Ingredients:

  • 175 g (1 ½ cups) All-Purpose Flour
  • 200 g (1 cup) Granulated Sugar
  • 1 ½ tsp Baking Powder
  • ½ tsp Fine Sea Salt
  • 113 g (½ cup or 1 stick) Unsalted Butter, softened (for cake)
  • 2 Large Eggs, room temperature
  • 120 ml (½ cup) Whole Milk, room temperature
  • 1 Tbsp Pure Vanilla Extract (for cake)
  • ½ tsp Almond Extract (Optional)
  • 113 g (4 oz) Full-Fat Cream Cheese, slightly softened (for binder)
  • 55 g (¼ cup) Unsalted Butter, softened (for binder)
  • 240 g (2 cups) Icing Sugar (Powdered Sugar), sifted
  • 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract (for binder)
  • 450 g (16 oz bag) White Candy Melts (or vanilla-flavoured coating wafers)
  • 1 Tbsp Coconut Oil or Shortening
  • 1 tsp Pink Gel Food Colouring (e.g., Americolor or Wilton)
  • 1 Tbsp Rainbow Sprinkles (Jimmies style, or nonpareils)

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease and flour an 8x8 inch (20x20 cm) baking pan.
  2. Mix Dry Ingredients: Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
  3. Cream Butter: Beat the softened butter into the dry ingredients until coarse crumbs form.
  4. Add Wet Ingredients: Mix in the eggs one at a time, followed by the milk and extracts. Beat until just combined (do not overmix).
  5. Bake: Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
  6. Cool: Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack (approx. 1 hour).
  7. Crumble: Once cool, crumble the entire cake into a very fine, uniform texture into a large bowl. Ensure no large lumps remain.
  8. Make the Binder: In a separate bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and butter until smooth. Gradually incorporate the sifted icing sugar and vanilla extract until a thick, uniform frosting is achieved.
  9. Combine and Bind: Add the frosting incrementally to the cake crumbs. Use your hands to mix and squeeze the mixture until it comes together like firm dough.
  10. Form the Balls: Roll the mixture into uniform balls (approx. 35g or 1.25 oz each). Place them on a parchment-lined tray.
  11. Initial Chill (The Set): Chill the cake balls in the refrigerator for at least 90 minutes. This is crucial for firmness and preventing sagging.
  12. Prepare Coating: Melt the candy melts gently in a deep, narrow mug. Stir in the coconut oil or shortening to thin the coating slightly.
  13. Colour the Coating: Stir in the pink gel food colouring until the desired light pink shade is achieved (if desired).
  14. Prep the Sticks: Dip the tip of a cake pop stick approximately ½ inch into the melted coating, then immediately insert the stick into a chilled cake ball, only halfway deep. This acts as 'glue'.
  15. Second Chill: Place the pops (now on sticks) back in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to allow the glue to fully set. This prevents the ball from falling off during dipping.
  16. Dip: Holding the stick, plunge the chilled cake pop entirely into the melted coating. Gently tap the stick against the edge of the mug to allow excess coating to drip off.
  17. Decorate and Set: Immediately sprinkle the cake pop with sprinkles before the coating sets. Place the pop stick-side down into a Styrofoam block to dry completely (about 15-20 minutes).