# Holiday Cake Pops > Kids crumble a baked cake, mix in frosting, roll balls or Santa hats, then put them on sticks, dip them in candy melts and add sprinkles. One 8-inch round cake makes about 12-15 cake pops for a festive holiday treat. - URL: https://www.funlittles.com/holiday-baking-with-kids-cake-pops/ - Ages: 4+ · Difficulty: medium · Mess: medium - Time: prep 10 min, activity 1 hr 10 min - Works for: one-on-one, small group · one batch serves about 3 kids - Skills: fine-motor, measuring, following-directions, sensory-exploration - Cautions: wheat-gluten, egg, dairy, soy, food-dye ## Materials (one batch) - 1 piece Plain baked cake (one 8-inch round) - 0.25 cup Frosting (canned) - Candy melts - 15 piece Pop sticks or craft sticks - Funfetti, sugar sprinkles and edible decorations - 1 piece Styrofoam block - 1 piece Cookie tray lined with parchment paper (household) - 1 piece Tablespoon (household) - 1 piece Microwave-safe bowl (household) - 1 piece Large baking dish or bowl (household) - 1 piece Food processor (optional) (household) - Food wrap (optional) (household) ## Substitutions - Instead of baked cake: Your own family cake recipe (The author says you can use your own recipe if you prefer.) - Instead of pop sticks: Craft sticks (What the author had on hand.) - Instead of food processor: Crumble by hand (Cut the cake in half and rub the halves against each other.) ## Safety - This is real food that is made to be eaten. Check every child's food allergies before you start, and read the labels on the cake mix, frosting, candy melts and decorations. - Kids mix the cake with their hands. Make sure everyone washes their hands well first. - An adult melts the candy melts in the microwave. Melted coating can get hot, so check the temperature before kids dip. - Use food-safe pop sticks. If you use craft sticks like the author did, make sure they are clean and unfinished. - Supervise kids while they eat cake pops on sticks. They shouldn't walk or run with a pop in their mouth. ## Before you start - Bake one plain 8-inch round cake from a boxed mix or your family recipe, and let it cool. - Wrap the second round from the box tightly in food wrap and freeze it for up to 3 months. - Clear space in the freezer for a cookie tray, and line the tray with parchment paper. - Set out the sprinkles, funfetti and edible decorations in small bowls. ## Steps 1. Wash hands. Then crumble the cake: cut it in half and rub the halves against each other, or pulse it in a food processor. 2. Add 1/4 cup of frosting and mix it all well with your hands. 3. Scoop up a tablespoon and roll it into a ball or shape it into a Santa hat. Place it on the parchment-lined tray. 4. Put the tray in the freezer for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, an adult melts a few candy melts in the microwave. 5. Dip the end of a stick into the melted candy and push it into a cake pop. Don't skip this step, because it helps the cake pops stick to the sticks. 6. Put the pops back in the freezer for 20 minutes to firm up well. 7. An adult melts the remaining candy melts while the decorations are set out. 8. Dip each cake pop into the candy melt without stirring it around, then gently tap off the extra coating. 9. Add sprinkles or funfetti, and stand the pop in the Styrofoam block to dry. ## Tips - Take the shortcut: boxed cake mix and canned frosting mean no measuring flour, no clouds of flour dust and no washing every dish in the kitchen on a holiday when you have company. - Hands are your best tools for mixing the cake and frosting. Just make sure the kids have clean hands first. - Dipping the stick in candy melt before inserting it is a must. It helps the cake pops stick to the pop stick. - When coating, don't stir the pop around in the candy melt. Dip it and gently tap off the excess. - A boxed mix makes two 8-inch rounds. Freeze the extra round, tightly wrapped, for up to 3 months. - Remember to have fun with it! ## The original post by TurkeyMom (2012) Christmas brings families across the country together. In our house, the kids wait for their cousins and the adults are excited about the lil’ nieces and nephews..and I’m the Aunt who does “fun stuff”…fearlessly bakes cakes, cookies and pies ! This holiday season we are going to be making Cake pops. Its become a phenomenon , kids and adults alike. Cake pops is the new favorite and the possibilities of crafting, endless. Thanks to the boxed cake mixes and can frosting….Yes I do take a shortcut, because I don’t want to be measuring and pouring flour and cleaning clouds of flour dust and not to mention washing all the dishes in my kitchen on a holiday specially when I have company. A shortcut sometimes is the best route to go! You can find real good gourmet ones or Pillsbury or Betty crocker will do just good too. Or if you prefer to do your own family recipe for the cake, you sure can ! - A plain baked cake. - Frosting – I used cream cheese frosting - Candy melts - Pop sticks or craft sticks( that’s what I had on hand ) - Funfetti, sugar sprinkles and edible decorations - A Styrofoam bloak Here is the process in easy steps. ### Before I begin, a few facts : Baking is all about measures and measurements. A boxed cake will make TWO 8-inch round cakes . I have used only ONE 8-inch round. It yields approximately 12 – 15 cake pops. You can freeze up the other for upto 3 months. Just tightly wrap it with a food wrap and pop it in the freezer for another day. ### Step 1: Crumble the cake. You can use your food processor and pulse to get fine crumbles or do it by hand, cut it in to halves and just rub the cake against each other. ### Step 2: Add frosting, you will need a 1/4th cup for an 8 inch round. Mix well. Hands are your best tools , make sure the kids have clean hands before they start and mix it all well. ### Step 3: Scoop up a tablespoon and make into balls or we tried making Santa’s hats; place them on a parchment lined cookie tray. ### Step 4: Pop them into the freezer for 5 minutes. In the meanwhile, melt a few candy melts in the microwave. Pull the pops out, dip the craft stick or pop stick in to the candy melt and stick them into the cake pop. YOU HAVE TO DO THIS STEP . It helps the cake pops stick to the pop stick. Put them back in the freezer for 20 minutes to firm up well. ### Step 5: Melt the remaining candy melts and set your decorations ready. Dip the cake pops into the candy melt , do not stir it around. Gently tap off the excess coating and add your sprinkles or funfetti and place it on a Styrofoam block to dry. That’s it. Now who wouldn’t want to eat that??? Enjoy making Fun pops this holiday season and remember to have fun with it. ### Happy Holidays to all of you ! ### Thanks for reading ### Please take a moment to comment ### We encourage you to stick around and take a look at [**couple of**](https://www.funlittles.com/christmas-crafts-for-kids/) our [**popular posts.**](https://www.funlittles.com/homemade-christmas-cards/) --- ---