March Madness

Photo credit Tina Phan via kathyphantastic

It's the most wonderful time of the year!  If your team is headed to the Final Four, it's definitely time to celebrate and when I saw these super cute cake pops I just had to post them.  No, I DID NOT make these but I am inspired to try some!

Photo credit Tina Phan

Living in Kentucky, I'd be hard pressed to find someone who didn't like both basketball and cake!  Combine the two and I'm sure to have a winner...right?  Unlike my NCAA bracket this year.  It's pretty much a bust!  Cake pops are all the rage thanks to kitchen divas like Bakerella.  I've yet to give them a spin even though they seem super easy.  Check it out.

Cake Ball Mix

What you need
1 batch Super Moist Devil's Food Cake (store bought)
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 cups confectioner's sugar
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon milk (or more, as necessary)

Bake the cake and let it cool completely on a rack. This is a very moist cake, which is ideal for this recipe. It's best to let it cool overnight at least. When it is completely cool, break the cake into a large bowl. Crumble it with forks or your fingers until it is in fine crumbs.

In a separate bowl, whip the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and milk together until smooth. Pour into the cake crumbs and mix with a spoon. Then continue mixing with your fingers, kneading and mixing until fully incorporated into the cake. Check to see if it will roll into a ball. It should: this makes a very malleable, easy-to-handle cake mixture. But if it needs a little extra moisture, add milk a spoonful at a time.

When the mix is completely done, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm. You can leave the mix refrigerated for several days at this point. You could probably also freeze this.

Making Cake Pops

What you need
Lollipop sticks (found at Michael's, JoAnn's, or other craft stores)
12 ounces chocolate chips
12 ounces white chocolate bark
Edible wax, optional
Colored sugars, candies, and other decorative sprinkles