Learn how to make homemade cake pops completely from scratch, with no box cake mix or canned frosting. Combine homemade vanilla cake and vanilla buttercream and dip in white chocolate for a sweet treat kids (and adults, too!) always go crazy for. Watch the video tutorial for all my best shaping tips.
See my chocolate cake pops recipe, too.
I originally published this recipe in 2015 and have since added new photos and a video.
Have you ever seen a child peering into the food display case at Starbucks? I’m not an expert, but I’m willing to bet that 9 times out of 10, the child will ask for a cake pop. This is definitely the case with my own kids, anyway! There’s just something so irresistible about those Starbucks cake popsโa perfectly portioned treat on a stick in eye-catching colors and shapes, topped with sprinkles. It’s hard to say no to something this tempting!
I first began making homemade cake pops when I wrote Sally’s Candy Addiction. In fact, this recipe is published in that book. I wanted to share it on my website as well because I’ve received lots of questions about making from-scratch cake pops.
One reader, Debby, commented: “Made 160 vanilla and chocolate cake pops for my daughterโs graduation party! They turned out great! Many asked where we had purchased them. They looked amazing and tasted awesome, too! Thanks, Sally, for your rolling advice, tips, and techniques. It was nice that you could prepare them ahead of time and freeze them. โ โ โ โ โ ”
One reader, Luisa, commented: “My first time making cake pops and they were perfect! My kids and their friends loved them. This recipe is going to be a staple in our house for special occasions. โ โ โ โ โ ”
Taste the Homemade
The difference between these cake pops and others you may have tried is that these are 100% homemade. There’s no box cake mix or canned frosting, which results in a totally unique cake pop experience. You can actually TASTE the homemade.
Today I’ll go over all my tips, tricks, and secrets to crafting the perfect pop as well as the homemade vanilla cake and vanilla buttercream used inside. There’s lots of ground to cover so let’s pop right to it. (Couldn’t help myself!)
How to Make Homemade Cake Pops
Since we’re leaving the box cake mix and canned frosting on the store shelves, we’ll need to take extra time to prep both from scratch. Here’s an overview of the process:
- Make a 1-layer vanilla cake and let cool.
- Make vanilla buttercream frosting.
- Crumble cake into frosting and mix.
- Roll the mixture into balls.
- Dip in melted chocolate.
- Top with sprinkles and let dry.
- EAT!
Make-Ahead Tip: You can make the cake in advance, because it needs to cool completely before you crumble it into the frosting. I always make the cake the night before, then finish the cake pops the next day.
My recipe for vanilla cake is very straightforward. It’s basically a scaled-down version of my favorite vanilla layer cake. I encourage you to use the correct size pan for the cake. This cake is too large for a typical 9-inch cake pan. You’ll need to use a 9-inch springform pan because it rises quite high. Or you can use an 11×7-inch pan instead. A 10-inch springform pan would work as well.
Besides lollipop sticks, a mixer, and the correct size pan, you don’t really need much else to get started!
Then make the vanilla frosting. The difference between this and frosting out of a container is the TASTE; you can tell these cake pops are special and it’s because you started with from-scratch components. This frosting recipe yields *just enough* to barely moisten the cake crumbs. Any more than that and the cake pops would be greasy.
Now it’s time to crumble the cake and mix with your frosting.
(Crumbling the cake into the frosting sounds super weird when you think about it and that’s exactly what cake pops areโsuper weird when you think about it. It’s cake and frosting mixed together to form a truffle-like ball. Pop a stick in it and dunk into coating. Yep, it’s weirdly delicious and awesome and you need to embrace it.)
Once the two are mixed together, it’s time to roll the mixture into balls.
3 Success Tips for Shaping & Dipping Cake Pops
Success Tip #1: It’s easier to roll the cake + frosting mixture into perfectly round balls if it’s cold. So what I do is roll the balls right after the two are mixed together. They’re pretty misshapen because the cake + frosting mixture is super moistโand at room temperature. Chill the balls in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. After that, give them another quick roll to smooth out the sides. When they’re cold, they’re easier to smooth out and form perfectly round shapes.
