I don’t know who it was that decided that apples and caramel would make a good pair, but they deserve a shrine in their memory. Since I was a kid, I have loved caramel apples, as well as any dessert that pairs caramel and apples. I had been entertaining the idea of trying to make caramel apple cake pops for a while, but I just never got around to it. I finally gave it a go, and wound up getting requests for the recipe. So, here it is!
Since I never liked the idea of mushing cake and frosting together and feeding that to people, I use cake pop pans for my cake pops. The Telebrands Bake Pop pans that I use have long since been discontinued, but I have also used the Nordic Ware cake pop pans with great results.
Caramel Apple Cake Pops
Ingredients
- 1 cup of all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- a pinch of salt
- 5 tbsp butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1/2 cup store bought apple butter
- 1 cup of peeled, grated apple (I used 3 small Honey Crisp apples)
- 16oz caramel-flavored candy melting wafers
Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease your cake pop molds and set aside. Sift your dry ingredients and set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the egg, and beat until just combined. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the apple butter, and then the grated apple. At this point, the mixture may start to look curdled. This is fine.
Add the sifted dry ingredients and mix until they are just combined with the wet ingredients. Divide the batter equally among the cavities of your cake pop pan. Bake according to the instructions provided by the cake pop pan’s manufacturer. For my model of pan, it takes about 20 minutes. If using a Nordic Ware sized cake pop pan, check the pops after 15 minutes. They are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
When baking is complete, allow the cake balls to cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before removing to cool completely.
When the cake balls are cooled, melt the caramel candy coating using your preferred method (I use a melting pot). Using a lollipop stick, poke a small hole on top of each cake ball. Dip the stick in the melted candy coating, then stick the dipped end of the lollipop stick into the hole that you created in the cake pop. Repeat for the remaining cake balls. Transfer to the freezer for 10-15 minutes.
After the cake balls are set, dip each cake ball in the melted candy coating. Lift the cake pop out of the coating and gently shake off the excess. Set on a cake pop stand or styrofoam block to dry. Store the caramel apple cake pops in an airtight container or individually wrapped.
Makes about 24 caramel apple cake pops (if using a cake pop pan)