• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Magical Treats at Home

  • About
  • Treats
  • Drinks
  • Savory
  • Favorite Tools
  • Etsy Shop

cake pop

Thanksgiving Recipe Round Up

November 23, 2021 by Elana Lepkowski Leave a Comment

Hello everyone and welcome back to Magical Treats at Home! It’s been almost a year since we’ve been able to bring you some theme park inspired treats, and well, you’ll still need to sit tight for a new one but we’ll squeeze one in before year-end. Promise! Until then, THANK YOU for visiting, and THANK YOU for making these treats!

Now let’s look check out some Thanksgiving Day (or week!) treats to make!

Pecan Pie Crispy Treat // magicaltreatsathome.com

Pecan Pie Crispy Treat

Layered Pumpkin Cheesecakes

Layered Pumpkin Cheesecakes

Pumpkin Spice Cake Pops

Pumpkin Spice Cake Pops

MIckey Mouse Pumpkin Spice Beignets // magicaltreatsathome.com

Mickey Mouse Pumpkin Spice Beignets

Mickey Mouse Celebration Whoopie Pies // magicaltreatsathome.com

Mickey Mouse Celebration Whoopie Pies

Mickey Mouse Pumpkin Cookie // magicaltreatsathome.com

Mickey Mouse Pumpkin Cookie

Peanut Butter Blondie for peanut butter lovers // magicaltreatsathome.com

Peanut Butter Blondies

Mickey Mouse Gingerbread Man // magicaltreatsathome.com

Mickey Mouse Gingerbread Man

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X

Like this:

Like Loading...

Filed Under: Recipes, Treats Tagged With: beignet, cake pop, character treat, cookies, crispy treat, disneyland, Mickey Mouse, peanut butter, Pumpkin, pumpkin spice, Thanksgiving, treat

Twice Upon a Cupcake

December 23, 2020 by Elana Lepkowski Leave a Comment

Christmas Tree Cupcakes // magicaltreatsathome.com

Where can I find the original treat?

  • This holiday treat was found at the Main Street Bakery inside the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World.

During the holidays your baking is allowed to be… extra. And today we’ve got an “extra” cupcake. As in, there is a cupcake sitting on top of another cupcake. See? Extra.

Christmas Tree Cupcakes // magicaltreatsathome.com

Actually, there is a cupcake sitting on top of a cupcake with a hidden Mickey cake ball inside. Sooooo extra. And let’s be real. This is fun to make, but there’s a lot of components. You can definitely make just some of these parts, but if you’re missing Disney treats on Main Street this holiday season, then this is a fun project.

Christmas Tree Cupcakes // magicaltreatsathome.com

The recipe below is broken down into three components: cake balls, confetti tree cupcakes, and the surrounding base for the cupcake. These can be done simultaneously, or broken up into steps over days depending on how much time you have. I’m also noting that usually, I make the red velvet cake balls with cream cheese icing, but I found that regular American buttercream works better here (it doesn’t “weep” like the cream cheese does when molding and freezing).

Christmas Tree Cupcakes // magicaltreatsathome.com

The only thing I deviated from in the original treat was the sugar light bulbs. For a home baker, I thought going through this step would feel like overkill. Instead I piped out buttercream lights, refrigerated them, and used for the lights. Then, my 6 year old looked at the trees and asked “why didn’t I just use M&Ms?”, and honestly, I would have just done that had I thought of it. So, I’m recommending that for convenience here as well.

Kids can help in all parts of the baking and decorating stages here. My kids mostly liked adding the M&Ms to their half trees (in the picture below I piped some frosting onto an extra confetti “tree” cupcake and let them decorate and eat that part).

Christmas Tree Cupcakes // magicaltreatsathome.com
You can also make a single tree cupcake too!

Now, the hidden Mickey part of these is probably the hardest of these cupcakes. And what is the secret to getting a hidden Mickey every time you make a cut? Simple! You actually create a ring, or halo, over the ball in the center. Then no matter where you make the cut to reveal the hidden Mickey, you’ll get one! They are tricky though, and as you can see, mine were prone to separate when baking. My suggestion is that you really seal the ball and the ring together. I had placed mine just on top, and the cake batter pushed the ring up a bit. You could also pin them together with toothpicks and take the toothpicks out when done baking (and PLEASE remember to do that as I do not want you to harm your mouth eating treats!).

Christmas Tree Cupcakes // magicaltreatsathome.com

Anyway you decided to make these, whether the full cupcakes, just the trees, or without the hidden Mickey centers, these are a delightful treat to have this holiday week.

Happy baking, happy holidays, and I’ll see you all in the New Year!

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
Christmas Tree Cupcakes // magicaltreatsathome.com

Twice Upon a Cupcake

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews
  • Author: Elana Lepkowski
  • Yield: 4–6 Twice Upon a Cupcake cupcakes 1x
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Description

A decadent holiday cupcake has TWO hidden treats inside that are revealed when you cut through the cupcake. Did you find the hidden Mickey? A Walt Disney World inspired treat.


Ingredients

Scale

For the Buttercream and decorations:

  • 1 pound powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 cup butter, room temperature
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 1 tablespoon cream
  • green food coloring (I used Americolor Leaf green)
  • Optional food coloring if making buttercream light decorations: red, yellow, blue
  • Red, yellow, and blue M&Ms for lights

For the red velvet hidden Mickey center:

Adapted from Dessert for Two

  • 95 g (3/4 cup) flour
  • 4 teaspoons cocoa powder, unsweetened
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil or neutral oil
  • 2 tablespoons warm water
  • 1/2 cup (99 g) granulated sugar
  • scant 1/4 cup (57 g) Greek yogurt
  • 1 egg
  • Red food coloring (see notes below for type and amounts)
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla

For the Cupcakes (and Sprinkle Funfetti Tree Cupcakes):

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1–1/2 cups (180 g) all purpose flour
  • 1–1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup green and red sprinkles

Specialty Tools:

  • Tall baking cups
  • popover pan
  • piping bags
  • closed star tip (Ateco #847 used here)

Instructions

For the buttercream:

  1. First, make sure your powdered sugar is lump free. Sift if needed.
  2. Then, beat the butter and salt together for a minute until light and fluffy.
  3. Pour in the powdered sugar and slowly mix until they start to combine about 30 seconds. Then turn up the speed to high and beat together until mixture starts to become fluffy in texture.
  4. Add in the vanilla and cream, and beat on high an additional minute or two until desired texture is reached. If dry, add in an additional teaspoon of cream. Set aside covered with a damp, not wet, towel.

For the red velvet hidden Mickey center:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°f and grease and flour a 6″ round cake pan.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the oil, warm water, granulated sugar, Greek yogurt, egg, red food coloring, and vanilla.
  4. Add in the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
  5. Pour into prepared baking pan and bake 20-25 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
  6. Let cool in the pan 5 minutes, turn out the cake onto a cooling rack, and let completely cool at least one hour.
  7. Then crumble the cake into pea sized crumbs and place in a mixing bowl.
  8. Add to the crumbs about 1/4 cup of the buttercream frosting. Mix well until combined.
  9. Next, roll out 4-6 small round balls, these will be the heads. Set aside on a parchment lined baking sheet.
  10. With the remaining cake pop dough, roll out thin snakes (you can use plastic wrap to help roll out the snakes). Form the snakes into rings and place on the balls. You can use toothpicks to hold in place. Press firmly to help seal the two together. Place in freezer until ready to use.

