Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake Pops

Photo by Sharyn Resvick

“Eat Me” urged the small colorful signs stuck in the chocolate covered cherry cake pops and balls. How wonderfully Wonderlandian, I thought. I didn’t really need the invitation — I couldn’t have resisted them anyway. I had sampled Kristi Anderson’s cake-on-a-stick creations before and “felt time stand still” while savoring her rich truffle-like bonbons.

Kristi made these memorable cake balls,  some drizzled with white candy coating, for the MADD Hatter’s Tea Party May 7 and, in keeping with the distinctive theme, named them “Chocolate Covered Toadstools.” She concocted another variety for the event as well — petite orbs on a lollipop stick — carrot cake and cream cheese frosting dipped in orange candy coating called “White Rabbit Carrot Cake.”

What’s next for Kristi in this gourmet nibble-of-cake realm? She’s pondering lemon cake pops with cream cheese frosting and yellow coating rolled in toasted coconut or poppy seed for a refreshing summer version of this ever-so-tempting treat. For her dad’s upcoming birthday she’s dreaming up morsels using with his favorite cake — chocolate with homemade peanut butter frosting and chocolate coating topped with crushed peanuts. She’s also contemplating pops of German chocolate cake with coconut pecan frosting and chocolate coating finished with flaked coconut and chopped pecans.

Go ahead. Let your own confection imagination soar — there’s no end to the cake bite varieties that are waiting to be discovered (and devoured). CJK

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake Pops

(Kristi Anderson)

1 pkg. (18 1/4 oz.) devil’s food cake mix

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 1/4 cup water

3 eggs

Photo by Angie Fracassi

1 jar (10 oz.) maraschino cherries without stems, well drained

1/3 cup liquid from maraschino cherries

1/4 cup cherry preserves

1 can fudge chip frosting

4 lbs. milk chocolate candy coating, chopped

2 tbsp. shortening

Plastic fork

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 13x9-in. baking pan.

In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, oil, water and eggs. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds with electric mixer, and then beat on medium for 2 minutes. Pour batter into prepared baking pan. Bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely.

Place cherries in a food processor; cover and process until coarsely chopped. Transfer to a small bowl; stir in the liquid from the cherries and preserves. Crumble the cake into a large bowl. Add the frosting and cherry mixture and beat well. Shape into one-inch balls.

Melt candy coating and shortening in microwave and stir until smooth. *Dip balls in chocolate mixture and allow excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper; let stand until set. Store in airtight container overnight before serving.

Yield: 6 dozen

A note from Kristi: I adapted this recipe from one titled “Cherry Cordial Cake Balls” published in the April/May 2011 edition of “Simple & Delicious Magazine.” The original recipe called for a fudge marble cake mix, brandy, brewed coffee and chocolate frosting. *One tip I learned from that article is to break out the middle prongs on a plastic fork and use the outer prongs to hold the cake balls while dipping them in the candy coating.

A note from Carol: Kristi, an enterprising cuisinière, has a flair for spotting culinary trends and cooking up scrumptious adventures. It’s been fun to share some of her innovations in the flourishing bite-sized cake movement popularized by Angie Dudley of Bakerella fame, Clare O’Connell and others.

I’ve relished every moment of online research pertaining to these dainty delights — like the cake pops themselves, it’s difficult to stop at just one website. You’ll discover that, too. For starters, visit Veronica Miller at Recipe Rhapsody, The Kitchen and Jaden Hair at Steamy Kitchen.

By the way, have you seen Kristi’s recipe for Chocolate-Peanut Butter Stuffed French Toast posted on Food, Faith and Fellowship Feb. 26, 2011? Check it out, too. As you can imagine, it’s sweeeeet!

Kristi created these tasty cake pops in March and shared them with colleagues 

in our building. She experimented with cheesecake, carrot and chocolate cakes 

and a variety of frostings, coatings and toppings. (Photo by Sue Schulzetenberg)