20--- Wacky Chocolate Cake Pops

My first experience with cake pops was only a few months ago. Not sure where I was for the past few years, but I had never even heard of them until my friend Tonia took me to Starbucks in Phoenix (no, we do not yet have a Starbucks in Bozeman, Montana). How fun! I decided that Halloween was the perfect time to try my hand at them because they do not have to turn out "pretty". Actually, kind of funky is better.

Wacky Chocolate Cake is a recipe of my mother's, from her mother, etc. It is also referred to as a Depression Chocolate Cake because it contains no butter, no milk, and no eggs, which are ingredients that were hard to find in the Depression. But you MUST have chocolate cake. So this recipe was developed. It is super moist and super delicious. It is the only chocolate cake that I knew of growing up. I guess I was kind of shocked when I found out that other chocolate cakes did not call for vinegar.

Wacky Chocolate Cake Pops
Makes ~30 pops

CAKE
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup canola oil (or vegetable oil of your choice)
1 1/2 Tbsp white distilled vinegar
1 1/2 cups water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium mixing bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together with a spoon. Add all the wet ingredients and stir until well-combined. Pour into a 9x13" pan which has been prepared with cooking spray.

Bake for 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

FROSTING
1/3 cup butter
4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

In a medium mixing bowl, beat butter until fluffy. Gradually add 2 cups powdered sugar and beat well. Beat in milk and vanilla. Slowly add cocoa powder and remaining powdered sugar. Beat until well-combined. Add additional milk if needed to reach desired consistency (should be spreadable but not too thin).

POPS
30 cookie sticks (found in craft store)
1 - 14oz package dark chocolate candy melts (also found in craft store)
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut and small plastic spiders
AND/OR
1 cup cookie crumbs (I used Oreos chopped in my food processor) and gummy worms

When cake has cooled completely (I made mine the night before), use a fork to "shred" the cake into crumbs. Add crumbs to a large mixing bowl, then add frosting. Use your hands to combine thoroughly.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Scoop 2 Tbsp cake/frosting mixture into your hands and mash mixture together. Roll into a small tight ball and place on parchment paper. Repeat with remaining mixture.

Place cake balls into refrigerator for 2 hours. Remove and re-roll balls with your hands to pack tightly.

Melt 4-5 chocolate candy melts in microwave according to package instructions. Dip the end of each cookie stick into the melted chocolate and insert one into each ball, at least halfway into the ball. Return balls to refrigerator when all sticks have been inserted. Chill for 30-60 minutes.

Melt remainder of chocolate candy in microwave. Remove cake balls from refrigerator. Place the bottom of each ball into chocolate, then spoon melted candy over the top of the ball. Holding the stick, spin the cake ball on the spoon to remove excess melted chocolate. Immediately sprinkle each ball with coconut or crumbled cookies. Place on a clean baking sheet and add a spider or gummy worm before chocolate hardens. Repeat with remaining cake balls, then place in refrigerator for 1 hour prior to serving (or overnight in my case).

These take a little extra time but are so worth the effort!