Back-to-School Apple Cake Pops

I know, no more apples for teacher, but these apple cake pops are too cute to pass up!

What You Need:
Apple-shaped cake balls (Click the link to find my step-by-step cake pop tutorial.)
Lollipop Sticks
Red candy melts
Vegetable oil (to thin candy melts)
Tall mug for dipping pops
Chocolate/brown jimmie sprinkles
Stryrofoam

Optional:
Green candy melts and a tip #352 for leaves
White and chocolate candy melts if you want to add "faces"
Heating pad to keep candy warm while dipping
Ice pack to keep cake balls cool

To make the cake balls, make crumbs out of a baked cake. Then add 1-2 cups of icing, and combine to make a ragged dough. I use a teaspoon-sized dough scoop to keep all of my cake pops a similar size.

For the apple pops, I used two level teaspoon scoops.

Roll them together to make one compact cake ball.

To make the apple shape, I used both hands, trying to make it into a cube. From there, I rolled it on its side in my palm to round the sides, leaving the top and bottom more flat.

I then squeezed the top and bottom to make a little divot on either end of the "apple."

Now, you need to let the cake balls sit for at least three hours in the refrigerator. I prefer to wait overnight. If you're in a real hurry, you can put them in the freezer for 30 minutes, then move them to the refrigerator. You will want to work with them just 5 or 6 at a time out of the refrigerator. I usually put them on a plate, and set that plate on a cold pack from the freezer while I work.

When the cake balls are ready to dip, you'll melt your candy melts with about 1-2 tsp. of vegetable oil. I use the microwave, and start with one minute on power level 3, and stir every 30 seconds after that until the candy is just melted. It should be warm, but never hot or it will seize.

Dip the stick in the melted candy, then insert it about halfway into the refrigerated cake ball.

Then, you will quickly dip the cake pop into the candy. Do not twirl the stick in the candy or the cake ball will fall off. I dip the stick straight up and down, tilt it left, tilt it right -- enough to cover the entire cake ball, then take it out of the candy.

Next, you want to tap the cake pop to get the excess candy off. I usually tap it 10-15 times. Note the angle. I tap the pop with the stick at a low angle so that the cake ball isn't tempted to fall down into the candy.

Add a little chocolate/brown jimmie sprinkle for the stem, and insert the stick into styrofoam to let the candy set.

If you want to add a leaf, melt some green candy melts, and use a tip #352 to make a leaf. Hold the tip so that it looks like "fish lips," not a "V" in front of you. (It's vertical, not horizontal is what I'm trying to explain here.) Squeeze, and slowly move the tip away to create a leaf.

For something even cuter, I found these little "pencil pops" at a kitchen store, and couldn't help but try these apple cake pops on them.

They're pretty easy to use. You stick them on the eraser end of the pencil.

Then, you treat them just like a lollipop stick... dip it in the candy first, then in the cake ball.

Be a little extra gentle when dipping the pop in the candy as the pencil topper can fall off. (Or you can just dip it holding the topper, but I found it easier when it was on the pencil.)

Tap the excess candy off, using the plastic topper part that is on the pencil... it felt a little too wobbly on the end if I tapped it against the pencil instead (like I'm doing in this picture).

A perfect pencil for a great teacher!

Click the Links Below to See:
Back-to-School Apple Cookies
Back-to-School Apple Cupcakes
Mini-Apple Hand Pies
More Bakc-to-School/ Teacher Ideas
Cake Pop Decorating Ideas

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