VANILLA CAKE POPS

Makes 40-48 cake pops

INGREDIENTS

Vanilla Cake

• 2 1/2 Cups Cake Flour
• 2 Cup White Sugar
• 2 tspn Baking Powder
• 1 ½  tspn Baking Soda
• 1 tspn Salt
• 1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
• 2 tspn Vanilla Extract
• 4 Eggs
• 1 Cup Milk

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

• 1 Cup (2 Sticks) Unsalted Butter
• 2 Cups Powdered Sugar
• 1 tspn Vanilla Extract
• 1 Tbspn Milk
• Pinch of Salt

Chocolate Coating

• 12 oz (1 bag) White Chocolate Chips
• 2 Tbspn Crisco
• Sprinkles

INSTRUCTIONS

Vanilla Cake

1. Preheat Oven to 350° F.
2. Place a Mesh Strainer over top of a bowl of a stand mixer. Place Cake Flour, Sugar, Baking Soda, Baking Powder, Salt and sift into the bowl.
3. Set the mixer on low speed. While the mixer is running, add Vegetable Oil and Vanilla Extract.
4. Stop the mixer, and add eggs one at a time. Add each egg once the previous egg is fully incorporated into the cake batter and scrape the sides in between each addition.
5. Once all eggs are in, return the mixer to a low speed and slowly add in the milk. Once all of the milk is in, stop the motor and scrape the sides.
6. Run the mixer for an additional minute to ensure all ingredients are thoroughly mixed together.
7. Lightly grease one 9x13 inch cake pan. Pour all of the cake batter into the pan.
8. Bake the cake for 30 - 35 minutes, or just until the cakes pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick can be inserted and come out clean.
9. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool completely in the cake pan (no longer than two hours.)

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

1. Place Butter in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until smooth.
2. Stop the motor, remove the bowl, and set a mesh strainer over top. Place in half of the Powdered Sugar, and resume mixing on low speed until all Powdered Sugar is fully incorporated.
3. Stop the motor, and repeat the previous step with the remaining Powdered Sugar. Mix on low speed until thoroughly combined.
4. While the mixer is running, slowly add in the vanilla, milk and salt. Run the mixer at a low speed until smooth to then increase the speed to medium until light in color and fluffy.

Forming the Cake Balls

1. Once your cake has completely cooled down to room temperature, crumble the cake using only your fingertips inside the cake pan.
2. Transfer cake from the cake pan to a bowl. Then, take one scoop of frosting and place it inside the same bowl. Using your fingertips, incorporate frosting into the cake.
3. Repeat the previous step until the cake/frosting mixture is of a cookie dough consistency, and can be formed into a ball while maintaining its shape.
4. Using a small cookie dough scoop, form a cake ball by scooping cake and then gently rolling it in your hands until a ball has been formed.
5. Place cake balls into an air-tight container and repeat until all cake has been used.
6. Seal the container with its lid, and place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes, but preferably overnight.

Cake Pop Assembly

1. Take a cardboard box (a shoebox is perfect), and poke holes on the top. Additionally, set a bowl with sprinkles near the box and also have cake pop sticks near the stovetop.
2. Place water about a half-inch high in a small saucepan, set on the stovetop, and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat.
3. Set the bowl over top of the saucepan, and insert all of the white chocolate chips into the bowl.
4. Once all of the chocolate has melted, add Crisco and stir until smooth.
5. Remove cake balls from the freezer and set near melted chocolate. Take one cake pop stick and dip into the melted chocolate. Then, take one cake pop and gently insert the melted chocolate end of the stick into the cake ball.
6. Now, dip the cake pop into the melted chocolate to cover the cake ball. Remove from the chocolate but twirl the cake pop while over the bowl to remove any excess chocolate.
7. Immediately garnish your cake pop with sprinkles.
8. Place cake pop in one of the holes of the cardboard box to dry while standing upright.