Recipe: Football Cake Pops

By Jenny In Cake Pops & Bon Bons, Desserts, Recipes

For my son’s 8th birthday, I got totally ambitious and decided to make cake pops for the first time. Since he loves football, I figured why not. I made a football field to hold the Football Cake Pops using a rectangular basket, a foam base, green “grass,” and a goal post made from lollipop sticks. My Football Cake Pops have a rich chocolate cake center and a yummy peanut butter coating. Seriously.. what’s better than chocolate and peanut butter? Nothing!

With the big game coming up next Sunday, my Football Cake Pops will be the perfect addition to your Superbowl party!

Update: I am so excited to announce that I won the Food2.com Big Game Big Eats Challenge with my Football Cake Pops! Thank you Food2!

Recipe: Football Cake Pops

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Yield: 50

Calories per serving: n/a

Fat per serving: n/a

Recipe: Football Cake Pops

Ingredients

1 box chocolate cake mix plus ingredients needed to make the cake (usually eggs and oil)
1/2 container of cream cheese frosting
1 bag dark chocolate candy melts
1 bag peanut butter candy melts
Shortening
50 4-inch lollipop sticks
1 medium-large styrofoam block
1 white candy decorating pen

Instructions

Bake the cake according to package directions. Let the cake cool completely and then finely crumble the cake with your hands in a large bowl. Mix in half of the container of frosting using a wooden spoon until the mixture is about the consistency of cookie dough.
Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Using your hands, roll dough into 1″ diameter balls and then mold each ball into the shape of a football. Place on wax paper. Repeat until dough is gone and then refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
In a microwave safe dish, add 1/2 a bag each of the dark chocolate and peanut butter candy melts as well as a tablespoon of shortening. Microwave in 20 second intervals, stirring between, until combined. Mixture should run easily off of a spoon. If it’s too thick add a small amount of shortening if needed.
Remove footballs from the fridge. Dip one end of each lollipop stick about 1/2-inch into the candy melt mixture and then stick it in the end of a football going almost to the top but not poking through. Place on wax paper to allow candy to harden. Repeat with remaining footballs.
Dip each football in the candy mixture to coat. Remove excess by gently tapping the stick on the edge of the bowl. Place in styrofoam block to set (make sure they don’t touch one another). Repeat with remaining footballs.
Once the candy has set, lay each football flat on wax paper. Use the candy decorating pen to draw laces on each football using slow and steady motions. Let the laces completely dry before moving the footballs (this will take a while).

http://www.healthifiedmom.com/243/recipe-football-cake-pops/

Quick Notes

As you’re making these, the candy melt mixture may get thicker. Just add a little bit of shortening and reheat for 20 seconds. You can buy the candy melts, lollipop sticks, styrofoam block, and candy decorating pen at craft stores such as Michaels. The instructions on the candy decorating pen said to heat the pen but I did not do that.

Variations

I like using devil’s food cake mix, but you can choose whatever cake mix you want to put your own little spin on this recipe. You can also change the candy melts flavors too!