Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Pops

To make the chocolate cake:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 6-inch x 2-inch round or 8-inch round cake pan, and set it aside.
2. Transfer the dry ingredients to a large bowl and create a well in the center. Add the oil, eggs, and water, mixing to combine well after each addition.
3. Transfer the cake batter to the prepared cake pan.
4. Place the cake pan in the center of the preheated oven. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean, or with a few moist crumbs attached (about 35 minutes for a 6-inch cake; about 28 minutes for an 8-inch cake).
5. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the cake to sit in the pan for at least 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or a large bowl with a handheld mixer, place the butter. Beat on medium speed until creamy (about 30 seconds).
2. Add 1 1/4 cups (143 g) of confectioners’ sugar, the salt, vanilla, and 1 teaspoonful of milk. Beat on medium speed until well-combined (about 1 minute).
3. Beat in more confectioners’ sugar until the consistency is thick but not stiff. Turn up the mixer speed to high and beat for about 5 minutes or until light and fluffy.

To make the cake balls:

1. Line a small rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Make sure the baking sheet is small enough that it can fit in your freezer.
2. In a large bowl, crumble the baked and cooled cake (chocolate, vanilla, or a combination) between your fingers until it’s all crumbs. Make sure to press the firmer edges of the cake into crumbs using your thumb and forefinger.
3. Add frosting to the crumbs slowly, using just enough frosting to keep the cake moistened enough to hold together in a ball. Try starting with 2 tablespoons of frosting per 6-inch cake.
4. Press the cake together with the frosting with the back of a spoon until the mixture is smooth. Add more frosting as necessary just to fully moisten all the cake crumbs.
5. Scoop the cake ball mixture into portions about 1 1/2 tablespoons in volume. A #50 spring-loaded ice cream scoop works really well.
6. In between clean palms, press and roll each portion of the mixture into balls about 1 inch in diameter. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet.
7. Place the cake balls in the freezer for at least 30 minutes, or in the refrigerator up to a few hours. They must be very cold and feel solid.
8. Once the cake balls come out of the refrigerator, you will want to work quickly, since you’ll want to work with each of them while it’s very cold.

To prepare the lollipop sticks:

1. Place a clean sheet of parchment paper on your work surface. Stick the end of each of the lollipop sticks about 1/2-inch deep into the melted chocolate mixture, then place on the parchment paper.
2. Allow the chocolate on the sticks to rest until it’s set (no longer glistening wet). You can place the coated sticks in the freezer for a few minutes to speed the setting process.

To finish the cake pops:

1. Melt the first 5 ounces of chocolate by placing it in a deep but narrow microwave-safe bowl, microwaving it on high for 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between until smooth. Once it’s removed from the heat, add the coconut oil and mix until smooth and shiny.
2. Remove only a few cake balls from the freezer at a time. Insert the chocolate-dipped end of each stick halfway into each cake ball.
3. Holding the other end of the stick, dip the cake ball straight down into the melted chocolate mixture until the cake is completely submerged.
4. Move the cake ball forward in the chocolate in a motion the shape of a “U,” ending up and out of the chocolate. This is to ensure that the whole pop is coated completely.
5. Tap the neck of the stick right below the cake ball very, very gently on the side of the bowl with the melted chocolate to remove the excess chocolate.
6. Dip the still-wet chocolate in gf nonpareils, if using.
7. Stick the bottom of each prepared but wet cake pop into a block of styrofoam or in a cardboard box with small holes cut in it. Allow to sit at cool room temperature until the chocolate is set.
8. Store at room temperature. The chocolate forms a protective layer that remains solid at room temperature and keeps the cake pop relatively fresh for quite a while.