Snow Cake Men

These charming snowmen can be made with cake scraps, boxed cake mix or your favorite Sarah cake recipe.
CAKE RECIPE HELP
KELLY SAYS: “I have to say, these were seriously fun to make.”
See also:
Cake Pops 101 Tutorial

INGREDIENTS
1 recipe two 9-inch cake layers or one 9 x 13-inch layer, using recipe of your choice such as the Ultimate Butter Cake or UBC or one 18.25 oz. box (or similar size) Pillsbury Moist Supreme Classic Yellow Mix or any cake mix, flavor of your choice
2 cups Tami's or Perfect Buttercream or 1 can store-bought frosting

Two 14-ounce bags white candy melts, such as Wilton's or tempered white chocolate
1/4 14-ounce bag black candy melts
One 14-ounce package sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup MMF or rolled fondant. homemade or premade; 1/4 cup orange, 3/4 cup red(these amounts are approximate)
21 large licorice coins
21 black gumdrops
Silver dragees, Christmas-themed sugar sprinkles and any other sugar pretties that you like
1/2 cup packaged unsweetened shredded coconut to decorate the plates (if you plan on serving them plated)
21 (at least) bamboo skewers

INSTRUCTIONS
STEP I: PREPARE THE SNOW CAKE MEN BALLS
1. Bake cake according to box or recipe instructions and let cool on a wire cake rack.

2. When cakes are cool, break them up in pieces and crumble them into a large bowl.

Continue crumbling the cake, making sure that the pieces are very small.

NOTE: If you do not wish to crumble the cake by hand, you may pulse it in a food processor, taking care that it doesn't form a cohesive mass.

3. When cake is sufficiently crumbled, add the frosting to the bowl.

4. Mix the frosting into the cake crumbs with your hands.

When you're done, the resulting mixture will resemble a soft bread dough.

5. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours, so it can firm up.

STEP II: ROLL THE SNOW CAKE MEN BALLS
1. Remove cake/icing mixture from the refrigerator. Cover a large rimmed baking sheet or pan with foil.

Select three different measures to portion out your snowman sections. You can eyeball it, if you like.
KELLY SAYS: I chose a tiny ice-cream scoop and one that is a little larger. I used the tiny one for the snowman's head, I used a heaping small one for the middle and the larger one for the bottom of the snowman.

2. Scoop out your snowman portions and roll them into balls:
Head, small scoop, level:

Middle, small scoop, heaping:

Bottom, large scoop:

Roll them all up!

3. Place your snowman sections, in sets of three, on your prepared baking sheet.

4. When you are all done rolling, set the pan, with the cake balls in the refrigerator to chill. Make sure you cover the cake balls with plastic wrap. Chill for at least an hour or more.

STEP III: DIP THE SNOW CAKE MEN BALL SETS
1. Remove the cake balls from the refrigerator.

2. Set up your dipping station so you can go about the snowman building assembly line style:

A. Melt the white candy melts in a bowl, according to package directions. Place melted candy melts in a bowl over a pan of hot water. This helps them stay melted longer

NOTE: Use the microwave to melt them, but you can also use a double boiler.
B. Put 1 package of coconut in a large shallow bowl.
C. Prepare another baking sheet by lining it with foil.

3. Start dipping one of the three Snow Cake Men balls in a set into the melted candy melts, using a spoon to help you cover ball completely.

A. Lift the ball out of candy melts with a spoon, letting excess drip back into the bowl.

B. Immediately drop the cake ball into the coconut.

Cover the ball completely with coconut, rolling it around to make sure it is completely covered.

C. Set the coconut covered ball on the foil lined cookie sheet.

D. Repeat with the remaining two cake balls in the set.

4. When all three cake balls in one snowmen set are covered, roll each one in the palm of your hand at a time to insure that the coconut is embedded in the candy melt coating. Set the coconut covered ball back on the foil lined cookie sheet. Keep all of the three cake balls per set lined up together on the foil lined cookie sheet.

5. Repeat Step #s 3 and 4 with all of the remaining Snow Cake Men Ball Sets.

STEP IV: ASSEMBLE THE SNOW CAKE MEN BALL SETS
1.When all of the Snow Cake Men Ball Sets have been dipped in melted candy melts and rolled in coconut, assemble them on a wooden skewer! Make sure you pierce the skewer through the center of each ball:
A. Start with the base or the largest ball first.

