Score a Touchdown with Homemade Football Cake Pops: The Ultimate Game Day Dessert Guide & Recipe
There’s something incredibly rewarding about creating edible masterpieces, even for someone who might feel a bit challenged in the decorating department. This morning, with the help of a dear friend, we successfully crafted a batch of adorable football cake pops. These delightful treats were destined for our local Pop Warner team, bringing smiles to young athletes and fans alike. The experience was so enjoyable and the results so delicious that I’m already looking forward to making them again when the Super Bowl rolls around, or for any game day celebration. They’re truly the perfect festive dessert to share with fellow football enthusiasts.
While the overall experience was fantastic, I do have one minor personal preference to mention. For us to achieve the distinct football shape, we opted for the classic mashed cake and frosting recipe method. Many people absolutely adore this style of cake pop, as it creates a dense, fudgy interior that’s incredibly satisfying. However, my personal preference leans towards cake balls made in a dedicated cake pop maker, which yield miniature, perfectly rounded cakes enrobed in chocolate. These are essentially tiny cakes, light and fluffy, offering a different textural experience. But again – this is a minor complaint, purely a matter of taste. The football-shaped cake pops we made were undeniably good, boasting a rich flavor and charming appearance. Given their success, I felt compelled to share some valuable insights and techniques we discovered throughout the process, hoping they will assist you in creating your own perfect game day treats.
Crafting cake pops, especially those with specific shapes like footballs, involves a few key steps and the right tools can make all the difference. From melting chocolate smoothly to piping intricate details, each stage presents an opportunity to elevate your dessert game. Let’s dive into some of the essential tips and products that proved indispensable during our cake pop adventure, ensuring your journey to delicious, perfectly decorated football cake pops is as smooth and enjoyable as possible.
Mastering Chocolate Melting with the Wilton Chocolate Pro
One of the most crucial elements of making beautiful cake pops is perfectly melted chocolate for dipping. This is where the Wilton Chocolate Pro Melting Pot truly shines as an invaluable investment for any home baker or dessert enthusiast. If you’re considering a thoughtful gift for the baker in your life, or simply want to upgrade your own kitchen arsenal, especially with the holidays approaching, this melting pot should be at the top of your list. I purchased mine over a year ago, and it has since become a frequently used appliance, simplifying countless baking and decorating projects.
What makes the Wilton Chocolate Pro so effective? It maintains a consistent, gentle heat, preventing the chocolate from seizing, burning, or thickening prematurely. This continuous, even temperature is paramount for achieving a smooth, flawless coating on your cake pops. Unlike microwaving, which often results in uneven melting and requires constant stirring and reheating, or a double boiler which can be messy and temperamental, the melting pot provides a hands-off solution. You simply add your melting wafers or chocolate, turn it on, and it holds the chocolate at the ideal dipping consistency for extended periods. This means less stress, less wasted chocolate, and ultimately, more time to focus on the creative aspects of decorating. Its capacity is also generous enough to handle a substantial amount of chocolate, making it perfect for larger batches like our football cake pops.
Choosing the Best Chocolate: Ghirardelli Melting Wafers
Beyond the melting pot, the quality of your chocolate coating is equally important. Another essential tip for achieving professional-looking and tasting cake pops is to seek out high-quality melting wafers, specifically the new Ghirardelli Melting Wafers. These wafers are expertly formulated for dipping and coating, eliminating the need for tedious tempering or the addition of shortening – steps that can be intimidating for even experienced bakers. Tempering chocolate is a precise process that ensures a glossy finish and a crisp snap, but it’s often skipped due to its complexity. Ghirardelli has taken the guesswork out of it, allowing you to achieve beautiful results with ease.