For the cupcakes:

  1. Set the oven to 350°f. Set out tall cupcake holders (you will not need a cupcake tray for the freestanding molds). Then, using tin foil, shape out a conical mold for the tree tops. (You can use a popover pan to hold the molds in place, or place the tin foil mold in a tall baking cup). Make sure there are no gaps or holes or your batter will leak. Optionally, you can also cook off some funfetti cupcakes in regular molds, freeze, and then cut to shape.
    Christmas Tree Cupcakes // magicaltreatsathome.com
  2. In a mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
  3. Next, beat in eggs one at a time until incorporated. Then add in vanilla and 1/4 cup of the milk.
  4. Mix in flour, baking powder, and salt, and then the rest of the milk. Set aside.
  5. Remove red velvet cake pops from freezer and place into freestanding baking molds. Spoon batter over cake pops until about 2/3 of mold is filled. Place in oven for 25-28 minutes.
  6. Next, add sprinkles to remaining batter and mix to combine. Do not over mix.
  7. Pour sprinkle batter into conical molds, and place in oven for 22-26 minutes. Both cupcakes can bake in the oven at the same time, but keep separate timers.
  8. When finished baking, let cool to room temperature. Funfetti cupcakes can be kept in the freezer for 30 minutes to firm up if they need to be cut to shape.

Decorating:

  1. If piping lights, remove about a half cup of frosting. Divide into three bowls and color one bowl red, another yellow, and lastly blue. Then transfer to small piping bags with a round tip. Pipe out circles onto a parchment lined baking sheet and refrigerate at least an hour to firm up.
    Christmas Tree Cupcakes // magicaltreatsathome.com
  2. If not piping lights and using M&Ms instead, remove about 1/2 cup of frosting into a plain tipped piping bag and pipe a circle on top of the base cupcakes. Place the funfetti trees on top of that. Then proceed to coloring all the remaining frosting green by adding 2-3 drops of gel food coloring into the frosting bowl. Mix well to fully incorporate the color and then transfer all of the frosting to a piping bag fitted with an closed star tip (I used Ateco #847).
    Christmas Tree Cupcakes // magicaltreatsathome.com
  3. Pipe out closed stars for the trees all over the funfetti cakes.
    Christmas Tree Cupcakes // magicaltreatsathome.com
  4. Next, if using buttercream lights, remove those from the fridge and place immediately onto the green frosting. If you using M&Ms, place those on the frosting. Repeat until all cupcakes are decorated.
  5. Enjoy!

Notes

  • If cocoa powder is lumpy, sift before using.
  • If you are using grocery store food coloring, you will need about 1-1/2 teaspoons of red food coloring to get the cake a nice bright red. If you were using a gel paste from like Americolor, you will need about a quarter teaspoon or two big squirts from the bottle.
    Mickey Mouse Red Velvet Cake Pop // magicaltreatsathome.com
  • Cake crumbs should be small and no larger than a pea.
  • Cake balls should not be too wet or too dry to hold their shape properly. If too wet, add more cake crumbles. If too dry, add more frosting a small bit at a time.
  • M&Ms candies can be used instead of piping buttercream lights.
  • To prevent cake pop from moving inside the cupcake when baking, use toothpicks to hold together in place. REMEMBER TO REMOVE THE TOOTHPICKS BEFORE DECORATING.
  • Cupcakes will keep up to 4 days refrigerated in an airtight container. Let come to room temperature before eating.
  • Extra buttercream can be kept in an airtight container up to a week, or frozen up to 3 months.
  • Extra cake batter can be baked off for regular cupcakes. Reduce bake time by 2-3 minutes.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @magicaltreatsathome on Instagram and hashtag it #magicaltreatsathome

Christmas Tree Cupcakes // magicaltreatsathome.com

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X

Like this:

Like Loading...

Filed Under: Recipes, Treats Tagged With: buttercream frosting, cake ball, cake pop, Christmas, christmastimetreats, cupcakes, hidden Mickey, holiday, Magic Kingdom, Main Street Bakery, red velvet, sprinkles, treat, vanilla, WDW

Jack Skellington Cake Pops

May 16, 2020 by Elana Lepkowski Leave a Comment

Jack Skellington Cake Pops // magicaltreatsathome.com

Where can I find the original treat?

  • This seasonal treat was found throughout the Disneyland Resort.

First, yes, I know it is May, however when Disney announced they were going to hold a special “Halfway to Halloween” event yesterday (Friday May 15th), and I just happened to have a batch of undecorated white chocolate coated cake pops in the fridge, instead of my original idea (which I’ll withhold for now since I’m still going to do it at another date) I pivoted to a batch of Jack Skellington cake pops instead. They are super easy to decorate. So let’s talk about that and make some!

Jack Skellington Cake Pops // magicaltreatsathome.com

The original Disneyland treat last year was a vanilla cake pop, which makes sense, since if you make a darker colored cake, which I did with chocolate, you will more than likely have to double coat these depending on how opaque your melted chocolate is. So, I’ve linked to our standard Disneyland cake pop recipes in the recipe below and you can choose the flavor you’d like best.

Jack Skellington Cake Pops // magicaltreatsathome.com

For decorating, I colored semisweet chocolate with some chocolate, oil based, food coloring in black. If you can get your hands on black candy melts I’d suggest that for one less step. Also, remember, never use water based (like gel) food coloring with chocolate. Water and chocolate don’t mix! It will make your chocolate seize up when you melt it.

Jack Skellington Cake Pops // magicaltreatsathome.com

One tip when decorating Jack’s face is to cut the smallest tip off your piping bag that you can get away with. It will make the line work on his smile all the easier if you have a fine line to control. If you want to use a tip with your bag, I’d go with Wilton’s #1 or #2 tip.

Jack Skellington Cake Pops // magicaltreatsathome.com

And that’s it! These look great and are really very easy to decorate. Whip up a batch to celebrate #Halfway2Halloween right now, or pin this recipe to welcome the actual Halloween season the first week of September.

Jack Skellington Cake Pops // magicaltreatsathome.com
Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
Jack Skellington Cake Pops // magicaltreatsathome.com

Jack Skellington Cake Pops

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews
  • Author: Elana Lepkowski
  • Yield: 8–10 Jack Skellington Cake Pops 1x
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Description

Get spooky with these easy to decorate Jack Skellington white chocolate coated cake pops! A Disneyland-inspired treat.


Ingredients

Scale

For the cake pops:

  • 8–10 cake balls (find our recipe here for the Disneyland-inspired vanilla, chocolate, and red velvet cake pops)
  • 1 cup white chocolate discs (like Merckens) or white candy melts
  • 1/4 cup black candy melts OR 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate discs + 3-4 drops oil based food coloring for chocolate in black

Specialty Tools:

  • lollipop sticks
  • cake pop drying rack

Instructions

  1. First, make your cake balls for the cake pops. I chose the chocolate flavor for this recipe.
  2. Push a lollipop stick halfway into each cake ball. Set aside into a cake pop stand, or make holes in the bottom of a shoe box and stick the cake pops in there.
  3. Refrigerate at least one hour to firm up, or up to two days.
    Jack Skellington Cake Pops // magicaltreatsathome.com
  4. Next, melt the white chocolate. You can do this one of several ways:
    1. Melt in a candy pot until smooth (Wilton makes this one for their candy melts I use for dipping projects like this). This can take up to 20 minutes to get fully smooth candy melts. Follow the directions for your particular pot!
    2. Melt in the microwave in a microwave safe bowl, like glass, for 30 seconds. Stir and microwave again for an additional 30 seconds. Keep stirring and microwaving in short bursts of 15-20 seconds until melted and smooth.
    3. Melt in a double boiler on the stove. In a medium saucepan, bring about an inch of water to a simmer. Place a glass bowl on top and add candy melts. Stir until melted and smooth.
  5. Make sure the cake pops have come to room temperature. If they’re too cold, the chocolate will seize up and harden too soon.
  6. Next, dip each cake pop into the white chocolate, tapping each stick against the bowl to pop any air bubbles and to remove all the excess chocolate. If your white chocolate is not opaque enough, dip all the cake pops a second time after you have finished the first round. Stick them back into the stand or box holder.
    Jack Skellington Cake Pops // magicaltreatsathome.com
  7. Let the cake pops firm up slightly again and melt the black candy melts (or chocolate with 3-4 drops of the food coloring) to finish decorating the cake pops. To melt, microwave inside a microwave safe bowl, like glass, for 30 seconds. Stir and microwave again for an additional 30 seconds. Keep stirring and microwaving in short bursts of 15-20 seconds until melted and smooth. You can alternatively use a double boiler for melting or melt candy melts in a piping bag, kneading the candy melts between microwaving.
  8. If not melting directly in a piping bag, transfer melted candy melts into a piping bag and cut a small amount of the tip off to decorate. See notes below on tip sizing if using a piping tip.
  9. Draw on Jack’s face with the piping bag on each cake pop. Start with the eyes making a small circle and moving outward until the eyes are large. Then make to small lines for the nose at angles, and then draw on a thin line for the smile and perpendicular lines for his mouth. Set aside and let firm up at least a half hour, or refrigerate until ready to eat.