B. Then add the middle section or the middle-sized ball.

C. Next comes the head or the smallest ball.

2. Adjust the balls so that there is about 1/2 inch of skewer protruding from the top of the smallest ball. This will allow you to skewer the hat, later on.

3. When the balls are adjusted, add a thick layer of melted candy melts to the base of the largest ball and swirl it around the stick. Sprinkle the melts with some additional coconut, to cover.
This will insure that the cake ball will not slide down when the pop is held upright.

Dip the end of an extra skewer in the melted candy melts to be able to apply some to the base of the largest ball.

4. Carefully lay the skewered Snow Cake Men Sets onto a clean and dry work surface.

5. Repeat Step#s 1 through 4 with all of the Snow Cake Men Ball Sets.

STEP V: DECORATE THE SNOW CAKE MEN BALL SETS
1. Decorate the Snow Cake Men Ball Sets with eyes, mouth and buttons:
A. Melt the black candy melts in the microwave, or double boiler.

B. Place the melted black candy melts into a disposable pastry bag.

C. Snip a very small opening in the end of the pastry bag. Do not make the opening too large or your snowman's face will be too gloppy.

D. With one Snow Cake Men Set at a time, lay it down on a flat and clean, dry surface and pipe his eyes, mouth and buttons.
KELLY SAYS: I used a clean plate for my work surface.

E. Repeat with all Snow Cake Men Sets.

2. Decorate the Snow Cake Men Ball Sets with a nose:
A. With the orange tinted marshmallow fondant, fashion 21 tiny carrot noses for all of your Snow Cake Men Sets.
It is best to do them all at once, so they are ready when you need them. Have a plate of cornstarch nearby to keep your fingers from getting sticky.

B. For each Snow Cake Men Ball Set at a time, take one carrot nose and dip the large end into the melted white candy melts.

C. Apply the nose to your snowman's face.

D. Repeat with all Snow Cake Men Sets, Steps B and C, above.

3. Decorate the Snow Cake Men Ball Sets with licorice coins as a hat rim and gum drops for the hat top:
A. Pre-thread them on a skewer. This will insure that they will go on your snowman with ease.

B. Take one coin and place it on the snowman, then take a gumdrop and do the same. Press the gumdrop on the skewer till it is level with the licorice coin.

C. Repeat with all Snow Cake Men Sets, Step B, above.

4. Make the snowman's scarf and hat band.
A. Roll out some red Marshmallow Fondant about 5 to 6-inches long and quite thin. The length you need will depend upon the thickness of your snowman's neck.

Use some cornstarch to keep it from sticking. A silpat mat is very helpful here.

B. Cut 1/4-inch wide strips of fondant, using a cutter. A pizza wheel is handy.

C. Cut fringe on the ends of the scarf, using a pair of kitchen shears.

D. Place scarf on a flat surface and lay the Snow Cake Men over it.

E. Wrap the scarf around neck on one side and moisten the area, where the two sides of the scarf will intersect, with a little water.

F. Lift up other side of scarf and press it to the other side, where you moistened it.

G. Moisten the front of the scarf and add your decoration of choice. This guy has a jaunty sugar Christmas tree scarf pin.

H. Set Snow Cake Men Set aside, on the prepared baking sheet, while you make scarves for the remaining Snow Cake Men Sets.

NOTE: You will have to re-melt the black candy melts a few times during the process. Just pop it in the microwave and massage the pastry bag. Squeeze the bag a little, to clear the tip, if it is clogged.

FINISHED SNOW CAKE MEN POPS! As you can see, I had a lot of fun varying the faces and attire of these guys.
Just have fun with them!

I wonder what they are talking about? Maybe they're wondering if Sarah or Kelly have been naughty or nice?

GIFT GIVING / TABLE DISPLAY SUGGESTIONS
You can package these little fellows up in cellophane bags, if you like, or, if you want to serve them as a plated dessert, you can do that too.
1. To serve the Snow Cake Men plated or to use as a table display, use a sharp pair of clean nippers and cut the skewer off at the bottom of the snowman.