Ingredients
Cake
- 1 (15.25-ounce) package lemon cake mix
- 1 cup water
- 3 large eggs
- 5 tablespoons salted butter, melted
Frosting
- 1 1/2 cups lemon or vanilla frosting (homemade or store-bought, 12-ounce can)
Coating & Decoration
- Freeze-dried raspberries, coarsely chopped (amount divided: 1/4 cup for mixing, remainder for topping)
- 24 ounces vanilla almond bark or white candy melts (divided for melting)
- Pink gel food coloring
- Yellow gel food coloring
- 24 cake pop sticks
Instructions
- Prepare Oven and Pans: Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish generously and line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set them aside.
- Mix Cake Batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the lemon cake mix, water, eggs, and melted salted butter until smooth and well combined.
- Bake the Cake: Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for 25-27 minutes. Use a toothpick inserted in the center to check doneness— it should come out clean or with just a few crumbs. Remove and let cool completely to room temperature.
- Crumble and Combine: Once cooled, break the cake into small pieces using your hands and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the frosting and mix thoroughly using a fork until the mixture is sticky and can hold shape.
- Add Raspberries: Gently fold in 1/4 cup of the coarsely chopped freeze-dried raspberries to the cake mixture for a burst of raspberry flavor.
- Form Cake Balls: Using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop out even portions of the cake mixture onto the parchment-lined baking sheets. Compact each mound by gently squeezing and roll between palms to create smooth, round balls.
- Melt Coating and Insert Sticks: Place about one piece (or 2 ounces) of vanilla almond bark or candy melts in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring between each, until fully melted. Dip the tip of each cake pop stick into the melted coating, then insert it about 1 inch into each cake ball. Place the assembled cake pops upright on the baking sheets.
- Freeze Cake Pops: Freeze the cake pops for 1 hour. This step ensures they are firm and easy to dip without falling apart.
- Prepare Colored Coatings: Divide the remaining vanilla almond bark or candy melts equally into two microwave-safe bowls. Microwave each bowl on high for 30 seconds at a time, stirring between intervals until melted. Add yellow gel food coloring to one bowl and pink to the other, stirring and adding more coloring until the desired shades are achieved.
- Dip Cake Pops: Dip each frozen cake pop into the colored melted coating, gently tapping off any excess. The cold cake pops will help the coating set quickly.
- Set and Decorate: Place dipped cake pops back on the parchment-lined baking sheets. Repeat dipping with remaining pops, melting more coating and adding food coloring as needed.
- Pipe and Garnish: Transfer remaining melted coatings into piping bags and pipe horizontal decorative lines around the cake pops. Immediately sprinkle the remaining freeze-dried raspberries onto the wet coating to adhere. Allow the cake pops to fully dry before serving.
Notes
- Freeze-dried raspberries add a nice tart crunch and can be substituted with finely chopped fresh raspberries but moisture may affect texture.
- Using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop ensures uniform cake pop sizes for even coating and presentation.
- Freezing the cake pops before dipping is essential to prevent them from falling apart during the coating process.
- Gel food coloring is preferred over liquid as it doesn’t affect the consistency of the candy melts.
- Store cake pops in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate if warmer weather is expected.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 27 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American