How To Make Cakesicles

This step by step tutorial will show you how to make any flavor cakesicles with troubleshooting and decorating tips and tricks! 

Cakesicles are the newest dessert trend. Bigger and easier to decorate than cake pops, these fun desserts are sure to be a hit at you next birthday or holiday celebration. 

INGREDIENTS and Tools

• Cake: you can use any cake recipe for these cakesicles
• Frosting: same with the frosting, you can you use any frosting
• Candy Melts or Melting Chocolate: I highly recommend using melting chocolate for chocolate and white chocolate cakesicles, and candy melts for colored chocolate coating.  If you’re using regular chocolate, you’ll need to temper it first. You can read more about that here. 
• Silicone Cakesicle Molds and Popsicle Sticks: there are many different sizes and shapes of molds. Smaller molds tend to be better for dipping into chocolate and the bigger molds are better for spreading the chocolate in the molds as shown below. 
• Knife or Spatula: this is used to spread and smooth the chocolate around the molds. You can also use a paint brush, spoon, pastry brush, etc. 
• Pastry Bags (optional): for decorating the cakesicles. You can also drizzle extra chocolate over the finished cakesicles with a spoon. 
• Sprinkles (optional): sprinkles, crushed candy, nuts, etc. can be added to the cakesicles to decorate 
• Parchment Paper or Styrofoam Board (optional): if using dipping method

How to Make Cakesicles

Cakesicles are surprisingly easy to make! I think they’re easier than cake pops in that you don’t have to worry about them falling off the stick as much as with cake pops.  You just need a few special tools and some basic troubleshooting tips and you’re good to go!

Step 1: Cake Filling

This is so easy! Just remember, you need way less frosting than you think.  For one prepared 9×13 box mix cake, I used a little over ½ cup of canned frosting.

The amount of frosting to cake ratio can vary depending on the cake and frosting recipe you’re using.  So, start with a small amount of frosting and slowly add more, one tablespoon at a time, until you get the desired consistency.  You can mix with mixer, spatula, or use your hands.

The ideal filling will hold together when you pinch it, but not be gooey or sticky.   Some people like their cake pops and cakesicles dryer and some like them with more frosting. It’s somewhat of a personal preference, but keep in mind that if you add too much frosting they have a harder time staying on the popsicle sticks. 

Step 2: Chocolate Coating

There are two main ways to coat the cakesicles in chocolate. There is the dipping method, where you dip the cake pop into chocolate, similar to making chocolate covered strawberries or cake pops. Then, there is the spread and fill method, where you spread the melted chocolate all around the mold, let harden, and then fill with the cake filling.  There are pros and cons to each method:

Dipping Method:

Fill the cakesicle molds with cake filling and put in the freezer for 20-30 minutes to harden. When ready to dip, melt the chocolate melts according to the instructions on the package.  It’s really important to have the right consistency of chocolate, so depending on the brand of chocolate melts you might need to add some vegetable shortening to thin it out.

You can test it by dipping a knife or spoon in the chocolate – it should be thick enough to coat but thin enough that when you shake it any drips reincorporate back into itself. 

Then, quickly dip the cakesicle in the chocolate and shake to reincorporate any drips back into the chocolate. You can either put the popsicles on a styrofoam board to dry, or lay on parchment.

If you want to use dipping method, check out these chocolate covered strawberry posts here and here. They cover the basics of dipping food in chocolate and have tons of tips and tricks!!

Spreading and Filling Method

 Even though this method has more steps, I actually think it’s easier and they come out perfectly smooth and shiny every time. 

1. And about a tablespoon of melted chocolate to the molds. The amount can vary depending on the size of your molds. But, about a tablespoon is a good start.
2. Using a spoon, pastry brush, or paint brush, spread the chocolate around the sides of the mold, making sure it is thick along the sides and the chocolate goes all the way to the top. If it’s too thin or doesn’t cover everywhere, the chocolate can crack when you try to remove the cakesicle.
3. Then, shake the mold to even out the chocolate. If there any air bubbles, pop them using a toothpick, scribe, or tip of a knife. 
4. Now is the most important part, clearing out the space for the popsicle stick by adding and removing the popsicle stick to the mold while the chocolate is still wet. Not clearing out a space for the stick t is the main reason the ends of the cakesicle crack when adding the popsicle stick later on in then process. You can also keep the popsicle stick partly in the mold while the chocolate sets. I think this makes it easier than adding it when the chocolate has already hardened. Just make sure there is no chocolate on the stick or else it can also cause breaking when you push the popsicle stick all the way into the mold. See below how it should look:
5. Then, let the chocolate harden in the fridge for 5-10 minutes. Once it’s hard you can either add another coat of chocolate if you like a thicker coating and/or reinforce the edges of chocolate by adding another teaspoon or so of chocolate around the edges.  This can help ensure the chocolate doesn’t break. If you add more chocolate, let harden again in the fridge for another 5 minutes.
6. Add 2 tablespoons of cake filling to the molds. This amount can vary depending on the size of your molds. Be very gentle when adding the filling, if you push down too hard you can break the chocolate.   You want to leave some room on the top to add the chocolate.  
7. Add another tablespoon of chocolate. Using a knife, spoon, or cake spatula, drag the chocolate over the filling. Add more chocolate and re-scrape if needed. 
8. Push in the popsicle stick, let the chocolate harden, and then gently remove the cakesicle from the mold.

