Football Cake Pops

Before you get lost in planning all the hot dips, sticky chicken wings and meaty sliders for your game day party, remember to include a few sweet treats in the spread. As far as Super Bowl desserts go, I love the kitschiness of football-shaped foods—especially these genius football cake pops. Each one has a crumbled chocolate cake center that’s held together by tangy cream cheese frosting. The cake centers are covered in a chocolate-peanut butter coating that mimics the color of a football. Don’t forget the white icing for the laces—it really completes these pops!

Ingredients for Football Cake Pops

• Cake mix: A chocolate cake mix keeps this recipe quick and easy. Buy one of the best chocolate cake mixes from the store for the best flavor and texture.
• Frosting: While you can certainly make your own frosting, using store-bought cream cheese frosting cuts down on prep time.
• Dark chocolate chips: Dark chocolate chips will give the cake pop coating that signature brown leather football color.
• Peanut butter chips: We’ll melt the peanut butter chips with the dark chocolate chips for the football coating. You can normally find peanut butter chips at Target or Walmart.
• Shortening: The shortening melts into the chocolate coating to give it shine and pliability.
• Lollipop sticks: Most grocery stores will carry lollipop sticks in the baking aisle, or in the aisle with common kitchen tools. Craft stores sell lollipop sticks, too.
• White decorating icing: Find white decorating icing in the baking aisles of grocery or craft stores, or make your own royal icing at home.

Directions

Step 1: Bake the cake

Bake the cake according to the package directions. Allow the cake to cool completely to room temperature before moving on to the next step, or your cake pops will turn out gummy.

Step 2: Mix the cake and frosting

In a large bowl, break the cake into fine crumbles.

Add the frosting and stir until it’s fully incorporated, adding more frosting if needed, until the mixture maintains its shape when squeezed together with the palm of your hand.

Editor’s Tip: Be careful of adding too much frosting, or the cake pops can easily fall apart during the dipping process later on.

Step 3: Shape and freeze the cake balls

Shape 1 tablespoon of the cake pop dough into a ball, then mold the ball into the shape of a football. Repeat the process with the remaining cake pop mixture.

Place the football cake pops on parchment-lined baking sheets, and refrigerate them until they’re firm, about 30 minutes.

Step 4: Melt the chocolate coating

Meanwhile, place the dark chocolate chips, peanut butter chips and shortening in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave them for 30 seconds. Take the bowl out and give it a good stir, then repeat these steps, stirring every 30 seconds until everything is melted and smooth. Add more shortening as needed and be very careful not to overheat the mixture.

Editor’s Tip: Chocolate burns easily in the microwave, so I often prefer to melt it in a double boiler. Just be sure no water gets in the bowl, or the chocolate will seize.

Step 5: Prepare the cake pops

Dip a lollipop stick into the chocolate mixture, then insert it halfway through a football cake pop, taking care not to break through the other side. Return the football cake pop with its lollipop to the baking sheet until set. Repeat with the remaining cake pops.

Step 6: Dip the cake pops

Dip each cake pop in the chocolate mixture, fully coating the outside. Hold the cake pop over the chocolate mixture and allow as much chocolate as possible to drip off. You can lightly tap the lollipop against the side of the bowl to coax the chocolate off, or tap it with a fork. Doing this will prevent a “foot” from forming underneath the cake pop as it sets.

Reheat and stir the chocolate mixture as needed. Return the cake pops to the baking sheets, ensuring they do not touch one another. Allow the chocolate coating to set until it’s firm to the touch.

Step 7: Decorate by adding the laces

Use the white decorating icing to draw laces on the cake pops.

Recipe Variations

• Try your own cake and frosting combo: When making cake pops, you can use any flavor of cake mix or frosting desired to create your own unique combos. We went with chocolate here to match the footballs, but feel free to use red velvet, pumpkin, lemon or vanilla cake mix and play around with different frostings that complement them.
• Decorate with your football team’s colors: Coat the football cake pops with your team’s main color, then use the secondary color as the lacing. For example, the Philadelphia Eagles will have a green football with silver lacing, the Chicago Bears will have a navy football with orange lacing and the Buffalo Bills will have a royal blue football with red lacing. I use store-bought candy coating, so I don’t have to dye white chocolate.

How to Store Football Cake Pops

The best way to store cake pops is in the fridge, especially since our football cake pops are made with cream cheese frosting. Place them in an airtight container or zip-top bag and keep them in the fridge for up to one week.

Can you freeze football cake pops?

Yes, you can freeze football cake pops. Keep them in an airtight container or zip-top bag (try to remove as much air as possible from the bag) and freeze them for up to five days. Thaw them in the fridge overnight.

Football Cake Pops Tips

Why is my chocolate coating cracking?

Your chocolate coating is likely cracking because of the temperature difference between your cake pop and the melted chocolate. If the cake pop is frozen solid and the chocolate coating is too hot and runny, then the coating will crack as it sets around the cake pop.

Why are my cake pops falling apart?

Your cake pops may be falling apart for one of two reasons: Either they didn’t freeze long enough, or you accidentally added too much frosting. Make sure the cake pops are very set before removing them from the freezer, and stick with the suggested amount of frosting for the cake pop mix.

Can these cake pops set while sitting upright?

If you want the football cake pops to stand upright, make the cake pops according to the recipe, then stick the popsicle, football side up, in an old piece of Styrofoam instead of placing them on the parchment paper. If you don’t have Styrofoam, poke holes in an old cardboard box instead.

Watch How to Make Football Cake Pops

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