The 10 Best Cake Pop Makers
Editor's Notes
March 29, 2021:
In this update, we removed the CucinaPro Multi Baker Deluxe, Holstein Housewares Stainless Steel, and Minchsrin Silicone Mold due to availability issues.
The Health And Home Multifunction features a versatile design similar to the CucinaPro, with removable plates that can be switched out depending on what you want to make. The plate with round cavities can be used to make up to 24 cake pops at once.
The Nice Kitchen Set comes with more than just cake pop molds; it also includes several accessories that can be used to decorate, package, and display the completed desserts. This makes it a good option for those who are new to making cake pops and want to get all of the supplies they need in one place.
Many of the options on this list are designed for making cake pops from batter, but if you prefer the method where you form the spheres out of already-baked cake mixed with icing, then the Qmoeh Scoop may be the best tool for you. It comes in a set of two, one large and one small, so you can pick the size that best suits your needs. The scoop can also be used to measure out dough for cookies or make meatballs.
January 25, 2020:
The sky’s the limit when it comes to cake pop recipes, just as it is for regular cake flavors. Many of the cake pop makers on our list come with easy-to-make recipes, and there are plenty to be found online as well for varieties like vanilla, chocolate, red velvet, almond, lemon, gingerbread, and more. You'll get perfectly formed, uniform results when you use a reliable cake pop maker. Many are great for making candy, as well.
New to our list in this update is the Nordic Ware Pan, which can be filled with batter and placed in your conventional oven – which is convenient for those who want to conserve kitchen space by not adding another appliance to their collection. Just fill the bottom pan with scoops of your chosen batter, then place the other pan on top of it, lock them together with the included metal tabs, and you’re ready to bake. After approximately 16 to 18 minutes, take the pans out and allow them to call for a few minutes before removing your treats. They can be decorated with melted chocolate after they’ve sat in the fridge for a few minutes. This model can be purchased with 12 standard round wells or with fun snowman-shaped ones. It comes with a brownie bites recipe printed on the box to help get you started.
For a plug-in appliance that helps you work quickly when you want to churn out multiple batches every few minutes, look to the Babycakes Purple, which retains its top spot on our list. It’s offered in a 9- or 12-pop variety. It features nonstick baking plates, a handy power indicator light, a convenient cord wrap, and a latching handle and non-skid rubber feet for safety. A simple chocolate cake pops recipe is included, which calls for a handful of basic ingredients you likely already have on hand in your pantry.
Cake pops are a convenient treat that’s often quicker and easier to make than a regular-sized cake. Make the process even quicker by using a reliable hand mixer for your batter.
These treats are almost as fun to make as they are to eat. Since these appliances heat up significantly, always supervise little helpers closely around them as well as when placing pans into hot ovens.
An Appliance That Takes The Cake
From corn dog bites to mini muffin balls, the list is nearly endless and enterprising food bloggers are coming up with new recipes all the time.
While the idea of cake pops — sweet little cake treats on a stick — is a fun one, there’s something about the traditional way of making them that’s slightly off-putting. Not everyone wants crumbled up cake that someone has remoistened and manhandled. Fortunately, there is another way: the cake pop maker. These devices bake the dessert into the desired shape in the first place, which means you won’t have to fool around with trying to mash a crumbled-up dessert into a sphere. They’re a good choice for several other reasons, too.
For one thing, the output is consistent and takes less time overall to achieve. Instead of first baking a cake and then reforming it, you simply put the batter into the pop maker. You may need a few tries to ensure that you’re getting the perfect amount of batter in each section, but once you do, you’ll be churning them out on the double. If you happen to need a large number of the treats, perhaps for a party or baby shower, this is a boon.
Also, anyone living with oppressive summer heat would be well served by an electric cake pop maker. Instead of heating up your oven, the heat from which inevitably makes your house hotter, you use less heat and energy altogether. Since cake pops are a fun summertime backyard goodie, this will help you make it to the eating stage without becoming a sweaty mess. Plus, cleanup is a snap since most cake pop makers have non-stick surfaces.