Notes

  • Cake balls should not be too wet or too dry to hold their shape properly. If too wet, add more cake crumbles. If too dry, add more frosting a small bit at a time.
  • I like to dry the cake crumbles out a bit before mixing with the frosting, and then letting that mixture sit overnight in the fridge to set up. This ensures a more solid cake pop when dipping.
  • Boxed cake and canned frosting will also work for the cake pops if you don’t want to make them from scratch. Just follow the amounts for the crumbled cake and amount of frosting on those recipe pages listed above.
  • Cake balls can be made in advance and frozen in a single layer on a sheet pan. Then move the frozen balls to a freezer safe container until ready to use. You can keep cake balls in the freezer up to 6 months.
  • If cake balls are slipping off the sticks, dip lollipop stick tip in the melted chocolate and insert into cake ball. Refrigerate a few minutes to set.
  • Pure white chocolate, as opposed to candy melts, will have a thinner texture and may show dark spots after one dip due to its translucent nature. The first dip will also ensure that your marshmallows will adhere and not slide off into the chocolate on the second dip. If your kitchen is particularly warm, stick in the fridge for 10 minutes to harden slightly before second dip.
  • White chocolate can get too hot very easily. If the white chocolate looks like it is seizing on your spoon when you have dipped in the chocolate and let it drip off, it is too hot. Keep stirring the white chocolate to cool it down. It will be the right consistency to dip the cake pops in when it drips smoothly off your spoon. This can take anywhere sometimes from 20 to 30 minutes to melt, and then cool down to the right consistency.
  • If your white chocolate or candy melts is still very clumpy and thick, add a 1/4 teaspoon of coconut oil into it and continue mixing. This should thin out your mixture and get a smoother consistency.
  • If you want to use a tip with your bag for decorating Jack’s face, use Wilton’s #1 or #2 tip.
  • Save any extra white chocolate to reuse for another treat within a week. Let chocolate harden and then seal in an airtight container.
  • Cake pops will last up to one week in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @magicaltreatsathome on Instagram and hashtag it #magicaltreatsathome

Jack Skellington Cake Pops // magicaltreatsathome.com

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X

Like this:

Like Loading...

Filed Under: Recipes, Treats Tagged With: cake, cake ball, cake pop, cake pops, candy melts, chocolate, disneyland, fall-halloween, Halfway to Halloween, Jack Skellington, Nightmare Before Christmas, This is Halloween, treat, white chocolate

Bunny Butt Easter Cake Pop

April 9, 2020 by Elana Lepkowski 2 Comments

Bunny Butt Cake Pops // magicaltreatsathome.com

Where can I find the original treat?

  • This seasonal treat can be found all over the Disneyland resort.

On one of our last visits to the park we were lucky enough to catch the appearance of all the Easter/spring treats hitting the bakery shelves. Out of all the adorable items, the bunny cake pops were definitely a favorite (for both the kids and the adults). So we’re making up a batch today for our Easter festivities this week!

These bunny butt cake pops are the standard chocolate cake pops found at Disneyland, with two marshmallows for the feet, and a bit of marshmallow for the tail. It’s dipped in white chocolate, and then gets pink candy melts for decoration.

Bunny Butt Cake Pops // magicaltreatsathome.com

After a bit of trial and error, we found the best and most efficient way to put these together, and that require a double dip in the white chocolate. We used baking white chocolate instead of white candy melts here and to get a nice, solid, opaque coating, dipping twice is essential. Dipping twice is also how we firmly adhere the marshmallows on so they stay in place to fully cover the cake pop.

Please check out the notes below for our tips working with white chocolate for coating. Especially if you’re having trouble with the white chocolate “breaking” when you dip in your cake pops.

Bunny Butt Cake Pops // magicaltreatsathome.com

Kids can help through many of the steps here. Adult supervision is required for melting the chocolate, and for using the oven, but otherwise kids can mix, bake, dip, and decorate this cute Disneyland-inspired Easter treat!

Bunny Butt Cake Pops // magicaltreatsathome.com

Ok, let’s make some bunnies! And remember to hop back over here this week for another cute Disneyland-inspired Easter treat!

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
Bunny Butt Cake Pops // magicaltreatsathome.com

Bunny Butt Easter Cake Pop

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews
  • Author: Elana Lepkowski
  • Yield: 5 Bunny Butt Cake Pops 1x
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Description

These cute bunny cake pops are filled with chocolate cake, and adorned with marshmallow feet and tail, all covered with white chocolate and pink candy melts. A Disneyland-inspired treat.


Ingredients

Scale

For the cake pops:

  • 2 cups crumbled chocolate cake, lightly packed (or check out our post on making Mickey cake pops for cake recipes including chocolate, vanilla, and red velvet)
  • 1/4 cup cream cheese frosting

For the decoration:

  • 2–1/2 cups white chocolate
  • 6 large marshmallows
  • 2 tablespoons pink candy melts

Special tools:

  • circle cutter
  • lollipop sticks

Instructions

For the cake pops:

  1. Combine the cake crumbles and cream cheese together until smooth and no white streaks remain (either with a mixer, or by hand).
  2. Form into a 1/2″, 5″x5″ block (I use half of a loaf pan to help keep the shape), and let sit, refrigerated, overnight or for at least 6 hours. This helps the cake pops keep their shape. You could alternatively let these sit in the freezer as well for an hour or two depending on how cold your freezer is. Do not let them freeze.
  3. After the form has rested, using a 1-1/2″ circle cutter, cut 5 circles out of the block. Any extra cake can be combined to form new shapes, or can be formed into balls and frozen for later use.
  4. Insert lollipop sticks and set aside.
    Bunny Butt Cake Pops // magicaltreatsathome.com

For the decoration:

  1. First, cut the 5 marshmallows in half (I found kitchen shears were the best tool for this job). Set these aside for the feet. Then take the 6th marshmallow and cut or rip sections off to form the tails. Set aside.
  2. Next, melt the white chocolate. You can do this one of several ways:
    1. Melt in a candy pot until smooth (Wilton makes this one for their candy melts I use for dipping projects like this). This can take up to 20 minutes to get fully smooth chocolate or candy melts (see notes below about melting white chocolate). Follow the directions for your particular pot!
    2. Melt in the microwave in a microwave safe bowl, like glass, for 30 seconds. Stir and microwave again for an additional 30 seconds. Keep stirring and microwaving in short bursts of 15-20 seconds until melted and smooth.
    3. Melt in a double boiler on the stove. In a medium saucepan, bring about an inch of water to a simmer. Place a glass bowl on top and add candy melts. Stir until melted and smooth.
  3. Make sure the cake pops have come to room temperature. If they’re too cold, the chocolate will seize up and harden too soon.
  4. Next, dip each cake pop into the white chocolate, tapping each stick against the bowl to pop any air bubbles and to remove all the excess chocolate. Place on a parchment lined sheet pan and place the marshmallow feet and tail on the cake pop, pressing lightly to help adhere. Repeat with the rest of the cake pops and then let them firm up a little before doing the second dip.
  5. Once the cake pops have firmed up slightly, dip the whole cake pop a second time, again, tapping it against the side of the bowl to pop any air bubbles and to remove excess chocolate. Place back on the parchment and repeat with the rest of the cake pops.
  6. Let the cake pops firm up slightly again and melt the pink candy melts to finish decorating the cake pops. To melt the pink candy melts, microwave inside a microwave safe bowl, like glass, for 30 seconds. Stir and microwave again for an additional 30 seconds. Keep stirring and microwaving in short bursts of 15-20 seconds until melted and smooth. You can alternatively use a double boiler for melting or melt candy melts in a piping bag, kneading the candy melts between microwaving.
  7. If not melting directly in a piping bag, transfer melted candy melts into a piping bag and cut a small amount of the tip off to decorate.
  8. Draw on the feet with the piping bag on each cake pop. Set aside and let firm up at least a half hour, or refrigerate until ready to eat.

