| 2 cups | all-purpose flour |
| 2 tsp | baking powder |
| 1/4 tsp | salt |
| 3/4 cup | unsalted butter, at room temperature |
| 1 1/4 cups | white sugar |
| 3 | Canada Grade A eggs |
| 3/4 cup | 3.25% milk |
| 2 tsp | vanilla extract |
Step 1:
Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a mixing bowl.
Step 2:
Cream the butter and sugar in an electric stand mixer using the paddle attachment. When light and fluffy and doubled in volume, add the eggs one at a time until a smooth mixture forms; stir in the milk and vanilla extract.
Step 3:
Fold the dry ingredients into the wet.
Step 4:
Pour the cake batter into a buttered 9” cake pan or a 7” x 10” brownie tray. Place on the middle rack of a preheated 350 F oven and bake for about 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean; cool fully before attempting to crumb the cake.
Step 5:
When the cake is cool, trim away any dark-coloured or drier-looking edges, exposing the white cake inside. Use your fingertips to crumble the cake into very small pieces; set aside while you make the icing.
| 2 cups | all-purpose flour |
| 1 | stick of unsalted butter, at room temperature |
| 2 cups | icing sugar |
| 1 tsp | vanilla extract |
| 1 tbsp | milk or coffee cream |
Step 1:
Place the softened butter into your stand mixer with the paddle attachment; beat on high for 3 or 4 minutes until light and fluffy.
Step 2:
Add the icing sugar, milk or cream, and vanilla and turn the mixer on low until the icing sugar begins to combine, then increase the speed to high and beat for 2 or 3 minutes until the buttercream is light and fluffy in appearance.
| 2 cups | pure white candy melt |
| 1/2 cup | yellow royal icing (store bought is fine) |
| 24 | cake pop sticks (approx. 5-6" long) |
| 1 | clean and empty egg carton or block of craft styrofoam |
Step 1:
Add the crumbed cake into the stand mixer bowl containing the icing and process on low until well combined. Scoop the mixture into small balls approximately 1 1/2 “ in diameter. Place the balls on a tray lined with parchment paper and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Step 2:
Remove from the fridge and form again using your hands into smoother balls (easier to do when the batter is cold). Place back in the refrigerator until ready to glaze.
Step 3:
Melt the white candy melt as per the directions on the package; using a double boiler is recommended, but it can be done carefully in a microwave. When you have a warm, liquid glaze, remove the balls from the refrigerator.
Step 4:
Take a cake pop stick and gently press into one ball going about halfway in; remove the stick and then dip the end into the candy melt. Insert the dipped end back into your “pre-hole” and then stick the handle end into an inverted empty egg carton or Styrofoam block. Then repeat this process. This will act as a glue and keep the ball on the stick.
Step 5:
Refrigerate the cake pops again just before glazing so they are cold (you can also pop them in the freezer for just a few minutes. Dip each one slowly into the glaze, gently tapping off any extra. You are looking for as smooth a glaze as you can get. Insert each one back into the “cake pop stand”.
Step 6:
Test the consistency of your yellow royal icing…you want it just liquid enough to form a smooth dollop on the top of each cake pop, but not so liquid that it runs down the sides. Adding a single drop of water at a time may be all that is needed to achieve the right consistency.
Step 7:
Place the royal icing in a small piping bag and carefully squeeze a dollop on the top of each cake pop, approximately the size of a nickel; repeat this process and then refrigerate the cake pops until ready to serve.
Recipe created by Chef Craig Flinn
Chef Craig Flinn’s notes:
“For this recipe I am choosing to make a basic vanilla cake from scratch, but you cake also make cake pops using a store bought vanilla cake mix…just make sure you’re using one that adds whole, fresh eggs to the mix. I also prefer to make a quick and simple buttercream, but store bought icing is fine as well if you’re short on time. Using the more forgiving white candy melt for the glaze here as opposed to white chocolate can make for a more enjoyable decorating process here, especially if doing this activity with kids.”