How to Make Cake Pops Easy: A Foolproof Beginner’s Guide!
Ah, the cake pop. That adorable, perfect little sphere of cake on a stick, all dressed up in a shiny candy shell. You’ve seen them at parties, you’ve admired them at coffee shops, and you’ve probably thought to yourself, “Nope. Too fussy. Too complicated. I am not that kind of person.”
I am here today to tell you that is a delicious lie. I am here to pull back the curtain on the world of these tiny treats and show you how to make cake pops easy. The secret? It involves a box of cake mix, a can of your favorite frosting, and the deeply therapeutic act of destroying a perfectly good cake with your bare hands.
If that doesn’t sound like a fun afternoon project, I don’t know what does. So, are you ready to become a pop star? Let’s get rolling.
Why This Recipe is Awesome
If the idea of channeling your inner child and playing with your food isn’t enough, here are a few more reasons why this is the best way to make cake pops.
- It’s Genuinely, Truly Easy: We are deliberately taking all the hard parts out of the equation. By using a reliable box cake mix and pre-made frosting, we eliminate any baking variables. This lets us focus on the fun part: the construction and decoration. It’s a craft project you can eat.
- Endlessly Customizable: The flavor combinations are literally infinite. Chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting? Yellow cake with chocolate frosting? Strawberry on strawberry? Funfetti with vanilla? The world is your cake pop. Go wild.
- Perfect for Parties and Imperfect Cakes: These are the ultimate party treat—portable, adorable, and perfectly portioned. This recipe is also the absolute best way to use up a cake that maybe cracked, stuck to the pan, or came out a little dry. A broken cake is just a future cake pop’s origin story!
Ingredients
We’re keeping this simple, accessible, and stress-free. No fancy, hard-to-find ingredients here!
- 1 box of your favorite cake mix (plus the ingredients called for on the box, usually oil, water, and eggs)
- ½ to ¾ cup of your favorite canned frosting (start with less!)
- 1 bag (about 12 ounces) of Candy Melts in your desired color. Pro Tip: These are much easier for beginners to work with than regular chocolate.
- About 40-50 Lollipop Sticks (6-inch sticks are a great size)
- Sprinkles, sanding sugar, or other fun decorations
- Optional: 2 teaspoons of vegetable shortening or coconut oil (to help thin the candy coating if needed)
Tools & kitchen gadgets used
You don’t need a professional candy-making setup, just a few key items to make the process smooth and fun.
- A 9×13 inch Baking Pan
- A Very Large Mixing Bowl
- A Baking Sheet lined with Parchment or Wax Paper
- A Microwave-Safe Bowl (a deep, narrow one is better for dipping than a wide, shallow one)
- A Silicone Spatula
- A Cookie Scoop (about 1.5 tablespoons in size – this is the secret to uniform cake balls!)
- A Styrofoam Block, a chunk of floral foam, or a sturdy cardboard box with holes poked in it (for drying the finished pops)
Step-by-step instructions
Alright, let’s get our hands dirty. This is a process, but I promise each step is super simple.
Step 1: Bake and Completely Destroy the Cake First, bake your 9×13 inch cake according to the box directions. Once it’s baked, let it cool completely. Not a little warm. Not kinda cool. Completely. Once it’s cool, it’s time for demolition. Crumble the entire cake into your large mixing bowl. Get your hands in there and break it down until it resembles fine, sandy crumbs. No large chunks allowed!
Step 2: Make the Cake “Dough” Add ½ cup of frosting to your bowl of cake crumbs. Now, use your clean hands to knead and mix it all together. You’re looking for a consistency like play-doh. It should be moist enough to hold together in a ball when you squeeze it, but not so wet that it’s mushy or greasy. If it’s still too crumbly, add another tablespoon of frosting at a time until you reach the right texture.
Step 3: Roll and Chill Use your cookie scoop to portion out the cake “dough.” This ensures all your pops are the same size and will look professional. Roll each portion firmly between your palms to create smooth, round balls. Place the finished cake balls on your parchment-lined baking sheet. Once they’re all rolled, this is a mandatory nap time for your cake balls. Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or the freezer for 15 minutes.
Step 4: Melt the Candy Coating When you’re ready to dip, pour your candy melts into a deep, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave them in 30-second intervals at 50% power, stirring well with a spatula after each interval, until they are completely melted and smooth. If the coating seems too thick for dipping, stir in 1-2 teaspoons of shortening or coconut oil to thin it out.
Step 5: The All-Important “Glue” Trick This is the most crucial step for success, so pay attention! Take one of your lollipop sticks and dip the tip about ½ inch into the melted candy coating. Immediately insert this “glued” end of the stick about halfway into a chilled cake ball. The melted candy will act like cement, securing the cake ball to the stick. Do this for all of your cake balls and place them back on the baking sheet for a few minutes to set.