Notes

  • Cake balls should not be too wet or too dry to hold their shape properly. If too wet, add more cake crumbles. If too dry, add more frosting a small bit at a time.
  • I like to dry the cake crumbles out a bit before mixing with the frosting, and then letting that mixture sit overnight in the fridge to set up. This ensures a more solid cake pop when dipping.
  • Boxed cake and canned frosting will also work for the cake pops if you don’t want to make them from scratch. Just follow the amounts for the crumbled cake and amount of frosting on those recipe pages listed above.
  • If cake balls are slipping off the sticks, dip lollipop stick tip in the melted chocolate and insert into cake ball. Refrigerate a few minutes to set.
  • Pure white chocolate, as opposed to candy melts, will have a thinner texture and may show dark spots after one dip due to its translucent nature. The first dip will also ensure that your marshmallows will adhere and not slide off into the chocolate on the second dip. If your kitchen is particularly warm, stick in the fridge for 10 minutes to harden slightly before second dip.
  • White chocolate can get too hot very easily. If the white chocolate looks like it is seizing on your spoon when you have dipped in the chocolate and let it drip off, it is too hot. Keep stirring the white chocolate to cool it down. It will be the right consistency to dip the cake pops in when it drips smoothly off your spoon. This can take anywhere sometimes from 20 to 30 minutes to melt, and then cool down to the right consistency.
  • If your white chocolate or candy melts is still very clumpy and thick, add a 1/4 teaspoon of coconut oil into it and continue mixing. This should thin out your mixture and get a smoother consistency.
  • Save any extra white chocolate to reuse for another treat within a week. Let chocolate harden and then seal in an airtight container.
  • Cake pops will last up to one week in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @magicaltreatsathome on Instagram and hashtag it #magicaltreatsathome

Bunny Butt Cake Pops // magicaltreatsathome.com

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X

Like this:

Like Loading...

Filed Under: Recipes, Treats Tagged With: bunny, cake, cake pop, chocolate, disneyland, Easter, marshmallow, treat, white chocolate

Mike Wazowski Cake Balls

March 21, 2020 by Elana Lepkowski Leave a Comment

Disney Inspired: Mike Wazowski Cake Balls // magicaltreatsathome.com
  • These were inspired by Disney Family and the Monsters, Inc. movie.

While bunkered down here at the house I discovered a bag of frozen cake balls I had made from a project months ago. To say I was happy does not quite convey the sheer joy this ziplock bag brought me today. Not only would I have a fun project to make, but I also got to eat some cake, and that’s a good day.

Disney Inspired: Mike Wazowski Cake Balls // magicaltreatsathome.com

Days ago I had caught a post from the Disney Family Instagram where they had Studio DIY making a Monsters, Inc. family movie theme night with crafts and food projects. The food project was cupcakes with Mike Wazowski cake balls on top. Now, while one might say putting cake on top of cake is like a hat on a hat, I would say, NO YOU’RE WRONG IT’S ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA TO PUT MORE CAKE ON TOP OF CAKE.

Disney Inspired: Mike Wazowski Cake Balls // magicaltreatsathome.com

However, since we are in a bit of a food shortage, and I already had the pre-made cake balls, today I decided to skip the cupcake part and just make Mike. And a cake ball seems like the perfect vehicle to create that green, one-eyed monster.

I’m linking to my cake pop recipe below that covers the vanilla, chocolate, and red velvet cake pops found in Disneyland. (And if you want to make a pumpkin spice version, we’ve got that too!) As this is more of a tutorial post, I wanted to keep it short with just the decorating tips. You can always use box cake too and canned frosting if that’s what you got on hand!

Disney Inspired: Mike Wazowski Cake Balls // magicaltreatsathome.com

Other than melting the candy melts, kids can definitely be hands on here. Let them decorate the eye balls, dip the cake balls, and draw on mouths. If you’re in the homeschooling boat unexpectedly right now, you can call this art, science, and a team building workshop all rolled in one. At least that’s what I called it.

Disney Inspired: Mike Wazowski Cake Balls // magicaltreatsathome.com

If you’re baking at home right now and you make one of our recipes from here, please tag us so we can check out what you’ve made! It’s been SO awesome to see your projects.

Ok, let’s draw some eye balls!

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
Disney Inspired: Mike Wazowski Cake Balls // magicaltreatsathome.com

Mike Wazowski Cake Balls

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews
  • Author: Elana Lepkowski
  • Yield: 8–10 Mike Wazowski Cake Balls 1x
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Description

Turn your cake balls (or cake pops) into the lovable Mike Wazowski from Monsters, Inc. with just a few ingredients! A sweet Disney Family and Studio DIY inspired recipe.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 8–10 cake balls (find our recipe here for the Disneyland-inspired vanilla, chocolate, and red velvet cake pops)
  • 8–10 white chocolate discs (like Merckens)
  • edible ink markers
  • 1 cup green candy melts
  • 1/2 cup yellow candy melts

Specialty Tools:

  • chocolate forks
  • toothpicks

Instructions

  1. First, draw eyes on the white chocolate discs using the edible ink markers. Set aside.
    Disney Inspired: Mike Wazowski Cake Balls // magicaltreatsathome.com
  2. Next, melt the green and yellow candy melts together. You can do this one of several ways:
    1. Melt in a candy pot until smooth (Wilton makes this one for their candy melts I use for dipping projects like this). This can take up to 20 minutes to get fully smooth candy melts. Follow the directions for your particular pot!
    2. Melt in the microwave in a microwave safe bowl, like glass, for 30 seconds. Stir and microwave again for an additional 30 seconds. Keep stirring and microwaving in short bursts of 15-20 seconds until melted and smooth.
    3. Melt in a double boiler on the stove. In a medium saucepan, bring about an inch of water to a simmer. Place a glass bowl on top and add candy melts. Stir until melted and smooth.
      Disney Inspired: Mike Wazowski Cake Balls // magicaltreatsathome.com
  3. Place your cake ball in the candy melts and toss with a spoon to coat.
  4. Lift out with a candy fork or large serving fork, tapping any excess candy melts off and gently scraping off any hanging bits.
  5. Place on a piece of parchment and immediately press one of the “eyes” onto the cake ball. Gently hold in place about 5 seconds.
  6. Repeat with remaining cake balls.
  7. Place the cake balls in the refrigerator to set about 15 minutes.
  8. Once hard, use a black edible ink marker to draw on smiles, frowns, or whatever face you’d like to give Mike. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Boxed cake and canned frosting will also work for the cake balls if you don’t want to make from scratch. Just follow the amounts for the crumbled cake and amount of frosting on those recipe pages listed above.
  • The amount of candy melts here will fully cover at least 10 golf ball sized cake balls. You can always add more candy melts in to the mix if you need to cover more cake balls.
  • Extra candy melts that are free from food bits can be left to cool and harden, and then stored in an airtight container. You can re-melt and use again at a future date.
  • If you want to make these into cake pops, follow the instruction for the cake pop recipe listed in the ingredient section above.
  • Cake balls will last up to one week in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @magicaltreatsathome on Instagram and hashtag it #magicaltreatsathome

Disney Inspired: Mike Wazowski Cake Balls // magicaltreatsathome.com

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X

Like this:

Like Loading...

