Cake pops are the most delightful little treats, and are so so delicious! They’re basically cake mixed with frosting, which is then rolled into little balls and coated with chocolate – YUM!
Cake pops can seem intimidating at first, but I promise you they are one of the easiest things to make once you get a hang of it! In this recipe I’ll be sharing all my tips and tricks to get perfect cake pops.
My top tips for making cake pops
When it comes to making cake pops, there are a few important things to keep in mind to make the process much easier and ensure your cake pops taste delicious (which is the main thing of course!).
Cake recipe: For simple vanilla cake pops you want to use your favourite vanilla or white cake recipe. To make the process even simpler, you can even use a boxed cake mix (which is what I did for this recipe). Because cake pops are essentially cake mixed with frosting, I feel the homemade frosting I use in this recipe dampens the artificial flavour of boxed cake mixes so you can totally get away with it!
Frosting: If you’re using a boxed cake mix, then I would recommend NOT using the frosting that comes with it. It just doesn’t taste as good as homemade frosting, which is important for this recipe.
Don’t add too much frosting to the cake: I always recommend starting off by placing 3/4s of the frosting into your cake crumbs first and then mixing to see what the consistency is like. If you feel the cake is moist enough to roll into balls then don’t add anymore frosting in. Otherwise, add in the remaining frosting and mix. I usually add all of my frosting in but each cake recipe/box cake mix is slightly different. You don’t want to add too much frosting in if you don’t need too as you don’t want the cake pops to be mushy.
Cake Balls: To make your cake balls super round, I would recommend rolling them once, placing them onto a lined tray and then popping them into the freezer for 10 minutes (or fridge for 30 minutes), before rolling a second time. This helps to make the cake balls really round. Once done pop the cake balls back into the freezer for another 30 minutes (or the fridge for 1.5 hours) as they need to be very cold so that they hold their shape when we come to attaching the cake pop sticks, as well as help the chocolate set quicker once we coat the cake balls.
Chocolate: The type of chocolate you use to coat the cake balls is very important. I would highly recommend using chocolate or candy melts. When chocolate melts are melted, they’re much thinner in consistency compared to regular eating chocolate, which is going to help when we dip the cake balls in. Chocolate melts also set much quicker so you won’t have excess chocolate dripping down your cake pop stick. Lastly, chocolate melts also set nice and firmly so you’re going to have a nice crack when you bite through your cake pops. If you do want to use regular eating chocolate, then I would recommend thinning it out with vegetable oil, and also tempering it so you get that nice crack when biting the cake pop!
Keep an eye on the chocolate and cake balls: While assembling the cake pops, keep an eye on the chocolate (it should still be thin). If you feel it’s thickening up, simply reheat it. Also keep an eye on the temperature of the cake balls. If they’re getting too soft, pop them back into the freezer for an additional 10 minutes or so (or into the fridge for another 30 minutes). If the cake balls are too soft they’ll fall off the cake pop sticks when dipping them into the chocolate.
Keep the cake pops upright while setting: To get that nice round shape on your cake pops, let them sit upright while setting. This can be a little challenging it you don’t have a cake pop stand, but there’s definitely a few ways to do this without it! My best tip is to fill a glass or jug with rice (or anything grainy) and then poke the cake pops into the rice and they should stay upright. You can also use some styrofoam, or poke little holes into a sturdy box and place the cake pops into the holes.
How to make cake pops
Begin by either baking your cake based on your favourite vanilla or white cake recipe (it needs to make one 8 inch/20cm cake) OR make the boxed cake mix as directed on the back of the packet. Before mixing all the ingredients together for the box cake mix, also add in additional vegetable oil.
Once baked, allow the cake to cool for 15 minutes before running a thin knife around the edge of your tin to release the cake from the cake tin, and turn it out into a big bowl.
Once it’s cooled enough to be able to touch it, break the cake apart with your hands and crumble it up until is resembles fine crumbs. Allow to cool completely.
In the meantime make the frosting. In a medium sized bowl add in butter, icing sugar (also known as confectioners/powdered sugar), vanilla and milk. Using a hand or stand mixer, mix on a medium speed for 4 minutes until it’s light and fluffy. If using a stand mixer then do this with the paddle attachment.
Once the cake is cooled, add 3/4s of the frosting into the crumbled cake, and using a hand or stand mixer, mix until just combined.
At this stage, if you feel the cake is moist enough to roll into balls then don’t add anymore frosting in. Otherwise, add in the remaining frosting and mix. I usually add all of my frosting in but each cake recipe/box cake mix is slightly different. You don’t want to add too much frosting in if you don’t need too as you don’t want the cake pops to be mushy.