Step 6: The Final Dip Now for the main event. Hold the cake pop by the stick and dip it straight down into the bowl of melted candy until the entire cake ball is submerged. Lift it straight out. Do not swirl it around, as this can cause the cake ball to twist off the stick. Gently tap the stick on the side of the bowl to let any excess candy drip off.
Step 7: Decorate and Dry While the candy coating is still wet, immediately add your sprinkles. The coating sets very quickly! Once decorated, stick the finished cake pop upright into your styrofoam block or cake pop stand to dry completely without smudging.
Calories & Nutritional Info
It’s a ball of cake, frosting, and candy on a stick. It’s a treat, and a delicious one at that.
- Serving Size: 1 cake pop
- Estimated Calories: Around 150-200 kcal, depending on the cake flavor and decorations.
- This is a good source of: Smiles, party vibes, and pure, unadulterated sugar energy.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Avoid these cake pop catastrophes for a smooth, stress-free, and successful experience.
- The Frosting Flood: This is the #1 sin of cake pop making. Using too much frosting creates a heavy, greasy, and overly soft cake ball that is too weak to hold its shape and will slide right off the stick in a sad, gloopy mess. Start with less frosting than you think you need. You can always add more, but you can’t take it away.
- Skipping the All-Important Chill Time: A warm, soft cake ball will disintegrate the moment it hits the warm candy coating. Chilling the cake balls is mandatory. It makes them firm and stable, so they can handle the dip without falling apart.
- The Dreaded Candy Shell Crack: This is usually caused by a drastic temperature difference. If you dip a freezing-cold pop straight from the freezer into very hot candy, the shell can crack as it cools. For best results, let your melted candy cool for a minute or two, and let your cake balls sit at room temp for a few minutes before dipping.
- Forgetting to “Glue” the Stick: If you just jam a dry stick into the cake ball, it has nothing to hold onto. It will fall off, I guarantee it. Dipping the stick in candy first creates a strong, cement-like bond that is absolutely essential for success.
Variations & Customizations
The sky’s the limit! Once you have the basic technique down, you can play around and get creative.
- Creative Flavor Combinations: Think outside the vanilla box! Try a red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting, a lemon cake with lemon frosting, a chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting, or a spice cake with cinnamon frosting.
- Shape Shifters: Who says they have to be round? After mixing the dough, gently mold it into other simple shapes before chilling—cubes, ovals, or even hearts for a special occasion.
- The “Surprise Inside” Cake Pop: Take your portion of cake dough, flatten it in your palm, and place a small treat in the center—like a mini marshmallow, a Rolo caramel, or a few chocolate chips. Then, carefully roll it up into a ball, enclosing the surprise inside.
FAQ Section
All your burning questions about these little balls of joy, answered.
1. Why do my cake pops keep falling off the stick? This is usually caused by one of three things: the cake balls have too much frosting and are too heavy/greasy, they weren’t chilled enough before dipping, or you forgot to dip the stick in melted candy first to act as glue.
2. Why is my candy coating cracking? This is almost always due to “thermal shock”—the temperature difference between your very cold cake pop and your very hot candy coating was too great. Let your pops warm up slightly and your candy cool slightly before dipping.
3. Can I use regular chocolate chips instead of candy melts? You can, but it’s trickier for beginners. Melted chocolate chips are very thick and can be difficult to dip smoothly. You’ll need to stir in a good amount of shortening or coconut oil to thin them out. Candy melts are designed specifically for this purpose and give a much easier, smoother finish.
4. How far in advance can I make cake pops? You can make the cake balls (pre-dipping) up to 2 days in advance and keep them in an airtight container in the fridge. Fully assembled cake pops can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature (if your house is cool) or in the fridge for up to a week.
5. How do you store finished cake pops? Once they are completely dry, you can store them upright in their stand, or lay them down in a single layer in an airtight container. You can also wrap them individually in small cellophane bags for gifting, which looks very professional!
6. My candy coating is too thick! How do I thin it? Stir in 1 teaspoon of vegetable shortening or coconut oil at a time until it reaches a smooth, fluid consistency that drips easily off a spoon.
7. What’s the best way to get a perfectly smooth finish on my cake pops? The secret is to tap off the excess! After dipping, gently but firmly tap the wrist of the hand holding the cake pop. This encourages the excess coating to drip off evenly, leaving you with a thin, smooth shell.
Final Thoughts
Look at you, a certified pop-star! You took a simple box of cake mix and turned it into an army of adorable, delicious, perfectly-portioned treats. You’ve conquered the cake on a stick. You’ve mastered the dip. You now hold the key to winning any bake sale and being the hero of any birthday party.
Now go on, share them with friends, give them as gifts, or just admire your incredibly professional-looking handiwork. You’ve totally earned it.