You can use a cake pop maker to craft other yummy snacks, too. From corn dog bites to mini muffin balls, the list is nearly endless and enterprising food bloggers are coming up with new recipes all the time. You may or may not wish to put a stick in these; either way, you can create a range of mess-free finger foods to serve at slumber parties, school events, work functions, or anywhere else you want to avoid piles of dishes and disposable cutlery.
Next Level Pops
If you’ve already started making cake pops, you’ll know how versatile they are: weddings, baby showers, kids’ parties, and more are all enhanced with this snack. Maybe you’ve even created a “bouquet” of pops as a fun gift. If you haven’t tried them yet, however, we’ve got a few ideas that will get you to the finished product with less hassle and with gorgeous results. These tips should help anyone who’s struggling to create perfect Pinterest-ready pops, too.
Doing so will not only give you more control over how much batter goes into each compartment, but it will also prevent you from dripping batter around the edges of each.
The first thing you can do is use a piping bag or zipper-seal plastic bag with a corner cut off to fill the cake pop maker, instead of a spoon. Doing so will not only give you more control over how much batter goes into each compartment, but it will also prevent you from dripping batter around the edges of each. You’ll get perfectly round pops with no annoying excess at the middle.
After the pops are finished baking, cool them down in the fridge before adding the sticks. When you’re ready to insert each stick, use just a dab of melted candy coating to secure the stick inside the confection. Put the pops back into the fridge to allow this “glue” to set before you move to the decorating stage.
When you’re ready to coat your cake pops, heat your candy melts in the microwave in 30-second increments, checking between each heat zap. Candy melts liquify quickly and you don’t want them to become overheated, which will lead to a lumpy mess and not a smooth dip. Once the coating is melty and creamy, let it cool down for a few minutes. Ideally, your pops should be out of the refrigerator at this point. You will get the best results when the coating and the pops are as near in temperature as is feasible.
When you begin dipping your pops, use a smooth motion to pull them up out of the coating. Hold each one upside down for a moment or two so that the excess drips off, then tilt it to a 45-degree angle and give it a few gentle twirls to help smooth the coating out. Place them into a stand or a Styrofoam block for air drying.
A Brief History Of The Cake Pop
Although spherical cake isn’t a wildly radical idea, it wasn’t until baking blogger Angie Dudley posted her “pink cake pops” in 2008 that the cake pop was born. Bakerella, as her followers know her, had taken the concept of cake balls, then added a stick and some candy melts, all without knowing that she would soon take the dessert world by storm. Soon after her post began to garner attention, the queen of crafts herself, Martha Stewart, invited Dudley to come on her show and demonstrate making the nouveau nosh.
Perhaps, with the amount of success she’s already had, she understands that she has her cake and can eat it, too.
The rest, as they say, is history. The exciting edible captured the full attention of the food blogging sphere, and Dudley published a book (Cake Pops: Tips, Tricks, and Recipes for More Than 40 Irresistible Mini Treats) that made it all the way to The New York Times Best Seller List. Lovers of both sweets and cuteness got behind the creation in full force, with some opening businesses selling gourmet versions and some designing the cake pop makers home cooks have come to love. Suzanne Nelson, the author of a series of YA books with food-related themes, penned a work centered around the dessert called Cake Pop Crush. The treats were even sold in Starbucks.
Following the runaway success of cake pops, it’s perhaps a testament to Bakerella’s character that she doesn’t seem to harbor any bitterness to those who have dipped into the batter of her success. Although other foodies’ blogs and companies’ advertisements don’t always offer her the recognition she’s due, she seemingly has not turned litigious or tried to lock the cake pop name down as a legally protected entity. Perhaps, with the amount of success she’s already had, she understands that she has her cake and can eat it, too.