Coco Loco Cake Pops
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt
3/4 cups hot coffee
1/4 cup bourbon
5 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, cut into small pieces
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 cups sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup grated coconut
1 can cake frosting (vanilla works great)
1 bag candy coating
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Spray the pans with vegetable spray and place a piece of parchment paper in the pan the same size as the bottom. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl and set aside. Combine the coffee, bourbon, chocolate, and butter in a large bowl and cover for about 10 minutes, until the chocolate has melted. Then whisk in the sugar and let it cool. Whisk in the flour mixture in 2 batches, then the eggs and the vanilla. Add the coconut and mix. The batter will be very runny. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 45 minutes (checking after 30 minutes for even baking) or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cakes completely in the pans on wire racks
When completely cool, crumble cake in a large bowl. Stir in cake frosting. Shape into 1” balls and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Melt the candy coating (microwave or pan). Place one ball at a time into the bowl of candy coating. Spoon extra coating over any uncoated areas of the cake ball to make sure it is completely covered in candy coating. Then lift out the cake ball with your spoon. Avoid stirring it in the coating, because cake crumbs can fall off into the coating.
Holding the spoon over the bowl, tap the handle of the spoon several times on the edge of the bowl until the excess coating falls off and back into the bowl. This technique also creates a smooth surface on the outside of the cake ball.
Transfer the coated cake ball to another wax paper–covered baking sheet to dry. Let the coated cake ball slide right off the spoon. Some coating may pool around the base of the ball onto the wax paper. If so, simply take a toothpick and use it to draw a line around the base of the cake ball before the coating sets. Once the coating sets, you can break off any unwanted coating
If you have extra candy coating left over, pour it into a resealable plastic bag (and then snip off the corner) or into a squeeze bottle and drizzle it over the tops in a zigzag motion to decorate.