Pumpkin spice cake pops

Recently, I feel like every blog post is starting out with me saying how busy I am. Which is 1) true, and 2) only going to get more truer as this semester goes on. These blog posts are coming a week after I bake the goods, rather than a day or two after, but I am still determined to keep up with them. The time is there - I just have to find it. Welcome to grad school!

The trend of the fall pumpkin flavors continue. At this point, I've baked pumpkin into a variety of different types of baked good - cupcakes, pie (in cupcake form), cookies, and tarts, but there is always more! This week's form: cake pops!

I love my Babycakes Cake Pop Maker and definitely prefer it over the usual method of crumbling the cake and mixing it with frosting. Oftentimes, I find those kind of cake pops to be too sweet - you have frosting inside and outside of the cake pop! Using a cake pop maker (or a cake pop oven mold, like this one I also have) lets you avoid this by baking the pops in spherical form. The cake pop maker is even better because the pops are done in 4 minutes. That sounds pretty good to a busy grad student!

The recipe for these need to be adjusted slightly, since the baking time is so short. I haven't entirely figured out what needs to be changed yet, so for the mean time, I've been sticking with the recipes from the Babycakes. Their website actually has a great Tips and Recipe section, where people can post their recipes. It's been great for finding a variety of different ideas. 

The pumpkin recipe I used for these cake pops actually originally came from a recipe for their doughnut maker instead, but can be used for cake pops too. I considered dipping the finished pops in a glaze or coating, but decided that the cinnamon sugar coating suggested in the recipe was a better idea. It made these cake pops more donut-y - donut holes on a stick!

And the pumpkin trend will continue with the next post...this is what happens when you buy a giant can of pumpkin that never seems to run out. All in the spirit of fall! 

Pumpkin Cake Pops (makes about ~40 cake pops)

(Recipe adapted from Babycakes)

• 1¾ cups (219 g) flour
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp cloves
• ¼ tsp cardamom
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ⅓ cup canola oil
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1½ tsp vanilla extract
• ¾ cup (184 g) pumpkin (canned)
• ½ cup almond milk
• Coating -
• ½ cup (1 stick) melted butter 
• ½ cup (100 g) white sugar and 1 tbsp cinnamon

1. Sift flour, baking powder, and spices together. Set aside. 
2. Mix oil, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, pumpkin, and milk together in a stand mixer on medium speed until completely combined.
3. Stir in dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. Do not over-mix!
4. Grease and pre-heat cake pop maker (see manual for specific instructions)
5. When heated, add ~1½ tsp of batter to each reservoir. (I used my small cookie scoop) .
6. Bake for 4 minutes. 
7. Remove cake pops. While still hot, dip cake pops into melted butter, and then immediately into the sugar/cinnamon mixture. 
8. Let cool and enjoy!