Cupcake Bites

This must be one of my all-time favorite "discoveries" in terms of creative baking. I found a recipe for cupcake pops originally on Martha Stuart's website. I immediately had to make them. My first batch was for Christmas, decorated with white chocolate and red and green sprinkles. My most recent batch, which I made for my roommate Emi's birthday has been my best yet. Using Martha's recipe for Devil's food cake and chocolate frosting, it was a perfect combination. I halved the recipe and it still yields about 50 cupcake bites. If you love chocolate, this is the recipe for you. This recipe can also be made MUCH easier by using a box of any flavor cake mix and store-bought frosting!

Photo by Emi Niesi

Martha Stuart's Devil's Food Cake:
3/8 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/8 cup hot water
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp coarse salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1 1/8 cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 tbsp plus 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9"x13" pan. Whisk together hot water and cocoa until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.


Melt butter with sugar in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring to combine. Remove from heat and pour into a mixing bowl. With an electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat until the mixture is cooled, approx. 4-5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time. Add vanilla, then cocoa mixture and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low and add the flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the sour cream. Beat until just combined.


Pour the mixture into the 9"x13" pan. Unfortunately my oven at school is absolutely terrible and bakes everything in about half the time, try starting with 20 minutes. Bake until a tooth pick comes out clean.


Once the cake is cooled, you're ready to start the fun part! (Or at least what I consider the fun part, decorating!)


Things you'll need to finish the cupcake bites:
14-16oz of frosting (store bought or homemade)
1 bag Milk or dark chocolates
1 bag other color (here: lavender colored white chocolates)
A mold such as these
Decorating items (Shaved chocolate, sprinkles, M&M's...)


Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. Trim about 1/2 inch from the perimeter of the cake. Working in batches, crumble cake into the bowl of a food processor; process until fine crumbs form. Transfer to a large bowl and add frosting. For my frosting, I did half vanilla half chocolate. Using store bought frosting like Duncan Hines works perfect (I used just about 6-7oz. of each) Blend together using the back of a spoon or fork until well combined, 5 to 10 minutes.

Roll mixture into balls slightly smaller in diameter than these molds; transfer to prepared baking sheet. Cover with parchment-paper-lined aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Transfer to refrigerator until chilled, about 2 hours or to a freezer for about 10 minutes.

Rolled into balls

To see Martha's version, visit here!


For the ones you see above (much simpler, I must say):
After melting milk or dark chocolates, fill each mold about 3/4 full. Place one ball in the center and push slightly so the chocolate rises to the top of the mold. Place the mold in the freezer for about 5 minutes, they are ready when they easily pop out of the mold. While cooling, melt your other chocolate. Hold the cupcake bite by the base and dip into the other chocolate, decorate, and repeat! If you're using chocolate shavings, wait about a minute to garnish, otherwise they will melt with the warm chocolate! Place right side up on a baking sheet and place back in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.


I suggest referring to other websites full of cupcake pop tips if you've never made them before. I'm new to this blog-thing and some steps may not seem as clear


Enjoy :)