TIPS and Tricks for Making this Recipe

• For ease, I used box cake mix and canned frosting.  But, you can you can use any cake and frosting you like! Chocolate cake and mint frosting cake pops? Why not!  But, if using different recipes, you might need to alter the ratio of cake to frosting.
• For regular chocolate and white chocolate, Ghirardelli melts work really well and have a nice flavor – with no need for temperating. I also just tried this Sweet Tooth Fairy Dark Chocolate from Michaels and it tasted delicious and I highly recommend it. If you don’t use some type of melting or dipping chocolate,  it helps to temper your chocolate, which you can read about here. 
• For colored chocolate coating, I highly recommend using candy melts in the color of your choice. You can not add regular or gel food coloring to white chocolate melts or it will seize up and get grainy. You can use white melting chocolate and candy coloring, which are oil based food colors. 
• If using the dipping method, you might need to thin it out the chocolate a bit with vegetable shorting or coconut oil. The amount will vary depending on what brand and color you’re using, but start with a teaspoon per ½ cup of melting chocolate until you get the desired consistency.  
• If dipping the cakesicle into the chocolate, make sure the cakesicles are smaller size or else they might fall off the stick or break.
• The perfect dipping consistency is thick enough to coat the cakesicles but thin enough that when you shape it any drips re-incorporate back into the chocolate. You can test the consistency by  testing on a spoon or knife and seeing how the consistency work. You can read more about ideal chocolate consistency in this post.
• Using a box cake mix and canned frosting, I made about a 12 to14 – 2 x 3.5 inch cakesicles, but the amount will vary depending on the size of your cakesicle molds, the cake recipe you use, and the method you’re using for covering them in chocolate. 

Troubleshooting

The chocolate breaks when removing from the mold 

Be very gentle when adding your cake mix to your molds and don’t push down or overfill.  You really don’t need to push down hard or even at all. It’s okay to have a bit of space in them since you’ll be filling the top with chocolate, it will fill in.  Also, make sure the chocolate around the edges and top of the mold is thick enough. If you’re still having issues, letting the mold sit out at room temperature for a few minutes after removing from the fridge and before filling and un-molding can help combat cracking.

The chocolate  around the popsicle stick breaks 

See the pictures above, you want to make sure there is no chocolate covering the opening for the popsicle stick to enter. If there is, it will break when you add the stick. 

The chocolate separates when dipping

This often happens if you’re adding shortening to thin the chocolate and/or the chocolate is too hot. Continuing to mix while letting the chocolate cool a bit should stop it from separating.  Doing a few test dips on a spoon can help make sure your chocolate is the right dipping consistency and temperature.

The melted chocolate gets grainy

Make sure there is no liquid added to the candy melts or else it will seize up and get grainy. You also can not add regular food or gel food coloring, you must use oil based candy colors or buy candy melts in the color you want. 

How much candy melt chocolate do I need? 

I have larger cakesicle molds, and I normally plan on using about ¼ cup candy melts per cakesicle, not including any chocolate for decorating.  But, this can vary depending on the size of your molds. 

Decorating Cakesicles

Now comes the fun part, decorating!  These look cute without anything extra, but if you’re looking to decorate you have lots of options.  Because these are so much larger than cake pops, you can really have fun with how you decorate. Here are some fun Fall Thanksgiving and Christmas themed cakesicles: 

 A super easy way is to drizzle extra chocolate over the cake pops and add some sprinkles:

Tips for decorating:

• For anything that needs to stick to the chocolate, like sprinkles, you must add it when the chocolate is wet or add a bit more melted chocolate as decorations will not stick as the chocolate starts to hardened. 
• I like to use a paint brush to wipe away the excess sprinkles but you can use any similar tool or even your hand. 
• Be careful when touching the hardened chocolate, it’s easy to leave fingerprints. Food grade gloves go a long way in keeping fingerprints off the chocolate when decorating or moving them around, especially if you’re making these for an event or selling them.

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Cakesicles

This step by step tutorial will show you how to make any flavor cakesicles with troubleshooting and decorating tips and tricks! 

