How to Make Cake Pops

Co-authored by Jennifer Levasseur

Last Updated: June 24, 2024 Approved

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Cupcakes might be delicious; but cake pops are delicious as well and a lot more fun! Cake pops are a sweet treat consisting of cake turned into a lollipop. Originally made famous by Bakerella,^{[1]
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Research source} cake pops also ended up in Starbucks and bakeries. Making your own at home is a cinch and a whole lot of fun too. They're also ideal for any party––from kid through adult, all will be delighted to bite into cake instead of hard candy.

Ingredients

Cake mix of your choice (or make your own)
Frosting
Chocolate for melting - milk or dark, your choice; and some white for decorating purposes, if you'd like
White chocolate wafers (optional)
Sprinkles (optional)

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Recipe for Cake Pops

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Bake a cake. It doesn't matter what type. Make the flavor that you enjoy most!
After taking the cake out of the oven, be sure it is totally cool before you start transforming it into cake pops.^{[2]
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Use either your hands or a spoon to take the cooled cake out of the pan and place it into a large bowl. Mix to break down the cake into fine crumbs, using either an electric mixer or your hands.
- This is messy fun. If you have kids, they will probably adore doing this step for you. However, be sure their hands are clean! You don't want to eat cake pops that have been touched by dirty fingers.
Add about half of it into the crumbs. Basically, what you want is to form a doughy texture again. If you need to add more frosting, feel free to do so. Make sure it is all mixed and ensure that there is no part of the cake crumb mixture without frosting.
Round them out with your hands; this is so they aren't as sticky. Make sure that each forms a perfect little ball. You need them to be even when you are dipping them into chocolate.^{[3]
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if you don't have parchment paper you can also use oiled aluminum foil. Then place in the freezer for 10 minutes or so to firm up.
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Melt some chocolate in a double boiler. The chocolate that you use to cover strawberries is recommended.
- You can also use crushed-up white chocolate wafers as the outer layer if you prefer.
The stick should be inserted a little less than halfway; just as far as it feels sturdy to hold is adequate.^{[4]
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This is to ensure that they are fully covered. Be very careful at this point––you don't want the balls to break and fall into the chocolate. Gently tap them above the chocolate to remove any excess chocolate.
with sprinkles, frosting, or other toppings as desired.
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Then (if you want) melt some white chocolate. Put it into a plastic bag and cut a hole at the corner. Decorate each cake pop using the melted white chocolate in the way you want. This step is optional but provides a great opportunity to write a person's name, the name of a sports team and to draw images, patterns or symbols.
This is to make them stay firm and to keep them fresh until serving time

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Other Varieties of Cake Pops

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. These cake pops are simple, unique, creamy, and tasty too! The nice taste of coconut will make taste buds die for more.
. These divine cake pops are the perfect treat for family desserts and camping trips. Chocolate fans in your house will love these a ton!
. What a treat these are! These pops have the perfect blend of blueberry which causes them to taste so good.
. Sometimes, cake pops just need a little bit of chocolate to make them mouth-watering. Serve these on a cold day, along with some hot chocolate.
. These cake pops are a great and a unique way to indulge in cakes without having to modify a recipe at all, and to be able to switch some ingredients around in a traditional cake pop.
. We've all heard of an apple cinnamon cake, but how about molding them into little balls for cake pops? These sweet treats are great for autumn and guests.
. They are simple and special, and who could have thought of recreating cake pops with a blend of french toast? Be prepared for a tasty mix!

Community Q&A

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Question

How can I get the candy melts to stop running down the pop?

Community Answer

Avoid thinning down the candy melts too much; they're no designed to be thinned down too much. Also take care to turn the cake pop gently and slowly to coat it; don't rush the coating or stand the pop up too soon after coating.

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Question

Can I use melted Wilton's white candy melts to cover the cake pops?

Community Answer

Yes, the candy melts are thick enough so that you only need to dip the cake pops one time.

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Question

How long do I keep it in the refrigerator?

Community Answer

When you round the cake pop you stick it in the refrigerator for 10 minutes, then when you dip it in the chocolate, keep it in the fridge for 30 minutes.

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Troubleshooting Problems: Trying to Fix Your Cake Pops

My cake pops won't stay on the stick... Don't forget you need to freeze your cake pops before poking them on the stick. Otherwise it'll just fall off and crack. Fresh cake is too soft for the balls to hold together on a stick. Another tip: Try sticking the top of your cake pop sticks with icing or frosting. The frosting/icing is like glue when you place the ball on top, and it should stay on better by not falling off.
My cake pops are cracking... Cake pops that crack are not a really big deal; You can easily cover it up with frosting or melted chocolate. However, when adding icing or glaze on your cake pops (or maybe eating them plain) you'll see the cracks and they don't always look pleasant. Ensure your cake pop balls are not too big, the bigger the pops, the harder it is to have it look round like a ball. Cake pops should be about the size of munchkins. If you're still seeing cracks, you might have not added enough frosting in the cake when you were rolling it up. Add 1/2 cup more and try again.
My cake pops are too sweet... It's either the cake or frosting that made it too sweet. If you made the cake and frosting homemade, check to make sure you added the right amount of sugar and vanilla. If the cake is boxed and the frosting is canned, you might want to try making yours homemade or try buying a new box/can. Factories sometimes accidentally use too much sugar in their food, adding too much fondant or toppings on your cake pops can also make them sweet as well.
I used melted chocolate on top of my cake pops but it's cracking... Sometimes overheating the chocolate before dipping causes the chocolate to crack from the heat. And freezing your cake pops for too long makes the chocolate to crack from the cold. Once the chocolate on the cake pops are hard from freezing immediately remove them. Don't melt your chocolate for too long as well, once the chocolate is a liquid it's done.
The toppings (i.e. sprinkles, chocolate chips, etc..) I put on my cake pops are falling off... Remember to immediately top your cake pops when the coating is still wet. Have your toppings set up on your cooking space before you start covering the cake pops.
After coating my cake pops these bubbles appear... Those are air bubbles and happen a lot. The oils or butter from the cake pops try to get out and those bubble start to appear. You can't really avoid air bubbles from coming unless you take out the butter or oil all together. However, when air bubbles strike the grease gets out of the pops and doesn't leave them tasting so good. While the coating is wet, use a toothpick to pop each air bubble when it appears. The grease is still here, and the cake pops have not lost their flavor.

Reader Videos

Tips

Use candy melts (for dipping) to look professional, instead of normal cake frosting! Candy melts come in many different colors, too. Frosting has a clumpy texture, and doesn't hold very well.

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Avoid adding too much frosting, since this will make the pops too sweet.

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You may want to give the cake pops to an honest friend or relative so that you can get a good opinion on how they taste.

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