exceeding 120 °F.
4. Once the chocolate is melted, wipe the bottom of the bowl and add about ⅔ of the remaining chopped chocolate to cool down the melted chocolate.
5. Once the chocolate reaches 94 °F, begin stirring the chocolate.
6. Add a few pieces of the remaining chopped chocolate to the bowl.
7. Once the chopped chocolate has completely melted, perform a temper test by dipping a knife or offset spatula into the chocolate just to coat.
8. Then set the test on your work surface and wait 5 minutes.
9. If after 5 minutes, the chocolate is shiny, has set, and has no streaks, it is well tempered.
10. If after 5 minutes, the chocolate is either not entirely set, or streaky, or dull, continue stirring the melted chocolate for 2-3 minutes.
11. Then perform another temper test.
12. Once tempered, reheat the chocolate over a water bath until it reaches 89-92 °F, this is the optimal working temperature.
13. Hold the chocolate in this range while working with it.
14. Combine the crumbled chocolate cake and peppermint frosting in a large bowl.
15. Using your hands, fold the mixture together.
16. Roll the cake mixture into golf-ball size rounds.
17. Begin assembling the cake pops by dipping the end of each popsicle stick in the tempered dark chocolate.
18. Then, stick the dipped end of the stick halfway into each cake ball.
19. Let these set for 5-10 minutes.
20. Carefully, dip each cake pop into the dark chocolate, then place them on a cake pop-stand.
21. While the chocolate is still wet, sprinkle each coating cake pop in the crushed peppermint candy.
22. Let the cake pop set for 10-15 minutes before enjoying.