Pumpkin Maple Cake Balls

    Initially made for Halloween, these cake balls, or “pops” if we’re being specific, are incredibly fun to make because it involves mashing cake and frosting with your hands which is not only exhilarating, but also calls for licking the leftovers off your fingers. These are not the cheater cake pops that use manufactured cake pop pans or makers, these are the real deal. I used lollipop sticks and dipped them in chocolate to decorate. I threw a failed attempt at decorating the pops to make them irresistibly cute, but the plan actually backfired mercilessly, so I'd suggest solid colors for those of you lacking in artistic skill like me. I used the maple cream cheese frosting from my previous post in this recipe, and I think it's safe to say that this one's a keeper!

Maple Pumpkin Cake Balls

1. Take the warm (but not hot) cake- cool for at least 20 minutes- and crumble the cake into a large bowl.

2. Top with HALF of the frosting recipe and mash together with your hands (the fun part). Once it is consistent, pick off small clumps and roll them into 1 inch balls.

3. From there, you can poke lollipop sticks in them (cake pops), dip them in chocolate, or see how fast you can eat them;). Freeze them before dipping for a good coating, and try not to eat too many! 

 

Maple Pumpkin Cake

Ingredients:

½ cup white sugar

¼ cup brown sugar

½ cup unsalted butter

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup PURE maple syrup

2 cups all purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 cup hot water

½ tsp salt

¾ cup pumpkin puree

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 13X9 pan.

2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg, vanilla, and mix in maple syrup.

3. In another bowl, sift the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda and spices) and add half of it to the butter mixture. Mix in half of the hot water and continue stirring. Beat in the pumpkin mixture, followed by the remaining halves of both the dry ingredients and the water. Mix just until the batter is consistent and pour into prepared pan.

4. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

2 eight-ounce packages cream cheese

½ cup unsalted butter

1/3 cup PURE maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

2 cups sifted confectioner’s sugar

2 teaspoons allspice (optional)

Directions

1. Cream butter and cream cheese.

2. Beat in maple syrup, followed by both extracts until combined, then gradually beat in the powdered sugar. If desired, add allspice and beat in.