Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity to gift someone or yourself with an irresistible treat. Matcha cake pops are delicious chocolaty matcha cake bites that are so addictive you’ll want to make them for all other special occasions too, not only for the Valentine’s Day date night. If you're short on time, you can make them with a leftover cake, or a cake mix too and have your Valentine’s Day dessert ready in no time.
What are Cake Pops?
Cake Pops are small chocolate coated cake bites that owe their popularity to a decadent flavor and unique shape. Making cake pops can be easy and complicated, depending on how creative you want to be. Another great side of making cake pops is that you can eat them without a plate or a fork, which makes them perfect for gifting, special occasions, parties and romantic picnics.
What are matcha cake pops?
Matcha cake pops are cake pops made with matcha green tea. You can add matcha into the cake or the glaze, or you could even do both. Choose high quality authentic ceremonial grade matcha or an all-purpose matcha to ensure you will get a vibrant green color. Non-authentic powders may not be as vibrantly green or have the same freshness and flavor profile as real matcha. Matcha gives only a delicate flavor to cakes, so pair it with lighter, more neutral ingredients.
Which cake is best for making Cake Pops?
You can make easy cake pops even with a leftover cake or you can make your cake from a scratch and even use pre-made cake mix such as vanilla, red velvet or chocolate cake mix. Combinations really are limitless. Simple sponge cakes, condensed milk cakes or brownie cakes all make a great base for cake pop fillings.
What is the best filling for Cake Pops?
It’s the choice of filling that will give consistency and dominant flavor to your cake pops. You can use cream cheese, melted chocolate, peanut butter, chocolate spreads and frostings to bind the cake crumbs and help hold the shape. You can also add spices. If you are looking for a real treat, chocolate spreads and frostings will give you a truly scrumptious cake pop.
Tip: Crumbling cake into tiny bits will make it easier to make a perfectly round cake ball.
How to make a glaze for matcha cake pop?
To make a green matcha glaze for matcha cake pop, simply melt white chocolate over a very low heat, then sift in matcha powder and stir. Do not add water, cream or milk, as the glaze won’t set, and it will drip off. You may need to use extra chocolate to make it easier to dip the cake balls. Put them into the freezer for about 15 minutes before glazing them.
Tip: Don’t throw away the extra chocolate left after coating cake pops. Pour it into a silicone chocolate mold, put in the fridge and after a couple of hours you’ll have matcha chocolate too.
Matcha Cake Pops Recipe
Although this recipe consists of 3 steps, it’s very easy to make. If you have a favorite cake recipe, you can use it instead of the recipe below. Having so many options may seem intimidating, but that’s where all the fun is. This recipe is for one 7 inch cake tin and makes over 20 cake pops. Store them in the fridge and eat within 2-3 days.
Tip: Smaller 1 - 1 1/4 inch cake pops are easier to work with and tastier to eat.
Utensils:
- 7 inch cake pan
- Hand mixer
- Small saucepan
- Kitchen sifter
- Cake pop sticks
Tip: Special wooden cake pop sticks are usually thicker than regular wooden skewers, so there’s less of a chance your cake pops will slide off when dipping them into chocolate.
Ingredients for the cake:
- 2 eggs
- 60 grams of caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- 150 grams of all-purpose flour
- 80 grams of condensed milk
- 60 grams of butter (room temperature)
- 1/2 – 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Ingredients for the cake pops filling:
- Crumbled cake
- 300 grams of (white) chocolate spread
- 2 tablespoons of shredded coconut (optional)
Ingredients for the cake pops glaze:
- 300-400 grams (or about 10-14 oz) of white chocolate
- 2 teaspoons of matcha powder
- Sprinkles (optional)
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius.
- Mix all-purpose flour and baking soda in a bowl using a spoon.
- Add sugar and eggs into another bowl and mix with an electric hand mixer until fluffy and smooth.
- Add butter (room-temperature), butter vanilla extract and condensed mix to the eggs and sugar and continue mixing.
- Fold in all-purpose flour and baking soda.
- Spray the cake tin with a baking spray.
- Pour the dough into the tin and bake for 30 minutes.
- Let it cool down completely.
- Cut off the edges and crumble the rest of the cake into a clean bowl. Add white chocolate spread and coconut (optional) and knead it into a dough. If your cake pops are falling apart, you may need to add more chocolate spread. Use hands to mix it.
- Make small balls and put them into the freezer for 15-30 minutes. Don’t worry if they are not perfectly round, you can re-shape them once they are cold.
- Take the cake pops out of the freezer and gently insert wooden sticks, making sure they don’t pierce the top.
- Melt white chocolate over a very low heat while continuously stirring.
- Once the chocolate has melted, sift in 1 teaspoon of matcha powder and mix well.
- Dip each cake pop into melted chocolate. If the chocolate starts setting, turn on the heat and melt it again. Dip them into sprinkles.
- Let the cake pops dry in the fridge for a couple of hours.
More Valentine's Day ideas - Matcha & Ruby Chocolate Bark