I had the best time the other day baking with Leslie Durso, aka, Veggie Dream Girl. We thought we’d experiment together by making our first batches of Cake Pops (also known as Cake Balls or Truffles). The first time I had Cake Pops I about died on the spot. I was convinced that this dessert was going to be the new cupcakes. Hmmm. Let’s put a pin in that thought.
WHAT ARE CAKE POPS? Cake Pops sound so simple at first. You mash cake and icing together, roll the mixture into balls, and then coat them in chocolate!
Step 1
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Step 3
We decided to make one batch Banana Bread with Butterscotch Frosting, dipped in Milk chocolate and one batch Red Velvet cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, dipped in White chocolate.
The process clearly revealed that the quality of ingredients and the proportions make a world of difference. We put too much frosting in the red velvet cake mix, which resulted in them tasting way too sweet. Leslie was also turned off by the brand of melting chocolate that we used, though I appreciated it’s ability to firm up as quickly as it did.
We also wondered if cake truffles really need normal, sugary icing. When you have such a sweet chocolate shell, something a bit sour, like plain cream cheese mixed in with the cake might help to temper the sugar. Or perhaps throw in benign ingredients like walnuts, pecans or pistachios, depending on your cake choices. Another option would simply be to use a less sweet chocolate to coat the balls.
While our first attempt didn’t yield 5-cherry Cake Pops, they sure looked tasty! 
Partners in crime
Leslie Sarna & the Dessert Darling
Check out Leslie’s blog by clicking here!
