Why are Cake Pops Hard to Make?

You see them at Starbucks, and then you see them being made online. You think to yourself, "I can make cake pops too!" You watch a ton of video tutorials and even buy a book all about cake pops. You go to make your first batch of cake pops, and then it all goes wrong.

Let me be the first to tell you that cake pops are incredibly difficult to make. There are even some seasoned, experienced cake artists who will not take orders for cake pops. Today, I'm breaking down the five reasons why cake pops are so hard to make, so you don't feel alone. Correct, you are not crazy.... So, let's get into it!

Number one: Cake pops are tedious to make. Here is a breakdown of the numerous steps it takes to make them. First, you have to bake the cake, then wait for the cake to cool. Next, you have to crumble all of the cake you just baked and mix in some frosting to create the dough. Then, you have to form the dough into a round shape. Next, melt down the candy coating and then insert the cake stick. Then, dip the cake pops. It's a lot so far, right? Well, we're not done.

You may choose to decorate them at this point. Once they're decorated, the coating has to dry before you can package them up. Packaging is also quite tedious, covering each cake pop in its own bag and then twisting it up in its own twist tie. It is a lot and super time-consuming. With all of the ingredients and all of the tools, the time commitment is a part of the process, so that's something you need to be aware of before you get started.

Number two: It is difficult to get the dough just right. Baking and crumbling the cake is pretty simple, but knowing how much frosting to add to the crumbled cake can be a little tricky. The biggest mistake at this point is adding too much frosting. You only need a couple of teaspoons to make a dough that is not too mushy, not too crumbly, but just right. The dough should be able to hold its shape like this.

Number three: The candy coating consistency can be challenging. I highly recommend that you use candy coating wafers or compound chocolate if you're making cake pops for the first time. You can find them at your local hobby store or in the cake decorating aisle of your favorite big-box store. The candy coating must be melted completely before you dip your cake pops.

Additionally, the candy coating must be thin and runny like this instead of thick. Another mistake that people make is dipping their cake pops in a candy coating that is too thick. Doing so can cause the cake pop to fall apart completely. By the way, if you're learning something helpful or enjoying this video, be sure to hit the like button below and consider subscribing to my channel, where I have tons of videos like this. If the cake pop does survive the dip, the coated cake pop can look very lumpy, so be careful of this pitfall.

Number four: Knowing how to store cake pops. First, super, super important thing that you need to know: do not ever freeze your decorated cake pops. When you do this, the dough can expand and cause the coating to crack, resulting in cracked cake pops. It's best to leave your cake pops at room temperature or in a cool refrigerator, not a cold refrigerator.

Second, you'll always want to place your cake pops in a sturdy container. Don't store them in boxes made of flimsy cardboard. If you're planning to gift your cake pops or deliver them in a box, only use corrugated cardboard cake boxes with sturdy bottoms to do so.

Third storage tip: don't stack your cake pops too high on top of each other in the box. This can crush the cake pops below. Try staggering them in a box and only stacking them about two high. I like to use sheet cake boxes to store my cake pops to give them a little bit more space in the box.

Number five: There can be a lot of confusion around how they will be displayed or presented. One question few people stop to ask is whether the cake pops will be displayed right side up or upside down. If the cake pops are meant to be displayed right side up, the next question would be, will there be a cake pop holder? In what container will these cake pops be placed? Who is responsible for providing this container?

All in all, it can get really messy if this information is not communicated. For cake pops displayed upside down, it's good to know where they will be and on what kind of surface the cake pops will sit. Leave a comment: Have you tried making cake pops before? How did it go?