Cake pops are a delicious and convenient treat that can be enjoyed at any time. However, you may be wondering if you can freeze cake pops to enjoy later. The answer is yes! You can freeze cake pops to enjoy at a later time.
This guide will help you freeze your cake pops so you can keep any leftovers, or enjoy them as part of an ice cream sundae or on a hot summer's day!
- What is a cake pop?
- Can you freeze cake pops?
- How to prepare cake pops for the freezer
- The best container to store frozen cake pops
- How long can you freeze cake pops?
- How to defrost frozen cake pops
- Cake pop recipes to try!
What is a cake pop?
A cake pop is a ball of cake, dipped into a coating to help it retain its shape. The cake ball can be made from a mixture of shredded pre-cooked cake and frosting and shaped into a ball, or from cakes baked in small ball-shaped tins.
To coat a cake pop you can use melted chocolate or a special candy coating. Once the cake pop coating is dry, you can then decorate it however you like. Like a lollipop, cake pops typically come on a popsicle stick, hence the name ‘cake pop’.
Cake pops are usually made with pre-cooked cake, shredded into pieces and reformed into a ball. Some recipes will use frosting or melted chocolate to bind together the cake mix.
You can also use special cake pop cake tins to bake cakes in round balls, specifically for use in cake pops. These tins even have holes for popsicle sticks so you can use them as moulds for the decorating stage.
Who invented cake pops?
Cake pops were invented in 2008 by the baking blogger Angie Dudley aka 'Bakerella'. Angie first posted the recipe for cake pops on her site as 'cakesicles'. They later became known as cake pops after her recipe for cupcake-shaped cake pops went viral and the name stuck.
Cake pops are now more often known in their round form, but you can make them in many different shapes like their original recipe. I even have recipes for cat-shaped cake pops and these super cute pink heart crispy cake pops!
Can you freeze cake pops?
Yes!
They’re so delicious that it’s rare to have any leftovers. But if you have a lot to make and want to get organised, freezing them can be a good way to get ahead.
Please note that the remainder of this post is referring to cake pops make with cake and not alternative pops like my pink heart crispy cake pops.
How to prepare cake pops for the freezer
You can store your cake pops by putting them into a sandwich bag or lunchbox and placing them in the freezer.
However, they’re often prone to cracking and losing some of their decorations. Cake pops coated with chocolate are more likely to crack than candy-coated cake pops. Though whatever coating you use, decorated cake pops are still more fragile than plain cake pops. So, I always find it best to store cake pops undecorated.
If your cake pops are decorated, you should try to store them in flat layers in an air-tight container, between sheets of baking paper. This will help keep them from sticking together and help protect the decorations.
You could even go one step further and wrap each cake pop in cling film to protect them from freezer burn and to protect the decoration from damage. This is definitely the best way to store your decorated cake pops if you’re making them ahead of time for an event.
The best container to store frozen cake pops
As I said above, if you want to keep your cake pops as neat looking as possible, it’s best to store them in an airtight container between sheets of baking paper.
Or if you’re just keeping leftover cake pops to snack on and you don’t mind them looking a little scruffy, then you can freeze them in sandwich bags. Though if you freeze them in sandwich bags they will probably stick together, so bear that in mind.
Whichever container you use, it’s important to make sure that it is airtight, otherwise, freezer burn might develop on your cake pops.
Freezer burn is the frosty layer that sometimes appears on frozen food. It’s caused by a process similar to evaporation, except it’s due to the cold temperature, rather than superheated water.
As food freezes, water is drawn into the air, where it freezes in mid-air and forms freezer burn. Using an airtight container to reduce the amount of air around the food lessens the chance of freezer burn forming.
How long can you freeze cake pops?
You can keep cake pops in the freezer for up to 6 months. However, the longer you keep them, the more the quality declines over time.
If your cake pops are candy/chocolate coated, they're more likely to crack because of changes in water content.
You can also freeze uncoated cake pops. Uncoated cake pops will keep much better in the freezer as they don’t have a coating to crack. Much like coated cake pops, uncoated cake pops will keep for up to 6 months in the freezer.
How to defrost frozen cake pops
The best way to defrost your cake pops is to transfer them from the freezer into the fridge. Cake pops are typically pretty small, so they should only take a couple of hours to defrost.
To speed the defrosting process up it's best to lay your cake pops out in a flat layer on a covered plate.
If you’re defrosting decorated cake pops there’s a chance that any sort of food colouring will run as the cake pops thaw, especially if they have freezer burn.
Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do to prevent defrosted cake pops from looking scruffy, so it’s always best to make them fresh for a special event.
Now that you know how to freeze cake pops, you can enjoy them any time of year! Just be sure to follow the steps in this guide to ensure that your cake pops stay fresh and delicious. And remember, if you have any leftover cake pops, you can always share them with your friends and family!
Cake pop recipes to try!
How to freeze more foods...
For more tips on freezing food to reduce waste, check out my other how to freeze food articles.
If you have any more questions feel free to drop me a message or let me know in the comments below!
Happy cooking!
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