Roll tablespoons full of the cake mixture into round balls and place on a lined tray. Place the tray into the freezer for 10 minutes, or fridge for 30 minutes, and then do a second roll. This will help the cake balls become really nice and smooth/round.
Once rolled for the second time, place the cake balls back into the freezer for a further 30 minutes, or into the fridge for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
When your cake balls are almost ready, melt your chocolate. Place 1/2 of the chocolate into a microwave safe mug and melt in the microwave for 20 second bursts at a time, mixing in between each burst until fully melted. You can also do this over a double boiler if you prefer, and then pour the melted chocolate into a cup.
Dip the tip of a cake pop stick into the melted chocolate and then poke into a cake ball about half way through the cake ball. Repeat with the remaining cake pop sticks.
Next grab a cake ball (by the stick), and place it into the melted chocolate. Swirl it around so it’s completely covered, and then tap it on the edge of the cup to remove excess chocolate. Once done, twirl the cake pop to wrap the remaining dripping chocolate around the cake ball and then quickly decorate with sprinkles before the chocolate sets.
Place the cake pop upright to allow it to completely set, either into a cup with some rice in it, or a cardboard box with little holes poked into it. Styrofoam works great too!
Simply repeat the same steps with the remaining cake pops. While making them, keep an eye on the chocolate (it should still be thin). If you feel it’s thickening up, simply reheat it. Also keep an eye on the temperature of the cake balls. If they’re getting too soft, pop them back into the freezer for an additional 10 minutes or so (or into the fridge for another 30 minutes).
Allow cake pops to completely set before serving.
Perfect Cake Pops
Print Pin VideoIMPORTANT: For accuracy, I would recommend using the gram measurements provided, as those are the exact quantities I use. Cup measurements are given as estimates (based on US cup measurements) to make it easier for those who do not have a scale.
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 box vanilla or white cake mix that makes one 8 inch/20cm cake OR your favourite vanilla/white cake recipe. - + ingredients required to make the boxed cake (usually butter or oil, eggs and milk)
- ¼ cup (52g) unflavoured vegetable oil - I use canola. Do not use if not using a boxed cake mix.
Frosting (see note 1)
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter - room temperature
- 1 cup (120 g) icing sugar - also known as confectioners/powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla essence/extract
- 1 tsp milk
Additional Ingredients/Supplies
- 3½ cups chocolate/candy melts - either dark, milk or white chocolate, or a combination (I like to use half dark and half white) - see note 2
- 40 cake pop sticks
- 1 pack sprinkles - or any other decoration of your choice
Instructions
Cake
- Make the boxed cake mix as directed on the back of the packet. Before mixing all the ingredients together, also add in the additional vegetable oil.
- Once baked, allow the cake to cool for 15 minutes before running a thin knife around the edge of your tin to release the cake from the cake tin, and turn it out into a big bowl.
- Once it's cooled enough to be able to touch it, break the cake apart with your hands and crumble it up until is resembles fine crumbs. Allow to cool completely.
Frosting
- In a medium sized bowl add in the butter, icing sugar, vanilla and milk.
- Using a hand or stand mixer, mix on a medium speed for 4 minutes until it's light and fluffy. If using a stand mixer then do this with the paddle attachment.
Assembly
- Once the cake is cooled, add 3/4s of the frosting into the crumbled cake, and using a hand or stand mixer, mix until just combined.
- At this stage, if you feel the cake is moist enough to roll into balls then don't add anymore frosting in. Otherwise, add in the remaining frosting and mix. I usually add all of my frosting in but each cake recipe/box cake mix is slightly different. You don't want to add too much frosting in if you don't need too as you don't want the cake pops to be mushy.
- Roll tablespoons full of the cake mixture into round balls and place on a lined tray. Place the tray into the freezer for 10 minutes, or fridge for 30 minutes, and then do a second roll. This will help the cake balls become really nice and smooth/round.
- Once rolled for the second time, place the cake balls back into the freezer for a further 30 minutes, or into the fridge for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
- When your cake balls are almost ready, melt your chocolate. Place 1/2 of the chocolate into a microwave safe mug and melt in the microwave for 20 second bursts at a time, mixing in between each burst until fully melted. You can also do this over a double boiler if you prefer, and then pour the melted chocolate into a cup. Only melt more of the chocolate as you need it.
- Dip the tip of a cake pop stick into the melted chocolate and then poke into a cake ball about half way through the cake ball. Repeat with the remaining cake pop sticks.
