Love cake pops? Love anime? Having a party? Here’s an eye-catching recipe for Dragon Ball Z Pops inspired by the epic animated series your friends and family will be happy to make a wish on.
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When the cake pop craze hit the internet in 2008, I was obsessed. Bakerella, the founder of the cake pop, blessed us all with a new and adorable way for us to have our cake. Since then, I’ve made cake pops for a handful of birthday parties, housewarmings, and as get-well-soon gifts.
However, it’s been ages since I last made a set of the coated cake morsels on a stick. When Greg requested for us to make cake pops for his birthday stream this year, themed to his favorite anime, I couldn’t have been more excited.
WHAT ARE CAKE POPS?
Cake pops are dense, two-bite treats made from combining cake (already baked) and icing, coated in candy melts or chocolate, and served on a stick. Think of it as cake “lollipops,” but with a truffle-like consistency, you can easily bite into.
The ways in which you can shape and decorate cake pops are endless. I highly recommend going down a #cakepopsofinstagram rabbit hole if you’re a fan of sweets. Since Dragon Balls are already spherical shaped, I figured it’d be perfect to bounce back with after not having made them in a while.
To keep with the “Dragon Ball / Dragon Ball Z / Dragon Ball Super” theme, I thought it’d be fitting to use carrot cake since “Kakarot” is Goku’s Saiyan name in the animated series. Get it, Kakarot? Ka-Carrot? 🙈 Let’s get started!
DRAGON BALL Z POPS RECIPE
CAKE POP INGREDIENTS
- 1 box cake mix (We used Betty Crocker Delights Super Moist Carrot Cake Mix, you can buy a 2-pack on Amazon here. This recipe requires eggs and vegetable oil)
- 1 container of cake frosting (The dairy-free “cream cheese” icing we used can be found here)
- 1-2 12 oz. bags of orange candy melts*
- Red star-shaped sprinkles for decorating
*It took 1 bag of candy melts to coat my cake pops. However, if you use darker-colored cake-like chocolate, red velvet, or devil’s food cake, you may want to double dip your pops for a more opaque coating.
SUPPLIES
- Large mixing bowl
- 13”x9” baking sheet
- Lollipop sticks
- Microwave safe container (I used a cup-like tupperware container. Narrow is better!)
- Cake pop stand*
*I made my cake pop stand using a styrofoam block, and poked holes in rows 2 ½” apart. A shallow cardboard box works too, especially if you already have one laying around. You can also order a pretty one like this on Amazon.
OPTIONAL, BUT HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
- Cookie scoop (for even portions)
- Toothpick
- Craft Tweezers
Recipe yields 30-40 cake pops
STEP 1: BAKE YOUR CAKE
Bake your cake as directed on the box. Allow cake to cool completely.
STEP 2: MAKE CAKE BALLS
Once your cake has cooled, transfer into a large mixing bowl. Crumble cake entirely.
Add up to ¾ of your cake pop frosting container into the crumbled cake and with clean hands, incorporate together to achieve a dense, cookie dough-like consistency. Save remaining frosting for another project.
Using a cookie scoop or rounded metal spoon, form your Dragon Ball Z balls by scooping the mixture into rounded portions and shape into smooth spheres with your hands. Although not completely necessary, using a cookie scoop is a foolproof way to have consistent and uniform portions. Place cake balls on a tray and refrigerate for a couple of hours.
STEP 3: DIP AND ASSEMBLE DRAGON BALL POPS
Empty candy melts into a microwave-safe plastic container. I used a recycled soup to-go container, and it worked perfectly! We want the candy melts to fully cover our pop when dipping, so a narrower container is a much better option than trying to fill a wider bowl. Also, opt for plastic, as a glass bowl can burn your candy melts and you’ll end up with a lumpy mixture. Microwave your melts in 30-second increments at half power, stirring in between each time until your melts are smooth and runny.
Working with a few pops at a time (keeping the others in the refrigerator), dip the end of your cake pop stick in the melts, about a half inch, then insert into the cake ball. Then, carefully submerge your pop into the coating, enough to cover your pop completely. Holding your pop at a 45 degree angle, swirl and tap your hand/wrist to shake off excess.
Allow the cake pops to dry upright. I made my own cake pop stand out of a styrofoam block from the craft store, and poked holes 2 ½ inches apart. You can easily make one out of a cardboard box as well.
STEP 4: DECORATE!
Dip the end of a toothpick into the melted coating, and place a dot where you would like to apply your stars. If you don’t have a toothpick, you can also use the tip/corner of a fork. Using craft tweezers made it so much easier to precisely apply the sprinkles!
Store finished Dragon Ball pops in a cool, dry place, or refrigerate until serving.
❤ Daina
SCREENSHOT FOR LATER
DRAGON BALL CAKE POP RECIPE
CAKE POP INGREDIENTS
- 1 box cake mix
- 1 container of cake frosting*
- 1-2 12 oz. bags of orange candy melts*
- Red star-shaped sprinkles for decorating
*Dairy-free icing may also be used
*An additional bag of candy melts may be required for darker colored cakes
SUPPLIES
*Stand can be made from styrofoam or cardboard box, or can be ordered online
OPTIONAL, BUT HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
- Cookie scoop (for even portions)
- Toothpick
- Craft Tweezers
Recipe yields 30-40 cake pops
HOW TO MAKE CAKE POPS
- Prepare cake as directed on the box. Let cool completely.
- Transfer cake to a large bowl and fully crumble.
- Scoop up to ¾ of your icing container and incorporate evenly into cake crumbles for a cookie dough-like consistency.
- With a cookie scoop or metal spoon, portion and shape mixture into cake balls.
- Refrigerate cake balls for at least 2 hours
- Melt candy melts in a microwave-safe, plastic container at half power in 30-second intervals. Stir in between each time until smooth and runny.
- Working with a few at a time, dip the end of your lollipop stick into the melted candy (about ½ inch) and insert into cake ball.
- Fully submerge cake pop into candy melts, then twist while tapping hand/wrist to get rid of excess coating.
- Allow cake pops to dry on styrofoam block or cake pop stand.
- Dip the end of a toothpick into the remaining candy melts, then apply a small amount where you plan to adhere the star sprinkles. Adhere star using craft tweezers.
- Store in a cool, dry place or in the refrigerator until serving. Enjoy!
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