Halloween Cake Pops that are just too cute to eat!

Family Circle has shared how to make some super cute cake pops for the Halloween season.



Basic Cake Pop Instructions:


Ingredients

• 1 18 1/4 ounce box cake mix
• 13 x 9 x 2-inch cake pan
• Large mixing bowl
• 1 16 ounce container prepared frosting
• Large metal spoon
• Wax paper
• 2 baking sheets
• Plastic wrap
• Black edible-ink pen

Directions

1. Bake cake as directed on the box, using a 13 x 9 x 2-inch cake pan. Let cool completely.
2. Once cake is cooled, get organized and set aside at least an hour to crumble, roll and dip 4 dozen cake balls.
3. Crumble cooled cake into a large mixing bowl: Cut a baked 13 x 9-inch cake into four equal sections. Removea section from the pan, break it in half and rub the two pieces together over a large bowl, making sure to crumbleany large pieces that fall off. You can also use a fork to break apart any larger pieces. Repeat with each section until entire cake is crumbled into a fine texture. (If large pieces are mixed in, the cake balls may turn outlumpy and bumpy.) You should not see any large pieces of cake.
4. Add 3/4 of the container of frosting. Mix it into the crumbled cake, using the back of a large metal spoon, until thoroughly combined. (You will not need the remaining frosting; if you use the entire container, the cake balls will be too moist.)

5. The mixture should be moist enough to roll into 11/2-inch balls and still hold a round shape. After rolling the cake balls by hand, place them on a wax papercovered baking sheet.
6. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for several hours in therefrigerator, or place in the freezer for about 15 minutes. You want the balls to be firm but not frozen.
7. If you're making a project that calls for uncoated cake balls, stop here and proceed to decorate the cake balls, following the project instructions.

Tip

• The cake balls will be easier to roll if you wash and dry your hands periodically during the rolling process. Dry your hands completely each time, and make sure you don't get water in the candy coating, as this can make it unusable.

Jack-o-lantern Cake Pops 

Ingredients

• 48 uncoated Basic Cake Balls
• 48 ounces (3 pounds) orange candy coating
• Deep, microwave-safe bowl
• 48 paper lollipop sticks
• 48 green Tic Tac mints or similarly shaped candy
• Styrofoam block
• Black edible-ink pen

Directions

1. Have the cake balls chilled and in the refrigerator.

2. Melt the orange candy coating in a microwave-safe plastic bowl, following instructions on the package. The coating should be about 3 inches deep for easier dipping. (It'sbest to work with about 16 ounces of coating at a time.)

3. When you are ready to dip, remove a few cake balls from the refrigerator at a time.

4. One at a time, dip about 1/2 inch of the tip of a lollipop stick into the melted candy coating, and insert the stick straight into a cake ball, pushing it no more than halfwaythrough. Dip the cake pop into the melted coating, and tap off any excess coating: Hold the pop over the bowl in one hand, and tap your wrist gently with your other hand.(If you use the hand holding the cake pop to shake off excess coating, the force of the movement will be too strong and could cause the cake ball to loosen or fly off the lollipop stick.) The excess coating will fall off, but you will need to rotate the lollipop stick so the coating doesn't build up on one side, making it too heavy on that side. If too much coating starts to build up at the base of the stick, simply use your finger to wipe it off, spinning the lollipop stick at the same time. This can happen if the coating is too thin or too hot. It's not as hard as it sounds; it just takes a little practice.

5. Immediately insert a Tic Tac into the very top of the pumpkin pop. Hold in place until set, and let dry completely in the Styrofoam block. Repeat with the remaining pumpkins until they all have stems.

6. Add jack-o'-lantern faces with a black edible-ink pen, and let dry completely in the Styrofoam block

Black Cat Cake Pops

Ingredients

• 48 uncoated Basic Cake Balls
• 48 ounces (3 pounds) white candy coating
• Deep, microwave-safe plastic bowl
• Black candy coloring (not food coloring)
• 48 paper lollipop sticks
• Styrofoam block
• 96 chocolate chips
• 48 red rainbow chip sprinkles
• 96 yellow or white oval sprinkles
• Black edible-ink pen
• Kitchen knife
• Toothpicks

Directions

1. Have the cake balls chilled and in the refrigerator.

2. Melt the white candy coating in a microwave-safe plastic bowl, following the instructions on the package. The coating should be about 3 inches deep for easier dipping. (I usually work with about 16 ounces of coating at a time.)

3. Tint the coating with black candy coloring. Keep adding color, stirring, until the coating is dark enough.

4. When you are ready to dip, remove a few cake balls at a time from the refrigerator, keeping the rest chilled.

5. One at a time, dip about 1/2 inch of the tip of a lollipop stick into the melted candy coating, and insert the stick straight into a cake ball, pushing it no more than halfwaythrough. Dip the cake pop into the melted coating, and tap off any excess coating: Hold the pop over the bowl in one hand, and tap your wrist gently with your other hand. (If you use the hand holding the cake pop to shake off excess coating, the force of the movement will be too strong and could cause the cake ball to loosen or fly off the lollipop stick.) The excess coating will fall off, but you will need to rotate the lollipop stick so the coating doesn't build up on one side, making it too heavy on that side. If too much coating starts to build up at the base of the stick, simply use your finger to wipe it off, spinning thelollipop stick at the same time. This can happen if the coating is too thin or too hot. It's not as hard as it sounds; it just takes a little practice.

6. Let dry in a Styrofoam block.

7. Now work on the ears. Submerge the chocolate chipsin the black candy coating, one at a time. Remove (you can use the end of a kitchen knife to lift them out) and attach two to the top of each pop for the ears. Hold them in place until the candy coating sets like glue, and place in the Styrofoam block to dry. Repeat until all the cake pops have black ears.

8. When the pops are dry, use a toothpick to dot a smallamount of melted candy coating in position for the nose,and attach a red rainbow chip sprinkle. Use the same technique to attach two oval sprinkles for the eyes.

9. Using a black edible-ink pen, draw a straight line down the center of each oval sprinkle to finish the eyes. Let drycompletely.

Tip

• You can also use round confetti sprinkles for the eyes.