Ingredients
Scale
- 1 box (15.25 oz) white or red velvet cake mix (plus ingredients listed on the box)
- 1/2 cup vanilla frosting
- 24 oz pink or pale flesh-toned candy melts
- 1 tube red decorating food gel or edible red luster dust mixed with vodka
- 24 lollipop sticks
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil or paramount crystals (for thinning candy melts)
- Styrofoam block or cake pop stand
Instructions
- Bake the cake according to the package instructions using a 9×13 inch pan. Once the cake finishes baking, remove it from the oven and let it cool completely. It is helpful to trim off any browned edges or “crust” so your cake pop centers remain soft and brightly colored.
- Crumble the cooled cake into a large bowl using your hands or a fork until it looks like fine crumbs. Add the vanilla frosting one tablespoon at a time. Mix until the cake crumbs hold together like dough when squeezed. Do not add too much frosting, or the cake pops will be too heavy and fall off the sticks.
- Scoop about one tablespoon of the cake mixture and roll it into an oval shape. Use a toothpick or the back of a knife to press a shallow indentation down the center of the oval to create two “hemispheres” of the brain. Place these on a parchment-lined baking sheet and chill in the freezer for 15 minutes to firm up.
- Melt the candy melts in the microwave in 30-second intervals until smooth, adding coconut oil to reach a fluid consistency. Dip the tip of a lollipop stick into the melted candy and insert it into the bottom of a chilled cake brain. Then, dip the entire brain into the candy melts to coat. Once the base coat sets, fill a piping bag with the remaining melted candy. Pipe squiggly, wiggly lines over each hemisphere to create the “cerebral cortex” texture.
- Once the piped brain lines have completely hardened, take your red food gel or edible red paint. Use a small food-safe brush to lightly dab red “blood” into the center crevice and around the base of the brain. For a more gruesome look, you can splatter the red gel randomly across the pops. Let them dry completely before serving.
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes