Easy Cake Pop Recipe
Create delicious homemade cake pops with this beginner-friendly recipe! These bite-sized treats, coated in candy melts and decorated with sprinkles, are perfect for parties or gifting.
Ingredients
- -1 9x13-inch baked cake (box cake mix or homemade, vanilla, chocolate, or red velvet)
- - 1/2 cup frosting buttercream or cream cheese, store-bought or homemade
- - 16 ounces candy melts chocolate or colored
- - 20-30 lollipop sticks
- - 1/4 cup sprinkles optional, for decoration
- - 1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil optional, to thin candy coating
Instructions
- Bake and Cool Cake: Prepare a 9x13-inch cake using a box mix or homemade recipe. Let it cool completely at room temperature (1-2 hours) to prevent soggy dough.
- Crumble Cake: Break the cooled cake into fine crumbs in a large mixing bowl using your hands or a stand mixer. Remove any hard edges or crusts for a soft texture.
- Mix with Frosting: Add 1/4 cup frosting to the crumbs and mix well. Gradually add up to 1/2 cup until the mixture forms a dough-like consistency that holds together.
- Shape Cake Balls: Use a cookie scoop or spoon to portion the dough. Roll into 1-inch balls and place on a parchment-lined baking tray. Chill in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours or freezer for 15-20 minutes to firm up.
- Melt Candy Coating: In a microwave-safe bowl, melt 16 ounces of candy melts in 30-second intervals, stirring between each. Add 1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil if too thick, until smooth and pourable.
- Insert Sticks: Dip the tip of each lollipop stick in melted candy coating and insert halfway into a chilled cake ball to secure it.
- Dip Cake Pops: Fully dip each cake ball into the candy melts, gently tapping to remove excess coating. Work quickly to avoid crumbling.
- Decorate and Set: Add sprinkles while the coating is wet. Place the cake pop upright in a styrofoam block or cardboard box to set at room temperature (30-60 minutes).
Notes
Tips and Variations
- Use any cake flavor (red velvet, lemon, or funfetti) for variety.
- Substitute cream cheese frosting with buttercream or chocolate ganache for different textures.
- For a smoother coating, ensure candy melts are fully melted and at a pourable consistency.
- Chill cake balls thoroughly to prevent them from falling off the sticks during dipping.
- Add food coloring to white candy melts for themed cake pops (e.g., blue for baby showers).
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Sugar: 15g
- Protein: 1g
Note: Nutrition values are estimates and vary based on cake mix and frosting used.