Upon setting, these wafers provide a lovely, appealing sheen that significantly enhances the visual appeal of your cake pops. More importantly, they offer a rich, delicious flavor that elevates the entire treat, moving beyond the often bland taste of generic candy melts. While they don’t set quite as rapidly as some cheaper alternatives like almond bark (which can start solidifying almost as soon as you dip it, sometimes creating a thick, uneven coating), this characteristic has both its downsides and advantages. The primary “downside” we encountered was the need to chill the pops briefly after dipping to ensure they set completely firm. However, this slightly slower setting time became a significant “plus side” when we moved on to piping the white chocolate lacing for the footballs. The Ghirardelli white melting chips stayed soft and workable for longer, meaning we didn’t have to constantly reheat them in the microwave, which can degrade the chocolate’s texture and appearance. This allowed for more precise and relaxed piping, making the delicate details much easier to execute.
The Right Tools for Detail: Piping Bags for White Chocolate
Executing the delicate “lacing” on our football cake pops required precision, and I was quickly reminded of just how critical it is to select the correct decorating bag for piping melted white chocolate. My initial attempt involved a standard freezer bag with a snipped corner. Unfortunately, the impromptu “tip” of the bag quickly became a little misshapen and uneven, causing the white chocolate to emerge in an unruly, curly pattern rather than a clean line. Frustrated but undeterred, I then tried an off-brand disposable decorating bag, only to encounter the exact same problem – a jagged opening and inconsistent flow.
The third attempt, however, was a charm. I switched to a Wilton disposable decorating bag, and the difference was immediate and remarkable. The Wilton bag performed perfectly, delivering smooth, consistent lines of white chocolate, allowing us to create the classic football lacing with ease. Perhaps the material of these bags is sturdier, or the manufacturing process ensures a cleaner cut at the tip – I’m not entirely sure of the exact reason, but the results spoke for themselves. I’ve also heard excellent feedback about using parchment paper cones for piping melted chocolate, and I definitely plan to try those next. What I’ve learned from this experience is that practicing with melted chocolate for piping details, rather than traditional icing, is highly beneficial. Melted chocolate sets up hard and firm, which means it won’t smear or smudge against the inside of a treat bag, ensuring your carefully crafted designs remain pristine during packaging and transport. This makes it an ideal medium for durable and clean decorations.
Creative Presentation: Packaging Football Cake Pops
Once your delicious and beautifully decorated football cake pops are complete, the final step is presentation and packaging. This is how we chose to package ours, adding an extra layer of charm and making them perfect for gifting or serving at a party. We individually placed each cake pop into clear cellophane treat bags, carefully sliding the bag over the top of the pop and down to the stick. To secure the bag and add a touch of color, we tied it off neatly around the stick with festive twisty ties. This not only keeps the cake pops fresh but also protects their delicate chocolate coating and piped details from getting smudged or damaged.
To further enhance the theme and create an adorable mini-display, we incorporated a creative “lawn” element. We cut small rectangles from green cardboard, which we then laminated for added durability and a slightly glossy finish (though lamination is completely optional). These green pieces were folded in half and a small snip was made in the center of the fold, allowing the cake pop stick to slide through. This created a charming “grassy field” base for each football cake pop, making them stand upright and adding an extra festive touch that truly delighted the recipients. This simple yet effective packaging method ensures your football cake pops are not only delicious but also visually appealing and easy to transport, making them a real crowd-pleaser for any game day gathering.
More Delicious Ideas from Cookie Madness
If you’ve enjoyed this guide to crafting delightful football cake pops, you might be interested in exploring more recipes and baking insights from Cookie Madness. Their collection of sweet treats offers a wide array of options for every occasion. Check out some related culinary adventures below:
- Chocolate Melting Pot Review and Chocolate Cake Balls
- Easy Caramel Corn
- Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies
- Bring Back Breakfast This Weekend with Hungry Jack Giveaway
- Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Chocolate Brownies
Ultimate Game Day Football Cake Pops Recipe
Scrumptious Football Cake Pops and Brownies
Recipe adapted from Cookie Madness
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
- 50 cake pop sticks
- 50 cellophane treat bags
- Cake pop stand or Styrofoam block
- 1 box Betty Crocker Triple Chocolate Cake Mix (plus ingredients called for on box: eggs, oil, water)
- 1 can (you probably won’t use all of it) Chocolate Frosting (15 oz)
- 1 pound Ghirardelli Dark Melting Chocolate Wafers
- Some Ghirardelli White Melting Chocolate Wafers (for lacing)
Instructions
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Bake the Cake: Prepare the Betty Crocker Triple Chocolate Cake Mix according to the package directions, using the specified amounts of eggs, oil, and water. Once baked, allow the cake to cool completely in its pan on a wire rack. This is crucial for proper crumbling and mixing.