Filed Under: Recipes, Treats Tagged With: cake, cake pop, candy melts, character treat, chocolate, Monsters Inc, treat, white chocolate

Mickey Mouse Cake Pops: Chocolate, Vanilla, and Red Velvet

February 8, 2020 by Elana Lepkowski Leave a Comment

Mickey Mouse Cake Pops: chocolate, vanilla, and red velvet // magicaltreatsathome.com

Where can I find the original treat?

  • This treat can be found all over the Disneyland Resort.
Mickey Mouse Cake Pops: chocolate, vanilla, and red velvet // magicaltreatsathome.com

CAKE POPS!!! Is the answer I get when I ask my kids what they’d like for a treat lately while visiting Disneyland. And that is also what we’re making this week: cake pops. But why stop there? We’re making ALL THREE varieties of the oversized Mickey Mouse Cake Pops!

I noticed these cake pops last year and loved how they were heftier than the normal cake pops. And the marshmallow ears were a fun touch! Also, I will eat any and all Mickey Mouse shaped food.

Mickey Mouse Cake Pops: chocolate, vanilla, and red velvet // magicaltreatsathome.com

Now, because this post would just be super long to include the recipes for all three cake pop varieties currently found at the parks, and that would be chocolate, vanilla, and red velvet, I’ve separated out each recipe as a stand alone recipe page. And so, each image below links out to the corresponding cake pop. To be efficient, after all your cakes are made, you can assembly line adding the marshmallow ears, and then the chocolate dipping.

This yields more than our usual small batch recipes, so if you’re looking for some party food, or need something for Valentine’s Day next week, this would definitely be a hit. They also freeze well if you just want to keep them on hand for cake pop emergencies.

Mickey Mouse Cake Pops: chocolate, vanilla, and red velvet // magicaltreatsathome.com

Let your young bakers help cut out shapes, dip chocolate, and decorate the cake pops. If you want your ears to be more precise, you might want to take over that part, or let older bakers help.

Make one, two, or all varieties! You’ll love this sweet treat!

Mickey Mouse Chocolate Cake Pop // magicaltreatsathome.com

Chocolate Mickey Mouse Cake Pops

Mickey Mouse Vanilla Cake Pop // magicaltreatsathome.com

Vanilla Mickey Mouse Cake Pops

Mickey Mouse Red Velvet Cake Pop // magicaltreatsathome.com

Red Velvet Mickey Mouse Cake Pops

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X

Like this:

Like Loading...

Filed Under: Recipes, Treats Tagged With: cake, cake pop, character treat, chocolate, Mickey Mouse, red velvet, treat, vanilla

Mickey Mouse Chocolate Cake Pops

February 8, 2020 by Elana Lepkowski 1 Comment

Mickey Mouse Chocolate Cake Pop // magicaltreatsathome.com

Where can I find the original treat?

  • This treat can be found throughout the Disneyland resort.
Mickey Mouse Chocolate Cake Pop // magicaltreatsathome.com

These Mickey Mouse Chocolate Cake Pops are part of the three variety series. See the intro post here!

Mickey Mouse Chocolate Cake Pop // magicaltreatsathome.com

Let your young bakers help cut out shapes, dip chocolate, and decorate the cake pops. If you want your ears to be more precise, you might want to take over that part, or let older bakers help.

Mickey Mouse Chocolate Cake Pop // magicaltreatsathome.com
Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
Mickey Mouse Chocolate Cake Pop // magicaltreatsathome.com

Mickey Mouse Chocolate Cake Pops

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews
  • Author: Elana Lepkowski
  • Yield: 8 1″, or 4 2″ Mickey Mouse Chocolate Cake Pops 1x
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Description

Chocolate Mickey Mouse shaped cake pops have hidden marshmallow ears, covered with semisweet chocolate, and drizzled with blue candy melts for a fun treat! A Disneyland-inspired recipe.


Ingredients

Scale

For the chocolate cake pops:

  • 4 cups loosely packed chocolate cake crumbs (either from cake cuttings or from recipe below)
  • 1/4–1/3 cup cream cheese frosting (store bought or homemade)
  • 1/2 ounce white candy melts
  • 16 mini marshmallows, or 4 regular sized marshmallows cut in half
  • 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, divided
  • 1 ounce royal blue candy melts

For the chocolate cake:
(This makes one single layer 6″ cake and is adapted from this recipe. If you’d like more cake pops, or don’t want to measure by grams, make the original two 6″ cake layers and save one layer for another use.)

  • 45 g all purpose flour
  • 75 g granulated sugar
  • 14 g cocoa powder, unsweetened
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg
  • 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon melted refined coconut oil
  • 3 tablespoons warm water
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Special Tools:

  • 1″  or 2″ round cutter
  • lollipop sticks

Instructions

For the cake:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°f and grease and flour a 6″ round cake pan.
  2. Combine the dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer.
  3. Next, mix in the egg, Greek yogurt, coconut oil, warm water, and vanilla extract about 1 minute.
  4. Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake on center rack 26-28 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
  5. Let cool in the pan 5 minutes, turn out the cake onto a cooling rack, and let completely cool at least one hour.
  6. Cake can be wrapped until ready to use, or crumbled for the cake pops. Crumbs should be small and no larger than a pea.
    Mickey Mouse Cake Pops: chocolate, vanilla, and red velvet // magicaltreatsathome.com

For the cake pops:

  1. Combine the cake crumbs and frosting in a stand mixer until fully combined. Mixture should stay together when pressed in your hand.
  2. Next, line a loaf pan with parchment and press mixture firmly into about 1/2 to 2/3 of the pan. You want a solid brick to be able to cut out shapes later.
  3. Refrigerate the pan 1-2 hours, or 30 minutes in freezer.
  4. Next, using either a 1″ or 2″ round cookie cutter, cut out the shapes and set aside. This mix yields 8 1″ and 4 2″ circles. You can recombine scraps to cut out more shapes if you’d like, or roll into balls for classic shaped cake pops.
  5. Insert lollipop sticks into each circle.
  6. To attach marshmallows, melt the white chocolate in the microwave inside a microwave safe bowl, like glass, for 30 seconds. Stir and microwave again for an additional 30 seconds. Keep stirring and microwaving in short bursts of 15-20 seconds until melted and smooth. Place a small dollop at the 10 and 2 marks on the circle (like a clock), and immediately place the marshmallow circle facing outwards. Set to dry by placing in the fridge 20-30 minutes. You want to keep your cake pops firm before dipping into chocolate.
    Mickey Mouse Cake Pops: chocolate, vanilla, and red velvet // magicaltreatsathome.com
  7. Next, temper the chocolate. In a microwave safe bowl, add 2/3 of the chocolate. Microwave for 30 seconds, stir, microwave for another 30 seconds. Stir again and microwave in short bursts of 15-20 seconds until chocolate has uniformly melted and has reached between 114° – 118°F. Then add in some of the remaining chocolate, stir to completely melt and then add more (I did three batches). Continue to stir the chocolate until it has cooled to 88° – 89°F. The chocolate is now tempered and ready to use. (Alternatively, you can heat in a double boiler on the stove.)
  8. Remove the cake pops from the refrigerator for 5 minutes before dipping.
  9. Then either dip directly into the chocolate, or use a ladle or spoon to pour the chocolate over the cake pops. Gently tap the lollipop stick to remove any air bubbles and get off any excess chocolate, scraping the back side on the side of the bowl as well. Set aside on a sheet of parchment and repeat until all the cake pops have been covered.
  10. Finally, melt the blue candy melts in the microwave inside a microwave safe bowl, like glass, for 30 seconds. Stir and microwave again for an additional 30 seconds. Keep stirring and microwaving in short bursts of 15-20 seconds until melted and smooth. Transfer to a piping bag (or directly melt in a heat proof piping bag). Cut a small amount off the tip of the bag and make zig-zagging lines across the face of the cake pop. Let set at least 15 minutes and enjoy!

