Cotton Candy Cake Pops

For the vanilla cake (see note)

• 4 large eggs
• ½ cup (125 ml) granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp. (30 ml) vegetable oil or melted butter
• 1 tsp. (5 ml) vanilla extract
• 1 cup (250 ml) all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp. (2 ml) baking powder

For the vanilla frosting (see note)

• 1/3 cup (80 ml) butter, room temperature
• 1 ¼ cups (310 ml) powdered sugar
• ½ tsp. (2 ml) vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp. (15 ml) milk (if needed)

To assemble the cake pops

• Lollipop sticks
• 1 little (215 g) Chocolats Favoris Cotton Candy fondue
• Cake sprinkles (optional)

Makes about 18 cake pops.

For the vanilla cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and lightly flour an 8-in (20 cm) round cake pan.
2. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until the mixture is pale yellow and light. Mix in the oil or melted butter and the vanilla extract. In a small bowl, whisk the flour and baking powder together. Then, add to the liquid ingredients. Mix to fully incorporate (make sure there are no lumps).
3. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes (or until the cake is puffed up and golden brown).
4. Let the cake cool completely. Unmold, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to assemble the cake pops.

For the vanilla frosting

1. In a large bowl, beat the butter until it’s smooth and creamy. Sift the powdered sugar, then add to the butter and mix at low speed to incorporate.
2. Add the vanilla extract and beat at high speed until the frosting is creamy and fluffy.
3. Add the milk if the frosting seems too thick and beat at high speed to fully incorporate it.

To assemble the cake pops

1. Slice the cake in halves. Break one half of the cake into crumbs, putting the crumbs in a measuring cup as you go. You need about 4 cups (1 L) of cake crumbs for this recipe (wrap the remaining cake half and freeze for a future batch).
2. Transfer the cake crumbs to the bowl that contains the frosting. Using a spatula, mix the cake crumbs into the frosting and pressing the mixture onto the sides of the bowl to thoroughly incorporate. The cake crumbs should be fully coated with icing, but the mixture should be just wet enough for it to stick together when firmly pressed. If the combination seems too wet, mix in additional cake crumbs until you reach the right texture.
3. Portion the mixture into 2 tbsp. (30 ml) balls and roll firmly between your palms. Set the cake pop balls on a clean baking sheet as you go. Once you’ve rolled all the cakes, transfer the baking sheet to the freezer for 30 minutes to harden.
4. While the cake pop balls cool, bring a pot of water to the boil and prepare the Cotton Candy fondue according to the packaging instructions.
5. Remove the fondue can from the boiling water and pat dry. Open the can and stir the fondue to make it super smooth. Take the cake pop balls out of the freezer. Dip the tip of a lollipop stick into the fondue, then stick it into a cake pop ball, inserting it deep into the ball. Return this cake pop to the baking sheet and repeat to create all cake pops. Return the treats to the freezer for 5 minutes to make sure the sticks are solid.
6. One after the other, dip the cake pops into the Cotton Candy fondue to fully coat them with the fondue. Garnish with sprinkles, if desired. Stick the cake pops in a cardboard box or a foam brick and let rest for about 20 minutes to set (you can speed up this process by refrigerating the cake pops).
7. Enjoy the cake pops right away or store them in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Note

You can make these cake pops by using store-bought ingredients. Buy a ready-made white cake or an angel food cake and measure out 4 cups (1 L) of cake crumbs to use in the recipe. Mix with about 1 ½ cups (375 ml) store-bought vanilla frosting. Roll and assemble the cake pops as indicated in the recipe.