Holiday Sips & Snacks: Coca-Cola Cake Pops

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and The Coca-Cola Company. All opinions are mine alone #SmartWayToShareJoy #CollectiveBias 

Christmas shopping and gifting is underway: family, friends, co-workers, and for the first time this year, neighbors.  Let me just say, I love my neighbors.  All of us on one side of our street moved in at the same time this summer, so it's been so much fun to get to know each other and build a community.  When I was younger, my mom and I always made little treats to drop off on each doorstep this time of year, and I definitely want to carry on that tradition in my new neighborhood.  What's better than centering these goodies around one of Christmas's most iconic logos and symbols: Coca-Cola?  Helping us Share More Joy this holiday season, Coca-Cola's red and white glass bottles will be the perfect inspiration for my delicious neighbor gifts!

My first step in putting together these gifts is making the amazing cake pops.  Coca-Cola cake is one of my favorite recipes.  The smooth chocolate cake is so delicious, and the glaze is perfectly sweet.  Mixed together, they are the best combo for cake pops.

Ingredients for the cake:
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup Coca-Cola
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 stick salted butter
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ingredients for the glaze:
1 stick unsalted butter
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups confectioner's sugar

Ingredients for the cake pops:
cooled Coca-Cola chocolate cake and glaze
red candy melts
lollipop sticks
sprinkles

Directions for the cake:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Sift together sugar, flour, and salt in a large bowl and set aside.
3. Combine Coca-Cola, vegetable oil, butter, and cocoa in a saucepan on medium and stir until boiling.
4. Pour boiling Coca-Cola mixture into dry ingredients and mix until combined.
5. Add eggs, buttermilk, baking soda, and vanilla extract to cake batter and whisk until smooth.
6. Pour cake batter into a greased 13x9 pan and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

While the cake is baking, make the glaze:
1. Melt together butter, cocoa, and milk on medium on the stove.
2. Take off the heat once melted and add in vanilla extract and confectioner's sugar (1 cup at a time - stirring in between each addition).
3. Allow the glaze to cool while the cake bakes and cools.

To assemble the cake pops:
1. In a large bowl, crumble the cool cake and add in the glaze.  Mix to combine.
2. Roll the cake mixture into balls, about the size of a heaping tablespoon.
3. Melt red candy melts in the microwave on 50% power, stirring every 30 seconds.
4. Dip each lollipop stick in the melted candy and stick them into the cake balls.  This will help the cake pops stay on their sticks.
5. Allow the cake pops to firm in the refrigerator for one hour.
6. Melt additional candy melts in the microwave and cover each cake pop in the candy melts.
7. Top with Christmas sprinkles and serve to your holiday guests!

I shopped for all of my ingredients including 6-packs and 2 liter bottles of Coca-Cola Limited Edition Holiday Packaging at Family Dollar.

Now that the cake pops are made, package them each into a small plastic bag with a festive bow.  Tie a striped paper straw and a cake pop to each Coca-Cola bottle, and bring one sweet treat to the doorstep for each neighbor.

What is your favorite dessert to bake this holiday season?  You can find all the ingredients for your Christmas treats at Family Dollar!