Simple Cake Pops

I've looked through several recipes and come up with what I would use to make simple cake pops. You can buy the popsicle sticks at any craft store. Ideas garnered from theKitchn, Martha Stewart and Bakerella.

1 box cake mix, any flavor you want, baked in 13X9 pan and cooled completely
2 cups powdered sugar
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
4 TBSP. butter, softened
1 TBSP milk, or as needed to get right consistency
OR if you want to save time you can use a 3/4 of a can of buttercream or cream cheese frosting in place of the powdered sugar, cream cheese, butter and milk.
2 cups chocolate chips for chocolate covered cake pops
12 oz. white chocolate bark for white covered cake pops
baking wax or shortening (optional)
food coloring if you want to make colored coating
garnish as desired with sprinkles, coconut, crushed nuts, M&M's etc. or leave them plain

Line a cookie sheet with wax or parchment paper OR use a block of styrofoam to insert your cake pops into handle side down until set. If using parchment paper you will have a flat surface on your finished cake pop, but it will still be oh so yummy!

Crumble cooled cake into large bowl. Combine powdered sugar, cream cheese, butter and milk to make frosting, or use the can of frosting. Mix frosting into crumbled cake. Mix until well combined and you are able to make a ball out of mixture. You can use the back of a spoon to do this, or use your hands. Use milk as needed to get the right consistency, but be careful not to use too much. It needs to be like a thick paste with no large crumb balls, and able to form into balls.

Form balls and insert popsicle sticks. Freeze for 10 minutes or refrigerate for several hours to harden balls.

In saucepan over low heat, or in microwave, carefully melt chocolate chips. You can melt in a square of baking wax if desired, or a TBSP of shortening. Melt white chocolate bark as directed on package, or over low heat in separate saucepan. Mix in food coloring if desired to achieve a colored coating.

Dip cake pops in desired coating and either lay on prepared wax paper, or stand in styrofoam block to set. If you are garnishing with nuts, sprinkles or coconut dip them immediately in garnish after coating them in desired topping. Otherwise, allow to cool and then use leftover coating as "glue" to glue on M&M's or other candies. Or leave them plain, they are delicious just as they are.