Notes

  • If cocoa powder is lumpy, sift before using.
  • Cake crumbs should be small and no larger than a pea.
  • To be efficient, after all your cakes are made in this series, you can assembly line adding the marshmallow ears, and then the chocolate dipping.
  • Cake balls should not be too wet or too dry to hold their shape properly. If too wet, add more cake crumbles. If too dry, add more frosting a small bit at a time.
  • You can use a combination semisweet/bittersweet at 75/25% for a less sweeter chocolate coating.
  • If cake balls are slipping off the sticks, dip lollipop stick tip in the melted chocolate and insert into cake ball. Refrigerate a few minutes to set.
  • If you do not pop the air bubbles, then moisture from the cake will seep out as the chocolate dries. If this happens, gently wipe away anything that has seeped out, and coat a second time in the melted chocolate. You can also store freshly baked cake a day or two in the refrigerator, wrapped in plastic wrap, to dry it out a bit before crumbling.

Tempering Chocolate tips:

  • Tempering chocolate creates a glossy sheen and a crisp snap
  • Using short bursts of time makes controlling the temperature easier
  • Keep all moisture and liquids away from the chocolate while tempering
  • Use an instant read candy thermometer with a clip (we like this one)
  • If chocolate starts to cool, microwave for 5-10 seconds
  • If you do not have a candy thermometer, read this article on tempering without one: https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-temper-chocolate-without-a-thermometer-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-196475
  • And if you don’t have the time to temper your chocolate, just melt and dip and eat!

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @magicaltreatsathome on Instagram and hashtag it #magicaltreatsathome

Mickey Mouse Cake Pops: chocolate, vanilla, and red velvet // magicaltreatsathome.com

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X

Like this:

Like Loading...

Filed Under: Recipes, Treats Tagged With: cake, cake pop, character treat, chocolate, Mickey Mouse, treat

Mickey Mouse Vanilla Cake Pops

February 8, 2020 by Elana Lepkowski 1 Comment

Mickey Mouse Vanilla Cake Pop // magicaltreatsathome.com

Where can I find the original treat?

  • This treat can be found throughout the Disneyland resort.
Mickey Mouse Vanilla Cake Pop // magicaltreatsathome.com

These Mickey Mouse Vanilla Cake Pops are part of the three variety series. See the intro post here!

Mickey Mouse Vanilla Cake Pop // magicaltreatsathome.com

Let your young bakers help cut out shapes, dip chocolate, and decorate the cake pops. If you want your ears to be more precise, you might want to take over that part, or let older bakers help.

Mickey Mouse Vanilla Cake Pop // magicaltreatsathome.com
Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
Mickey Mouse Vanilla Cake Pop // magicaltreatsathome.com

Mickey Mouse Vanilla Cake Pops

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews
  • Author: Elana Lepkowski
  • Yield: 8 1″, or 4 2″ Mickey Mouse Chocolate Cake Pops 1x
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Description

Vanilla Mickey Mouse shaped cake pops have hidden marshmallow ears, covered with semisweet chocolate, and drizzled with yellow candy melts for a fun treat! A Disneyland-inspired recipe.


Ingredients

Scale

For the vanilla cake pops:

  • 4 cups loosely packed vanilla cake crumbs (either from cake cuttings or from recipe below)
  • 1/4–1/3 cup vanilla frosting (store bought or homemade)
  • 1/2 ounce white candy melts
  • 16 mini marshmallows, or 4 regular sized marshmallows cut in half
  • 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, divided
  • 1 ounce yellow candy melts

Vanilla cake:
Recipe adapted from Dessert for Two

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 6 tablespoons whole milk or milk alternative (I used almond milk)
  • 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Special Tools:

  • 1″  or 2″ round cutter
  • lollipop sticks

Instructions

For the vanilla cake:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°f and grease and flour a 6″ round cake pan.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar, 1-2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl.
  3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
  4. To the creamed butter and sugar, mix in the egg and vanilla. Mix well 15 seconds.
  5. Then add half of the dry ingredients to the wet, stir to barely combine, add half the milk and all the vinegar, stir again. Then add in the remaining dry ingredients, and then the rest of the milk.
  6. Pour into the prepared cake pan, and bake on the center rack for 35-37 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
  7. Let cool in the pan 5 minutes, turn out the cake onto a cooling rack, and let completely cool at least one hour.
  8. Cake can be wrapped until ready to use, or crumbled for the cake pops. Crumbs should be small and no larger than a pea.
    Mickey Mouse Cake Pops: chocolate, vanilla, and red velvet // magicaltreatsathome.com

For the cake pops:

  1. Combine the cake crumbs and frosting in a stand mixer until fully combined. Mixture should stay together when pressed in your hand.
  2. Next, line a loaf pan with parchment and press mixture firmly into about 1/2 to 2/3 of the pan. You want a solid brick to be able to cut out shapes later.
  3. Refrigerate the pan 1-2 hours, or 30 minutes in freezer.
  4. Next, using either a 1″ or 2″ round cookie cutter, cut out the shapes and set aside. This mix yields 8 1″ and 4 2″ circles. You can recombine scraps to cut out more shapes if you’d like, or roll into balls for classic shaped cake pops.
  5. Insert lollipop sticks into each circle.
  6. To attach marshmallows, melt the white chocolate in the microwave inside a microwave safe bowl, like glass, for 30 seconds. Stir and microwave again for an additional 30 seconds. Keep stirring and microwaving in short bursts of 15-20 seconds until melted and smooth. Place a small dollop at the 10 and 2 marks on the circle (like a clock), and immediately place the marshmallow circle facing outwards. Set to dry by placing in the fridge 20-30 minutes. You want to keep your cake pops firm before dipping into chocolate.
    Mickey Mouse Cake Pops: chocolate, vanilla, and red velvet // magicaltreatsathome.com
  7. Next, temper the chocolate. In a microwave safe bowl, add 2/3 of the chocolate. Microwave for 30 seconds, stir, microwave for another 30 seconds. Stir again and microwave in short bursts of 15-20 seconds until chocolate has uniformly melted and has reached between 114° – 118°F. Then add in some of the remaining chocolate, stir to completely melt and then add more (I did three batches). Continue to stir the chocolate until it has cooled to 88° – 89°F. The chocolate is now tempered and ready to use. (Alternatively, you can heat in a double boiler on the stove.)
  8. Remove the cake pops from the refrigerator for 5 minutes before dipping.
  9. Then either dip directly into the chocolate, or use a ladle or spoon to pour the chocolate over the cake pops. Gently tap the lollipop stick to remove any air bubbles and get off any excess chocolate, scraping the back side on the side of the bowl as well. Set aside on a sheet of parchment and repeat until all the cake pops have been covered.
  10. Finally, melt the yellow candy melts in the microwave inside a microwave safe bowl, like glass, for 30 seconds. Stir and microwave again for an additional 30 seconds. Keep stirring and microwaving in short bursts of 15-20 seconds until melted and smooth. Transfer to a piping bag (or directly melt in a heat proof piping bag). Cut a small amount off the tip of the bag and make zig-zagging lines across the face of the cake pop. Let set at least 15 minutes and enjoy!

Notes

  • Cake crumbs should be small and no larger than a pea.
  • To be efficient, after all your cakes are made in this series, you can assembly line adding the marshmallow ears, and then the chocolate dipping.
  • Cake balls should not be too wet or too dry to hold their shape properly. If too wet, add more cake crumbles. If too dry, add more frosting a small bit at a time.
  • You can use a combination semisweet/bittersweet at 75/25% for a less sweeter chocolate coating.
  • If cake balls are slipping off the sticks, dip lollipop stick tip in the melted chocolate and insert into cake ball. Refrigerate a few minutes to set.
  • If you do not pop the air bubbles, then moisture from the cake will seep out as the chocolate dries. If this happens, gently wipe away anything that has seeped out, and coat a second time in the melted chocolate. You can also store freshly baked cake a day or two in the refrigerator, wrapped in plastic wrap, to dry it out a bit before crumbling.

