I do like the idea of using flavored creamer in lieu of frosting to cut down on sweetness.  Have to try that out.  I'm guessing that also adds moisture to the cake which is a plus.  

The few times I tried the crumb+frosting way, it was alot of work -> crumble the cake, mix the crumb with a binder and, and roll into balls.  I found the cake ball pan to be more efficient.  Will help to have a couple of pans, though.  I only own one.

In comparing candy melts to almond bark, my tasters preferred the bark.  The chocolate bark actually tasted like real chocolate to them.    

I think you're right about that, leah_s. If I use icing at all, it's just the tiniest bit. If the cake needs binding, I prefer to moisten it with a little liqueur or other alcoholic beverage - Bailey's, rum, limoncello, etc. That's why I liked the idea of the coffee creamers and the unsweetened cream for a non-alcoholic but not overly sweet version. I also like to add nuts and chopped dried fruits when the occasion calls for it.

Oh, yeah, I forgot about the candy coating vs. chocolate part of the debate. Real chocolate all the way, although the candy melts I get are basically chocolate that has had the cocoa butter removed and substituted with some other kind of vegetable fat, so it's not totally gross.

Anna, the stuff I use are Dolcezza chips. They're made here in Mexico by a chocolate company called Turin. In all honesty, that's what I was told, but now that I'm taking a closer look at the ingredients on the label, I'm not sure my information is totally correct, but they do taste a lot better than your standard candy melts.

Well, okay, I've been doing a little research on the internet and it seems that the basic ingredient in these chips is something called "grasa láurica", which I have no idea how to translate into English, except that it is some kind of fat. What the internet says about it is that it is indeed a fat used as a substitute for cocoa butter in chocolate products, so maybe my info wasn't so wrong after all. It has the decided advantage that if you overheat the "chocolate" chips, they still melt nicely without seizing or scorching.

You can make them without frosting look at this clip.  She is the maker of cake roller which is on sale for $99

Also, check out her other blog post some cute stuff.

http://heavenlycakepops.com/2012/03/tips-and-tricks-the-food-processor/

I use almond bark...easier to work with then the pellets and super inexpensive from walmart and I don't have to worry about tempering them.    they only sell milk chocolate and white chocolate but you can dye the white whatever color.  to much frosting causes to many issues, besides being SUPER sweet, it also causes them to fall off the stick.  I use a mixer to crumble my cake and use very little frosting if any at all...depending on whether I overcook or not, lol..don't judge me, lol!!!  There is quite a debate about cake pop vs. bake pop.  I use scraps so cake pops it is for me, but I have both the cake pop roller and bake pop machine.  they are quite different.  I saw someone referenced the cake pop roller and while it works for some, (I love mine), it doesn't work for others, but from what I can tell it all boils down to a consistency issue.  I saw this blog it was pretty funny...sarcastic yet it hit home.  http://heavenlycakepops.com/2013/07/bake-pop-vs-cake-pops/

I do both.  My daughter perfers the lighter ones using the cake pop maker but my customers rather the actual cake pops --with the crumbs and icing.... I have been reading everything I can re: cakepops and I love it.. SO - Crumbs and light icing all day.. (FYI- your chocolate shouldn't be rock hard.. maybe you should add some crisco to it?) it was lighten the thickness up.

I so want to buy one of those rollers. I made 80 cake pops balls last night..

I saw one of the demo's regarding problem solving.. it seems you have to take the air out of the cake.. it really has to be bindable..

AI have the roller. Save your money for an Agbay.

Cute infographic, but you're right about saving your money for an Agbay, leah_s. I would never use a cake pop baker, because as far as I'm concerned, the only reason for making cake pops in the first place is to use cake left over from leveling and trimming! LOL. That said, I might invest in a roller if I find out they really work and take less time than rolling balls by hand. But where I live, you can't get either a cake pop roller or an Agbay, so I guess this discussion is moot (sad face and sigh).

I really don't like cake pops much either and I really hate the cake and icing way to make them.  They do seem like already chewed up food and just don't taste very good to me.  The ones at Starbucks are awful but the kids seem to love them (especially the 6 year old).  I used to make them with icing and crumbs but now make them with my babycakes maker and they are much easier this way.  They were always too heavy the other way and I tried not to add too much icing but they still where heavier and harder to dip.  And I totally hate the taste of candy melts so I always use real chocolate instead. Either way to make them though sucks and I hate making them though and try to talk anyone wanting these into doing push pops instead.

Cake Pops, first time, made them way too big, used Merkins white candy coating. Couldn't get the candy coating smooth so I just sprinkled pastel confetti on them.  Yellow Butter cake with SMBC icing.  They each weighed 2 1/2 oz....... huge & heavy.

I Let the balls firm up overnight in fridge, then stuck the sticks in them.  I think I'd rather use Petit Four icing on them, as it flows better & looks smoother.

And it was kinda weird the pre-digested smush of cake. I'll test them on kids  but  it's easier to make a family size layer cake, or cupcakes,  than mess with these. I'd evaluate my experiment as a failure.

I've done both. I like the crumb & icing because I don't waist all the cake I trim off my cakes. I also think the pan pops crumble easy when I'm dipping them so I have to be very careful not to tap too hard.

AFor all of you interested in the cake pop roller someone posted before about a similar device much cheaper.

http://pinterest.com/pin/9148005466079921/

Wouldn't catfish bait be tiny?

AThey have different sizes of the bait makers.

I used coffee creamer in some of mine also.  Love it!  I make my cakes from scratch most of the time and do not always use frosting....creamer, nutella, cream cheese...the possibilities are endless.

AI agree!

A

I usually find cake pops to be way too sweet, what with the icing in the cake, and then the chocolate on top! Also, they are so difficult to make. The consistency of the cake+icing needs to be just right, and the dipping chocolate cannot be too heavy otherwise the pops will just fall right off. I have learned this the hard way . But I do admit, covered in sprinkles and wrapped in cellophane, they are so pretty!!

I must say, cake pops have stopped selling.  I can't unload them any more.  I get the occasinal order/inquiry but they're history.

Our local cake pop lady moved to CA. I thought about picking them up and made a few batches to take to school. Everyone loved them. I just don't think I could get enough orders to justify learning to make all of the different designs.