Now let’s dunk! You can dip the cake balls in melted white chocolate, which is what I prefer for the best taste, but that stuff is pretty expensive. And you need a good amount for all 40 cake pops! If desired, you can use candy melts/candy coating instead.
- A 2-cup glass liquid measuring cup is the perfect depth for dipping the cake pops.
- You can used colored candy melts or tint the white chocolate with gel food coloring.
Success Tip #2: To ensure the cake ball stays secure on the lollipop stick, dip one end of the stick into the coating first (just about 1/2 inch down). Then insert the coated end into the center of the cake ball. This helps the cake ball adhere to the lollipop stick.
Success Tip #3: The best way to allow the coating to dry and setโwithout ruining the perfectly round cake popโis to place them right-side-up in a large styrofoam block or even a box. I used a box, as pictured below, for this batch. I just poked little holes into it.
Easy and cheap:
If you’re topping with sprinkles (always recommended!), add them now before the chocolate sets. I used rainbow sprinkles on the white chocolate and white sprinkles on the light pink-tinted white chocolate (like Starbucks!).
Cake pops dry/set within an hour or so.
Cake Pop FAQs
Cake pops are an ideal celebration-worthy treat to make ahead of time because they freeze beautifully. I simply freeze them in a large zip-top freezer bag or freezer-safe container after they’ve fully dried. They can stay in the freezer for up to 6 weeks, then thaw them overnight in the fridge.
Tinting the coating brings a fun POP of color! I usually stick to just white + one other color. Again, you can use colored candy melts for the coating or you can tint the white chocolate with gel food coloring. Then of course you can mix up what sprinkles you use!
Check out my recipe for chocolate cake pops here. You can also switch up dunking in white or dark chocolate.
If your cake pops have some cracks on them, the melted chocolate could have been too hot. Let the melted chocolate or candy coating sit for 5 minutes to slightly cool down before dunking the cold cake balls into it. That usually helps!
Homemade Cake Pops
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 36 minutes
- Total Time: 7 hours
- Yield: 40 pops
- Category: Cake Pops
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Homemade vanilla cake pops with vanilla buttercream from scratchโno cake mix or canned frosting! Follow my thorough instructions, tips, and video tutorial for best results.
Ingredients
- 1 and 2/3 cups (209g) all-purpose flourย (spooned & leveled)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk (or buttermilk)
Frosting
- 7 Tablespoons (99g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 and 3/4 cups (210g) confectioners’ sugar
- 2โ3 teaspoons heavy cream or whole milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Coating
- 24 ounces (678g) candy melts (or white chocolate bars)*
- sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ยฐF (177ยฐC). Greaseย a 9-inch springform pan.
- Make the cake: Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until creamed, about 3 minutes. (Hereโs a helpful tutorial if you need guidance onย how to cream butter and sugar.) Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat on high speed until combined. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the dry ingredients and milk to the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until combined. Give the thick batter a quick stir with a spatula to ensure there are no large lumps at the bottom of the bowl. Pour and spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 30โ36 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If the top begins browning too quickly in the oven, loosely tent with a piece of aluminum foil.
- Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack.
- Make the frosting:ย With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla extract and mix on low speed to combine. Increase to high speed and beat for 3 full minutes.
- Crumble the cooled cake into the bowl on top of the frosting. Make sure there are no large lumps. Turn the mixer on low speed and beat the frosting and cake crumbles together until combined.
- Scoop 1 Tablespoon (about 20g) of cake/frosting mixture and roll into a ball. Place balls on a lined baking sheet. Refrigerate for 2 hours, or freeze for 1 hour to set the shape. Re-roll the chilled cake pop balls to smooth out, if needed. Place the tray back into the fridge, as you’ll only work with a couple at a time.
- Melt the chocolate or candy melts in a 2-cup liquid measuring cup (best for dunking!) in the microwave in 20-second increments, stirring after each increment, until melted and smooth. You can also use a double boiler on the stove, if you prefer.
