What’s cuter than cake pops? Bluebird Cake Pops.
Bluebird Cake Pops
Vanilla Cake Pops
- 1 batch vanilla cake or chocolate cake
- 1/2 cup (or 4 ounces stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- Approx. 2 pounds white chocolate or candy melts in the color of your choice (see details below for these light bluebirds)
- 1-2 tablespoons shortening (as needed to thin candy melts)
- 60 cake pop sticks or lollipop sticks or cute paper straws (sticks recommended for beginners)
- 120 small or medium candy eyes
- 120 M&Ms to match your choice of candy melts (light blue if making these bluebirds)
- 60 yellow candy-coated sunflower seeds
- 60 small clear bags with ties or curly ribbon (optional)
Note: For light bluebirds, combine about 22 ounces of white candy melts and 2 ounces of light blue candy melts.
Prepare, bake, and cool the cake.
Break room temperature cake into pieces and place it into a mixing bowl. Mix until crumbled and then add butter and powdered sugar. It’s important that the butter is softened (room temp) otherwise it will clump up and not mix in. Mix until butter and powdered sugar are mixed in and the cake becomes like stiff cookie dough. You should be able to form the dough into balls.
Using a cookie scoop, scoop level balls of dough onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. When done, you should have 50-60 cake pop dough balls. Take each ball in your hands one at a time and roll around to make a firm and well-rounded ball. Your hands will warm the cake making it easy to form it into balls.
Place cake balls in the refrigerator for at least half an hour or in the freezer for at least 15 minutes.
If you’d like to make your cake pop balls ahead of time, they can remain in the freezer until frozen and then be placed in a large Ziploc baggy until you’re ready to make them. Just be sure to let them sit out to defrost so they are chilled but no longer frozen before dipping them.
While your balls chill (hahahaha), melt the candy melts. I use an electric fondue pot set on no higher than level two with occasional stirring or you can melt 30 seconds at a time in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave. Stirring in between intervals until you can mix the last bits in by stirring well. Stir in 1-2 tablespoons of shortening into melted candy if needed to make candy smoother.
Prepare a styrofoam square by poking holes in it that will fit your cake pop straws.
Using a small spatula (or similar utensil), dip into the melted candy and pour it over the cake pop. Continue this while turning the cake pop so all sides and top are coated. Continue holding the cake pop downward so the excess melted candy drizzles off. Lightly tap if needed. Place the candy eyes, sunflower seed beak, and M&M wings on your cake pop while the candy melts are still melty. Repeat until all cake pops are done.
Place the cake pops into the styrofoam block so they can harden. Make sure the cake pops are in a cool enough environment and allow to set up for a few hours or overnight. If you would like to package them, be sure the candy coating has completely cooled and is firm before doing so. Display in a cute vase or basket.
Tips
Never coat the cake pops while the cake balls are frozen or the candy coating will crack as they firm up.
Never, ever dip cake pop dough balls while they are warm. They will fall off the stick.
Never, ever dip the whole cake pop into the candy melts. This will make your cake pops too warm and make your candy melts crumby.
Do not tap the stick too hard on the candy melt container if you’re using paper straws. This will weaken the straw and it will bend.
Cake pops can be refrigerated to stay fresh.
If you want only 30 cake pops, you can make half a batch of cake or make a full batch of cake and then freeze half for another event.
These little birds are perfect for Easter chicks too. Use a mixture of white & yellow candy melts, light yellow M&Ms for the wings, and orange candy-coated sunflower seeds for the beaks.
Check out these cake pop topiary trees – perfect for a shower or ladies’ tea!