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Crumble and Mix: Once the cake is fully cooled, crumble it thoroughly into a large mixing bowl. Using your hands or a sturdy spatula, gradually stir in the chocolate frosting. Add just enough frosting so that the mixture comes together and can be easily shaped into balls without being too sticky or too dry. The exact amount may vary based on your cake’s moisture, but for a 15 oz can, you will likely use about ¾ of it. The goal is a play-dough like consistency.
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Shape the Footballs: Line a large cookie sheet or a couple of plates with parchment paper. Scoop small portions of the cake mixture and begin to shape them into miniature footballs. This step requires a bit of practice. A good starting point is to roll the mixture into a small cylinder, then gently pinch and taper the ends to create the characteristic almond-like shape of a football. Arrange them on the parchment-lined sheet. Once shaped, chill the footballs in the refrigerator for several hours, or even overnight. Chilling makes them much easier to handle and refine their shape.
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Refine Shapes: After chilling, take the football-shaped cake balls out of the refrigerator. At this point, they will be firmer and easier to work with. Take a moment to touch up any irregular shapes, gently molding them into neater, more uniform footballs.
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Insert Sticks: Melt a small amount of your dark melting chocolate (about 1/4 cup) in a microwave-safe bowl or in your Wilton Chocolate Pro. Dip the tip of each cake pop stick into the melted chocolate, then carefully insert the chocolate-dipped end into the base of each football cake ball, about halfway through. The chocolate will act as a “glue” to secure the stick. Immediately place the footballs on sticks onto a plate and transfer them to the freezer. Continue this process until all cake balls are on sticks. Freeze for several hours until the cake pops are very firm and sturdy on their sticks – this prevents them from falling off during dipping.
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Dip in Chocolate: Now for the exciting part! Melt the remaining Ghirardelli Dark Melting Chocolate Wafers in your Wilton Chocolate Pro Melting Pot or a double boiler. Ensure the chocolate is smooth and fluid. Carefully take a frozen cake pop, one at a time, and fully submerge it into the melted chocolate. Gently tap the stick against the edge of the pot to allow any excess chocolate to drip off, ensuring a thin, even coating.
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Chill to Set: Once dipped, immediately place the chocolate-coated cake pop onto a cake pop stand or poke the stick into a block of Styrofoam to allow the chocolate to set without smudging. Transfer them to the refrigerator to chill and firm up completely.
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Pipe the Lacing: To create the iconic football lacing, melt some Ghirardelli White Melting Chocolate Wafers in the microwave in short bursts, stirring frequently, until smooth. Spoon the melted white chocolate into a sturdy Wilton decorating bag (or a parchment paper cone). Allow it to cool for a minute or two; it should be warm and flowable but not so hot and runny that it’s difficult to control. Snip a very tiny tip off the bag and carefully pipe the lacing pattern onto each football cake pop. If you find melted white chocolate challenging, royal icing can be used as an alternative, but the melted chocolate will hold up better for packaging.
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Final Chill and Package: Return the decorated cake pops to the refrigerator to allow the white chocolate lacing to set firmly. Once they are completely firm, prepare your packaging. Take a small piece of green cardboard (optional: laminate for durability), fold it in half, and make a small snip in the center of the fold. Poke the cake pop stick through this hole to create a “lawn” base. Finally, slip a cellophane treat bag over each pop and tie it off securely with a festive twist tie around the stick. Your professional-looking football cake pops are now ready to be enjoyed!
Notes