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7 Simple Tricks to Rescue Your Mushy, Unstable Cake Pops

7 Simple Tricks to Rescue Your Mushy, Unstable Cake Pops

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Have some leftover cake? A cake that didn’t turn out the way it should be?

Don’t despair because you can make tasty cake pops that everyone will fall in love with.

People love cake pops because they’re easy to carry around, and the different types of frosting and flavors make them the perfect party dessert.

So, what if your cake pops are too mushy?

I will explain the possible reasons why this might happen and how to save your delicious cake pops. So, let’s dive in.

Are Cake Pops Supposed To Be Mushy?

Cake pops are supposed to be soft but not mushy or moist.

If you end up with mushy cake pops, you’re probably not following the proper recipe steps, or there’s something off with your ingredients or technique.

Why are My Cake Pops Too Mushy?

Cake pops are popular during birthday parties and gatherings. They also represent an interesting way to serve a cake if it didn’t bake perfectly.

Yet, you might end up with mushy cake pops that easily break.

I will help you understand why this happens and how to fix this issue.

1 – You Used the Wrong Cake Recipe

People usually use leftover cake to make cake pops. Nevertheless, some recipes work better than others.

Moist cake recipes won’t work for your cake pops and they might end up being too mushy. As a result, they will break and fall off the sticks, and your display will be ruined.

Solution

Choosing the right cake recipe will help you make successful cake pops that hold their shape. Most types of pound, white, yellow, and even chocolate cake will work.

Dense and moist cakes like carrot cakes don’t work too well. If you use syrup to moisten your cake, skip this step.

Your cake should also have enough fat and flour for well-shaped cake pops.

2 – You Used the Wrong Amount of Binding Agent

Adding the right amount of frosting will help hold your cake pops together. You’ll be easily able to shape them into balls.

Some less experienced chefs add too much frosting, thinking it helps make their balls look and taste better. However, they end up having moist and mushy cake pops that can easily break.

Solution

Ideally, you should use an amount of binding agent equal to ½ or ⅓ the amount of crumbled cake.

While mixing the cake pops, avoid mashing them too much, or the pops will become too gummy.

Some binding agents, like cream cheese and chocolate, work better. Add cocoa powder or icing sugar to hold your cake pops together if you use buttercream.

3 – Your Cake is Underbaked

If you’re not careful about baking your cake, it might still be underbaked while you’re preparing your cake pops.

An underbaked cake will be moist, and your cake pops will be too mushy.

Solution

Wait until your cake is fully baked before using it to make cake pops.

Insert a toothpick into the center of your cake until it comes out clean. This is how you know your cake is fully baked and ready to be used.

If your cake is still moist after it’s baked, you should wait a day or two before crumbling it and using it to make cake pops.

4 – Your Cake Pops are Too Warm

If you’ve dipped your pops in the frosting right after breaking your warm cake into pieces and used a binding agent, they might not hold up when you attach them to the sticks.

Solution

You shouldn’t start making cake pops using warm cake. If you’ve just got your cake out of the oven, let it sit outside for a few hours before breaking it into pieces.

Ideally, you should keep your cake in the fridge, as cold cake works best.

Most people use jam, cream cheese, chocolate, or frosting to hold cake pops together, and the warm temperature makes them melt, so the cake pops become too mushy.

As a result, you should keep your cake in the fridge before adding the binding agent.

5 – Your Cake is Frozen

You know that using warm cake to make cake pops isn’t the best idea because they can easily break.

And you might not have time to put the cake in the fridge, so you end up putting it in the freezer.

The freezer will help cool your cake enough to make uniform cake pops, and the binding agent will help glue them together.

But this only works if you keep your cake pops in the freezer for a short time.

Frozen cake pops will start thawing after you’ve added the frosting, and you’ll end up with moist and mushy pops.

Solution

Use the fridge to cool your cake pops instead of the freezer.

If you want to use the freezer to cool them off fast, ensure they’ve perfectly thawed before dipping them into the frosting.

This will prevent the presence of moisture that makes your cake pops break.

6 – You Used Too Much Frosting

A thick layer of frosting might look delicious, but it can trap moisture in your cake pops. This moisture will later escape, making the pops too mushy.

Solution

Always use the right amount of frosting. A thin layer will allow moisture to escape from your cake pops as the frosting sets.

Ensure your frosting is barely covering your cake pops, and allow the excess to drip off before decorating your cake pops.

7 – You Didn’t Allow Your Cake Pops to Dry

Cake pops can be too moist in humid conditions or if you don’t allow them to dry properly before serving them.

As a result, they will be mushy and moist.

Solution

Always keep your cake pops in a cool, dry place after dipping them into the frosting.

Place your cake pops on a wire rack and let them dry and harden. Avoid putting them in the fridge if they aren’t dry because they will become mushy.

Final Thoughts

You can avoid and even fix mushy cake pops with a few adjustments

Cake pops aren’t supposed to be hard but being too mushy will make them break and fall off the sticks.

This is why you should ensure you’re using the right recipe, the correct binding agent, and the correct amount of frosting. You must also allow your cake to cool off and the frosting to set.

With the proper steps, you’ll have delicious cake pops that aren’t mushy or moist.

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