Tempering Chocolate tips:

  • Tempering chocolate creates a glossy sheen and a crisp snap
  • Using short bursts of time makes controlling the temperature easier
  • Keep all moisture and liquids away from the chocolate while tempering
  • Use an instant read candy thermometer with a clip (we like this one)
  • If chocolate starts to cool, microwave for 5-10 seconds
  • If you do not have a candy thermometer, read this article on tempering without one: https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-temper-chocolate-without-a-thermometer-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-196475
  • And if you don’t have the time to temper your chocolate, just melt and dip and eat!

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @magicaltreatsathome on Instagram and hashtag it #magicaltreatsathome

Mickey Mouse Cake Pops: chocolate, vanilla, and red velvet // magicaltreatsathome.com

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X

Like this:

Like Loading...

Filed Under: Recipes, Treats Tagged With: cake, cake pop, candy melts, character treat, Mickey Mouse, treat, vanilla

Mickey Mouse Red Velvet Cake Pops

February 8, 2020 by Elana Lepkowski Leave a Comment

Mickey Mouse Red Velvet Cake Pop // magicaltreatsathome.com

Where can I find the original treat?

  • This treat can be found throughout the Disneyland resort.
Mickey Mouse Red Velvet Cake Pop // magicaltreatsathome.com

These Mickey Mouse Red Velvet Cake Pops are part of the three variety series. See the intro post here!

Mickey Mouse Red Velvet Cake Pop // magicaltreatsathome.com

Let your young bakers help cut out shapes, dip chocolate, and decorate the cake pops. If you want your ears to be more precise, you might want to take over that part, or let older bakers help.

Mickey Mouse Red Velvet Cake Pop // magicaltreatsathome.com
Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
Mickey Mouse Red Velvet Cake Pop // magicaltreatsathome.com

Mickey Mouse Red Velvet Cake Pops

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews
  • Author: Elana Lepkowski
  • Yield: 8 1″, or 4 2″ Mickey Mouse Chocolate Cake Pops 1x
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Description

Red Velvet Mickey Mouse shaped cake pops have hidden marshmallow ears, covered with semisweet chocolate, and drizzled with red candy melts for a fun treat! A Disneyland-inspired recipe.


Ingredients

Scale

For the chocolate cake pops:

  • 4 cups loosely packed chocolate cake crumbs (either from cake cuttings or from recipe below)
  • 1/4–1/3 cup cream cheese frosting (store bought or homemade)
  • 1/2 ounce white candy melts
  • 16 mini marshmallows, or 4 regular sized marshmallows cut in half
  • 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, divided
  • 1 ounce red candy melts

For the red velvet cake:
Adapted from Dessert for Two

  • 95 g (3/4 cup) flour
  • 4 teaspoons cocoa powder, unsweetened
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil or neutral oil
  • 2 tablespoons warm water
  • 1/2 cup (99 g) granulated sugar
  • scant 1/4 cup (57 g) Greek yogurt
  • 1 egg
  • Red food coloring (see notes below for type and amounts)
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla

Special Tools:

  • 1″  or 2″ round cutter
  • lollipop sticks

Instructions

For the cake:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°f and grease and flour a 6″ round cake pan.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the oil, warm water, granulated sugar, Greek yogurt, egg, red food coloring, and vanilla.
  4. Add in the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
  5. Pour into prepared baking pan and bake 20-25 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
  6. Let cool in the pan 5 minutes, turn out the cake onto a cooling rack, and let completely cool at least one hour.
  7. Cake can be wrapped until ready to use, or crumbled for the cake pops. Crumbs should be small and no larger than a pea.
    Mickey Mouse Chocolate, Vanilla, and Red Velvet Cake Pop // magicaltreatsathome.com

For the cake pops:

  1. Combine the cake crumbs and frosting in a stand mixer until fully combined. Mixture should stay together when pressed in your hand.
  2. Next, line a loaf pan with parchment and press mixture firmly into about 1/2 to 2/3 of the pan. You want a solid brick to be able to cut out shapes later.
  3. Refrigerate the pan 1-2 hours, or 30 minutes in freezer.
  4. Next, using either a 1″ or 2″ round cookie cutter, cut out the shapes and set aside. This mix yields 8 1″ and 4 2″ circles. You can recombine scraps to cut out more shapes if you’d like, or roll into balls for classic shaped cake pops.
  5. Insert lollipop sticks into each circle.
  6. To attach marshmallows, melt the white chocolate in the microwave inside a microwave safe bowl, like glass, for 30 seconds. Stir and microwave again for an additional 30 seconds. Keep stirring and microwaving in short bursts of 15-20 seconds until melted and smooth. Place a small dollop at the 10 and 2 marks on the circle (like a clock), and immediately place the marshmallow circle facing outwards. Set to dry by placing in the fridge 20-30 minutes. You want to keep your cake pops firm before dipping into chocolate.
    Mickey Mouse Cake Pops: chocolate, vanilla, and red velvet // magicaltreatsathome.com
  7. Next, temper the chocolate. In a microwave safe bowl, add 2/3 of the chocolate. Microwave for 30 seconds, stir, microwave for another 30 seconds. Stir again and microwave in short bursts of 15-20 seconds until chocolate has uniformly melted and has reached between 114° – 118°F. Then add in some of the remaining chocolate, stir to completely melt and then add more (I did three batches). Continue to stir the chocolate until it has cooled to 88° – 89°F. The chocolate is now tempered and ready to use. (Alternatively, you can heat in a double boiler on the stove.)
  8. Remove the cake pops from the refrigerator for 5 minutes before dipping.
  9. Then either dip directly into the chocolate, or use a ladle or spoon to pour the chocolate over the cake pops. Gently tap the lollipop stick to remove any air bubbles and get off any excess chocolate, scraping the back side on the side of the bowl as well. Set aside on a sheet of parchment and repeat until all the cake pops have been covered.
  10. Finally, melt the red candy melts in the microwave inside a microwave safe bowl, like glass, for 30 seconds. Stir and microwave again for an additional 30 seconds. Keep stirring and microwaving in short bursts of 15-20 seconds until melted and smooth. Transfer to a piping bag (or directly melt in a heat proof piping bag). Cut a small amount off the tip of the bag and make zig-zagging lines across the face of the cake pop. Let set at least 15 minutes and enjoy!

Notes

  • If cocoa powder is lumpy, sift before using.
  • If you are using grocery store food coloring, you will need about 1-1/2 teaspoons of red food coloring to get the cake a nice bright red. If you were using a gel paste from like Americolor, you will need about a quarter teaspoon or two big squirts from the bottle.
    Mickey Mouse Red Velvet Cake Pop // magicaltreatsathome.com
  • Cake crumbs should be small and no larger than a pea.
  • To be efficient, after all your cakes are made in this series, you can assembly line adding the marshmallow ears, and then the chocolate dipping.
  • Cake balls should not be too wet or too dry to hold their shape properly. If too wet, add more cake crumbles. If too dry, add more frosting a small bit at a time.
  • You can use a combination semisweet/bittersweet at 75/25% for a less sweeter chocolate coating.
  • If cake balls are slipping off the sticks, dip lollipop stick tip in the melted chocolate and insert into cake ball. Refrigerate a few minutes to set.
  • If you do not pop the air bubbles, then moisture from the cake will seep out as the chocolate dries. If this happens, gently wipe away anything that has seeped out, and coat a second time in the melted chocolate. You can also store freshly baked cake a day or two in the refrigerator, wrapped in plastic wrap, to dry it out a bit before crumbling.