- Next grab a cake ball (by the stick), and place it into the melted chocolate. Swirl it around so it's completely covered, and then tap it on the edge of the cup to remove excess chocolate. Once done, twirl the cake pop to wrap the remaining dripping chocolate around the cake ball and then quickly decorate with sprinkles before the chocolate sets 🙂
- Place the cake pop upright to allow it to completely set, either into a cup with some rice in it, or a cardboard box with little holes poked into it. Styrofoam works great too!
- Simply repeat the same steps with the remaining cake pops. While making them, keep an eye on the chocolate (it should still be thin). If you feel it's thickening up, simply reheat it. Also keep an eye on the temperature of the cake balls. If they're getting too soft, pop them back into the freezer for an additional 10 minutes or so (or into the fridge for another 30 minutes).
- Allow cake pops to completely set before serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only as they are automatically calculated by a third party application. Actual values may differ based on brands and types of products used.
110 Comments
Do you use the entire cake or just 1 of the 8 in rounds? Typically a box mix makes two 8 inch rounds. I have a box of yellow cake mix, do you think that will be okay?
Hi Stephanie! 🙂 For these cake pops I usually just add all the batter to one 8×3 inch cake tin, but if you prefer to distribute the batter between two 8 inch cake tins that’s totally fine too and yes you would use both cakes 🙂
Hope that helps and hope you enjoy the recipe!
Thank you for explaining all, in such detail. I am looking forward to making these!
You’re so welcome Rose Marie! 😀 Hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂
Just curious, what is the purpose of adding the extra oil to the boxed cake mix?
Hi Carly! Great question 🙂
Extra oil just adds additional moisture to the batter and helps the cake stay moist for longer 🙂
Hope that helps and hope you enjoy the recipe!
Can I use olive oil instead of vegetable oil? Will it turn out the same?
Hi Victoria! I wouldn’t recommend using olive oil as it will likely alter the taste of the cake pops 🙂
Look great, but I can’t make the Cake Pops stand up straight or even turn them once I have put them into the chocolate! No matter how hard I try I used thin and thick poles but they keep on sliding down… don’t get me wrong they taste great but they are so hard… (Maybe it’s the fact that I am using normal Cadbury Baking chocolate chips.. but I added vegetable oil and that doesn’t affect the consistency..)
Hi there! 🙂 So sorry to hear you’re having a bit of trouble with the cake pops sliding down. Do you mean the whole cake pop slides down the stick or just the chocolate?
If it’s the whole cake ball, then what I find helps is dipping the tip of the stick into chocolate before placing the cake ball into the stick. The chocolate acts as a glue to help keep the cake ball in place. If you did do this step, then perhaps you just need a little more chocolate to keep everything together. It could also be that there was a bit too much vegetable oil added to the chocolate chips. It may not change the consistency when melted, but it will affect how firm the chocolate sets once cool. I would recommend not adding any vegetable oil to the chcocolate (or only a very small amount) 🙂
Hope these tips help for next time!
Can you use margarine in stead of butter ?
Hi Joyce! 🙂 I haven’t tried using margarine myself, but for this recipe I believe you could use margarine without any problems, though it may alter the taste of the cake pops 🙂
You will also likely need less of the frosting if using margarine. Hope that helps and hope you enjoy the recipe!
What does the s stand for in the frosting measurement?
Hi Judy! 🙂 Do you mean ‘tsp’? If so, it stands for teaspoon 🙂
Hope you enjoy the recipe!
3/4s meant to add three-quarters of the frosting.
Can I use salted butter in the frosting?
Hi Mary! 🙂 Yes you can use salted butter, the frosting will just have more of a sharp taste to it (which isn’t a bad thing – just a slight different taste). Hope you enjoy the cake pops 🙂
What type of candy melt do you recommend? I tired to make cake pops before, but the candy melts never got thin enough. And when heated more, it got thicker.
Hi Abby! 🙂 Here in NZ I just use any type of chocolate labelled as ‘melts’ or ‘candy melts’. It could be that the candy melts are being overheated which is why it’s getting thicker as you’re heating it more. I would recommend melting them gently over a double boiler, or for short bursts in the microwave, mixing in between each burst (about maybe 20 second intervals). This will prevent the chocolate from burning 🙂
Hope that helps for next time Abby!
if doing chocolate pops would you still add the extra oil? and, do you have a frosting recipe for that or would you use the same?
Hi Lori! 🙂 Yes if using a boxed cake mix I would still add the extra oil 🙂
You can use the same buttercream frosting (or add a tablespoon or so of cocoa powder for extra chocolate flavor). Hope that helps and hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