5 from 6 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 1 hour

1 hour

Servings: 12 cakesicles

Calories: 372kcal

Author: Sophia Assunta

Equipment

• Cakesicle Molds
• Popsicle Sticks
• Spatula or Knife
• Spoon, Paint Brush, or Pastry Brush
• Pastry Bags (optional)
• Sprinkles (optional)
• Toothpick or Scribe (optional)
• Parchment Paper (optional)

INGREDIENTS

• ▢ 1 9 x 13 inch prepared cake room temperature
• ▢ ½ cup frosting up to 1/4 cup more if necessary
• ▢ 24 oz candy melts or melting chocolate (2 bags) plus more for decorating
• ▢ Sprinkles optional

Instructions

Cake Filling

• Using your hands or a mixer, crumple cake in a bowl. Make sure the cake is at room temperature or it will melt your frosting.
• Add 1/2 cup frosting and mix until incorporated.
• If necessary, add additional frosting 1 tablespoon at a time and remix until desired constancy. The ideal filling will hold together when you pinch it, but not be gooey or sticky.

Dipping Method

• Fill the cakesicle molds with cake filling and put in the freezer for 20-30 minutes to firm up.
• When ready to dip, melt the chocolate melts according to the instructions on the package. It’s really important to have the right consistency of chocolate, so depending on the brand of chocolate melts you might need to add some vegetable shortening to thin it out. Start out with 1/2 - 1 tsp of shortening per 1/2 cup of melts.
• You can test the chocolate consistency by dipping a knife or spoon in the chocolate – it should be thick enough to coat but thin enough that when you shake it any drips reincorporate back into itself.
• Then, quickly dip the cakesicle in the chocolate and shake to reincorporate any drips back into the chocolate. You can either put the popsicle stick into a styrofoam board to dry upright or lay on parchment or a silicone mat to harden.

Spreading and Filling Method

• And about a tablespoon of melted chocolate to the molds. The amount can vary depending on the size of your molds, but 1 tablespoon is a good place to start.
• Using a spoon, pastry brush, or paint brush, spread the chocolate around the sides of the mold, making sure it is thick along the sides and the chocolate goes all the way to the top. If it’s too thin or doesn’t cover everywhere, the chocolate can crack when you try to remove the cakesicle.
• Then, shake the mold to even out the chocolate. If there any air bubbles, pop them using a toothpick, scribe, or tip of a knife.
• While the chocolate is still wet, add and remove the popsicle stick to the mold to clear out any chocolate. Not clearing it out is the main reason the ends of the cakesicle crack when adding the popsicle stick. You can also keep the popsicle stick partly in the mold while the chocolate sets. I think this makes it easier than adding it when the chocolate has already hardened. Just make sure there is no chocolate on the stick or else it can also cause breaking when you push the popsicle stick all the way into the mold.
• Let the chocolate harden in the fridge for 5-10 minutes. If you like a thicker coating and/or the chocolate is too thin around the sides, add another teaspoon or two of chocolate around the edges and let harden in the fridge another 5 minutes.
• Remove from fridge and add 2 tablespoons of cake filling to the molds. This amount can vary depending on the size of your molds. Be very gentle when adding the filling, if you push down too hard you can break the chocolate. You want to leave some room on the top to add the chocolate. If you have problem with the chocolate cracking, let the chocolate rest at room temperature for a few minutes before filling.
• After you've added the filling, gently push in the popsicle stick.
• Add another tablespoon of chocolate. Using a knife, spoon, or cake spatula, drag the chocolate over the filling. Add more chocolate and re-scrape if needed.
• Let the chocolate harden, and then gently remove the cakesicle from the mold.

Notes

• For this recipe, I used boxed cake mix and canned frosting, but you can use any cake and frosting you like! If using different recipes, you might need to alter the ratio of cake to frosting.
• Using a box cake mix and canned frosting, I made about a dozen 2 x 3.5 inch cakesicles, but the amount will vary depending on the size of your cakesicle molds, the cake recipe you use, and the method you're using for covering them in chocolate. 
• For regular chocolate and white chocolate, Ghirardelli melts work really well and have a nice flavor - with no need for temperating.  If you don’t use some type of melting or dipping chocolate,  you’ll need to temper your chocolate, which you can read about here. 
• For colored chocolate coating, I highly recommend using candy melts in the color of your choice.You can not add regular or gel food coloring to white chocolate melts or it will seize up and get grainy. You can use white melting chocolate and candy coloring, which are oil based food colors. 
• Depending on the brand of melting chocolate, you might need to thin it out a bit with vegetable shorting. The amount will vary depending on what brand and color you’re using, but start with a 1/2- 1 teaspoon per ½ cup of melting chocolate until you get the desired consistency. 
• For larger cakesicles, I recommend the spreading method rather than dipping in chocolate as the larger the cakesicles get the harder they are to stay on the posciple stick and dip.  
• The perfect dipping consistency is thick enough to coat the cakesicles but thin enough that when you shake it any drips re-incorporate back into the chocolate. You can test the consistency by dipping a spoon or knife in chocolate and seeing how the consistency works. You can read more about ideal chocolate consistency in this post.
• These will last up to a day at room temperature and up to a week in the fridge. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 372kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Sodium: 340mg | Potassium: 122mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 37g | Calcium: 54mg

Tried this Recipe? Let me know!Tag @Sophia.Assunta or #Partylicious!