Cake Pops without the Sticks!

So I guess that doesn't make them cake pops!  Cake Balls! I really just didn't want to call another post balls! I decided to make these a little last minute for my boss.  Its her 40th birthday today, and she keeps buying the cake pops from Starbucks, so I thought it would make a nice gift!  And they turned out really cute and yummy.  But, I have to admit, they weren't as pretty as the normal cake pops you see around because of the flat bottom. But, its the thought that counts!

What you'll need:

1 box cake and all fix'ns for that (I used double chocolate or something like that)
1 container frosting (I used cream cheese)
Milk Chocolate and White chocolate bark (I found milk chocolate bark and melty white chocolate disks at Winco in bulk)
Toppings (I had mini chocolate chips, crushed oreos, shredded coconut, freeze dried coffee and rainbow sprinkles)

Bake your cake according to the box instructions. Remove from oven, let cool.  Take a fork and crumble the cake.  Place the crumbles in a bowl and put into the freezer for about 15 minutes to make sure its very cool.  Add half of your frosting into cake crumbles and mix until well combined.  The cake will get really sticky and dense.  Now you can roll into balls.  I made mine about the size of a golf ball.  I think I ended up with about 36. Place onto wax paper.

Put one type of chocolate into a microwave safe bowl, and heat from 1:30-2:00 minutes. Start with about 2 cups, you can always heat up more if you need to.  Drop one cake ball into melted chocolate and use a spoon to roll around.  The spoon also helps to remove the cake from the chocolate.  Place back onto wax paper.  Do half in the first type of chocolate.  Before you heat the other type of chocolate, sprinkle your toppings onto the first half.  Repeat with the second chocolate.

If you do want to use the sticks.  I would dip one end of the stick in the melted chocolate, and then force it about half way into the cake.  When it hardens it will help the cake stay on the stick.  Let the cake sit for a few minutes to allow the chocolate inside to firm up, then you can dip the cake into the chocolate and roll it around with the stick.  It will turn out much prettier this way, no flat bottom.  But, don't ask me how you are going to keep them standing up.  I was thinking that an egg carton flipped over would work.  You could cup small holes into the egg cups to slip the end of the stick into.  But that was my only idea.

Everyone at worked LOVED them, and Kam loved them too!  They are so moist and fun to eat!  Enjoy!

Update October 25th, 2011: I revisited the cake pop, check it out here.

Oh, and just because it was St. Pat's Day...