Tempering Chocolate tips:

  • Tempering chocolate creates a glossy sheen and a crisp snap
  • Using short bursts of time makes controlling the temperature easier
  • Keep all moisture and liquids away from the chocolate while tempering
  • Use an instant read candy thermometer with a clip (we like this one)
  • If chocolate starts to cool, microwave for 5-10 seconds
  • If you do not have a candy thermometer, read this article on tempering without one: https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-temper-chocolate-without-a-thermometer-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-196475
  • And if you don’t have the time to temper your chocolate, just melt and dip and eat!

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @magicaltreatsathome on Instagram and hashtag it #magicaltreatsathome

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X

Like this:

Like Loading...

Filed Under: Recipes, Treats Tagged With: cake, cake pop, candy melts, character treat, disneyland, Mickey Mouse, red velvet, treat

Pumpkin Cake Pops

November 4, 2019 by Elana Lepkowski 1 Comment

Pumpkin Spice Cake Pops // magicaltreatsathome.com

Where can I find the original treat?

  • These treats can be found all over the Disneyland resort.

Santa was out riding around Disneyland on Halloween, which was kinda weird, what with jack-o-lanterns still hung up everywhere. It’s that narrow time frame of transition at the parks where everyone is itching for Christmas, but we still had to get through Halloween first. And now that trick or treating is behind us, I’m still here for the pumpkins. That’s why this week’s treat recipe is Pumpkin Cake Pops!

Pumpkin Spice Cake Pops // magicaltreatsathome.com

These pumpkin spice, pumpkin shaped cake pops have a wonderful punch of baking spices that will have you longing for a piece of pumpkin pie. They’re coated with orange and green chocolate, and a caramel stem, and the bakers did a great job of adding in a hint of molding so that these cake pops really do resemble little pumpkins. And now you get to have them at home too!

Pumpkin Spice Cake Pops // magicaltreatsathome.com

Cake pops are one of those treats that look easy to make, but actually require a little finesse to get it right, but don’t let that stop you! I’ve got some tips and tricks in the notes section below the recipe to help you out. These cake pops can be made all from scratch, a combo of pre-made items, or all store bought! The recipe I use from scratch makes for a moist cake that holds its shape well after forming a ball, and has a balanced amount of spices with real pumpkin in the mix. I use a cream cheese frosting that is super creamy and makes a great “glue” here. You can also choose to color white chocolate, or use pre-colored candy melts too.

Now, while all kids can definitely help roll the cake into balls and attach to the sticks, older kids might be better suited to coating the chocolate, as there is some technique involved there. However, you know your own kids, and if it comes down to it, you can just throw all the cake balls into the chocolate and have cake bon bons instead of pops. And then everyone can help decorate. That actually sounds pretty fun.

Pumpkin Spice Cake Pops // magicaltreatsathome.com

So let’s enjoy pumpkin season while it lasts, because we might not make it to Thanksgiving when all the peppermint treats that are about to drop at Disneyland. Have a magical day everyone!

Pumpkin Spice Cake Pops // magicaltreatsathome.com
Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
Pumpkin Spice Cake Pops // magicaltreatsathome.com

Pumpkin Cake Pops

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews
  • Author: Elana Lepkowski
  • Yield: 7 cake pops 1x
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Description

Moist, perfectly spiced pumpkin cake pops are coated in orange and green chocolate to resemble tiny pumpkins. A Disneyland-inspired treat.


Ingredients

Scale

For the cake balls:

  • 2 cups (~210 g) loosely packed crumbled pumpkin spice cake crumbs
  • 1/4 cup (32 g) cream cheese frosting
  • ***Both recipes can be found here if making from scratch (recipe makes more than you’ll need here. see notes below about freezing extra components)

For the decoration:

  • 6–1/2 ounces (3/4 cup) orange candy melts
  • 1–1/2 ounces red candy melts
  • 1/2 ounce (~1 tablespoon) green candy melts
  • 1/2 ounce (~1 tablespoon) dark cocoa candy melts OR 2 caramel squares

Special Tools:

  • 1 ounce disher
  • lollipop sticks
  • pastry bags
  • cake pop holder OR shoe box base for drying cake pops
  • scribe

Instructions

For the cake balls:

  • If baking from scratch, follow directions for cake, cool completely and crumble half for recipe. Eat or freeze the rest of the recipe for another time.
  • If making frosting from scratch, make and set 1/4 cup aside. Use or freeze the rest for another recipe.
  • Combine cake crumbles and frosting in the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment until fully incorporated. You can also mix well in a bowl with a rubber spatula. If too wet, add more cake crumbles. If too dry, add more frosting a small bit at a time.
  • Using a 1 ounce disher, scoop out cake mixture and form a tight ball. Push a lollipop stick halfway into the ball. Set aside in the cake pop stand, or make holes in the bottom of a shoe box and stick the cake pops in there. Repeat until all the mixture is gone.
  • Refrigerate at least one hour to firm up, or up to two days.

For the decoration:

  • Take out the cake pops and let warm up slightly at least 10 minutes.
  • Melt the orange and red candy melts in the microwave inside a microwave safe bowl, like glass, for 30 seconds. Stir and microwave again for an additional 30 seconds. Keep stirring and microwaving in short bursts of 15-20 seconds until melted and smooth. Use can alternatively use a double boiler for melting.
  • Next, holding the cake ball over the melted chocolate, use a spoon to ladle the chocolate over it, turning and pouring to get an even coat. Tap gently so excess chocolate drips off and air bubbles get released. Use a scribe to pop any bubbles that do not break.
  • Set them back in the cake pop holder and continue until all of the cake pops are coated.
  • Next, melt green and dark cocoa chocolates using the same method from above.
  • Transfer the green and dark cocoa candy melts to separate piping bags and cut a small tip off each bag.
  • Use the green to decorate green vines on each cake pop.
  • Then use the dark cocoa to pipe small stems on each pop. If making the caramel stems (similar in style to the cake pops found at Disneyland), melt caramel squares in the microwave in short bursts at half power until soft but not melted. Cool slightly and take small chunks of the caramel out with a toothpick and attach to the top of the cake pops, using wet fingers to mold the caramel into a stem.
  • Refrigerate at least an hour to set. Then enjoy!

Notes

  • Cake balls should not be too wet or too dry to hold their shape properly. If too wet, add more cake crumbles. If too dry, add more frosting a small bit at a time.
  • If cake balls are slipping off the sticks, dip lollipop stick tip in the melted chocolate and insert into cake ball. Refrigerate a few minutes to set.
  • If you do not pop the air bubbles, then moisture from the cake will seep out as the chocolate dries. If this happens, gently wipe away anything that has seeped out, and coat a second time in the melted chocolate.
  • Don’t let the green or chocolate candy melts get too hot or they will run when trying to pipe out decorations. Allow to cool a bit after melting for more set lines.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @magicaltreatsathome on Instagram and hashtag it #magicaltreatsathome

Pumpkin Spice Cake Pops // magicaltreatsathome.com

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X

Like this:

Like Loading...

Filed Under: Recipes, Treats Tagged With: cake, cake pop, chocolate, disneyland, fall, fall-halloween, Pumpkin, pumpkin spice, treat

Primary Sidebar

Follow Us

  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Email
  • YouTube

Hi! My name is Elana, and that’s me shoving a Mickey Mouse shaped treat in my face. I love the treats at Disneyland. A lot. So much so I’ve dedicated an entire website to making all my favorites, and hopefully yours too, out of my home kitchen. My aim is to create Disneyland-inspired treats, with easy to follow directions, and many recipes geared towards getting the kids in the kitchen to help too! Because putting sprinkles on things is F-U-N.

Top With Sprinkles

Get Recipes in Your Inbox!

* indicates required

Look for this icon in posts to find Kid Friendly recipes!

Recent Posts

  • Matterhorn Macaroon
  • Caramel Gingerbread Cookie Sandwiches
  • Colorful Fruit Hand Pies
  • Classic Mickey Shaped Beignets
  • Carrot Cake Cookies

Archives

  • February 2023
  • December 2022
  • August 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019

Copyright © 2025 Magical Treats at Home on the Foodie Pro Theme

%d