I made Halloween cake pops for my daughter’s treat at their school. Cake pops are adorable with so many possible variations for any occasions. The recipe is adopted from one of my favorite bloggers, Bakerella, the Queen of cake pops, who I personally met during her book signing in New York City last year. For my Halloween cake pops I used my Vanilla Cake Recipe and Cream Cheese Frosting.

Here’s what you need: cake, frosting, candy melts, wax paper, lollipop sticks, edible pen, cellophane bags (3″x5″), ribbon. Bakerella makes it easy for us to make cake pops with this basic instructions.

What is Halloween without the costume? Here is my daughter with her Angry Bird costume which she made in ‘collaboration’ with my husband. No major expense here, just pure imagination.

Vanilla Cake

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 2/3 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 large eggs
1 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean, scraped (optional)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 13 x 9 pan, tapping out excess flour.

2. Beat butter, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl with mixer on high speed until well blended.

3. Add eggs; beat until fluffy (about 2 minutes). On low speed beat in milk and vanilla (batter may look curdled), then flour just until blended.

4. Pour in the 13 x 9 pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until a cake tester inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing from pan to rack.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
8 oz of Philly cream cheese, room temperature
2 to 3 cups of powdered sugar
1 pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Note: for cake pops, only 2 cups of sugar were added to the frosting

Directions

1. With an electric mixer, mix butter, cream cheese and salt together, about 4 minutes on medium speed until very smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure even mixing.

2. Add the vanilla extract and mix. Slowly add the powdered sugar. You may add more powdered sugar up to a cup depending on the consistency you want for the frosting.

3. Increase speed to high and beat until fluffy.