- Coat the cake balls: Remove just 2 or 3 cake balls from the refrigerator at a time. Dip the end of a lollipop stick about 1/2 inch into the coating, then insert the coated end into the center of the cake ball. Only push it about halfway through the cake ball. Dip the cake ball into the coating until it is completely covered. Make sure the coating covers the base of the cake ball where it meets the lollipop stick. Very gently tap the stick against the edge of the measuring cup to allow excess coating to drip off. Decorate the top with sprinkles and place upright into a styrofoam block or box (as explained in the blog post). Repeat with remaining cake balls, working with just a few out of the refrigerator at a time. The cake balls must be very cold when dipping!
- Coating will set within an hour. Store cake pops in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: I always make the cake 1 day ahead of time. Cover and keep at room temperature. You can store the undipped cake balls in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or freeze them for up to 6 weeks. Allow to thaw in the refrigerator, then continue with step 9. You can also freeze the finished cake pops for up to 6 weeks once the coating has fully set. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9-inch Springform Pan (a 10-inch springform pan or 11×7-inch pan will work, too) | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Cooling Rack | Baking Sheet | Silicone Baking Mat or Parchment Paper | Glass Measuring Cup |ย Lollipop Sticks |ย Americolor Food Coloring
- Coating: You can use candy coating/candy melts, or chopped white chocolate. I typically use Ghirardelli brand white chocolate melting wafers. Semi-sweet, bittersweet, or milk chocolate baking bars work, too. Coarsely chop the chocolate and place it in a microwave-safe bowl or glass liquid measuring cup, along with 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil to help thin it out. Microwave in 20-second increments, stirring after each 20 seconds, until melted and smooth. Keep warm over a double boiler.
Reader Comments and Reviews
These were delicious! A little time consuming, but definitely worth it! The finished result made us feel like professionals!
I made these for the first time with freshly milled flour and they came out fantastic. But as someone else mentioned, they are very sweet inside.. So my question is, will the ball still hold its shape if I added less frosting to the crumbled cake?? Thank you ! Will be making 80 of these this weekend!
Hi Rosie, you can certainly try using less frosting. You need less frosting than you think to get that cake pop consistency!
I LOVE this recipe! It is so good and i hope everybody makes it. don’t give up!
Hello!
This recipe was amazing! I tweaked a few things but it turned out great. I will be sharing this with my dance troupe and will be keeping this recipe as a FAVORITE! Thank you so much for this amazing website! I was wondering if you have any ideas of what to do with leftover cake crumbs? Thank you1
Super love all your recipes. This one has me wondering because everything I’ve read says that gel coloring (which is water-based) will seize your chocolate. I’ve read that only oil-based color will work. Can you please tell me more?
Thanks!
Hi Ty, that’s correct. When it comes to true melted chocolate (white chocolate or chocolate bars), youโre absolutely right: adding a water-based gel coloring can sometimes cause seizing, and oil-based candy colors are the safest choice. But in this recipe, weโre using candy melts, which are formulated very differently from real chocolate. And if you’re using white chocolate, you’ll add a bit of vegetable to help prevent it. (See recipe Note!)
Why use a springform pan, and not just a regular 9โ pan?
Hi Lucy, this recipe can be made using two 8-inch cake pans instead of the springform pan. Hope this helps!
Hi Sally
You say these can be frozen for 6 weeks, please can you tell me if that is with oe without the chocolate coating. Thank you. Iโd like to make these for Christmas.
Hi Ali, you can freeze either way! See Notes after the recipe: You can store the undipped cake balls in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or freeze them for up to 6 weeks. Allow to thaw in the refrigerator, then continue with step 9. You can also freeze the finished cake pops for up to 6 weeks once the coating has fully set. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
I find the problem with cake pops is that they are SO sweet. I usually can’t finish even one. Any suggestions to make them not overly sweet?
Hi Jen! The combination of cake and frosting will make an inherently sweet treat, but you can try coating with a bittersweet chocolate to balance that out.
I made your best vanilla cake with cake flour and buttermilk. If I made these into cake pops what would be the amount of frosting added?
Hi Julie! We’re unsure of the exact amount of frosting you’ll need, but you can add it until you reach the correct consistency. The video tutorial above should give you a good idea of what you’re looking for!
Thanks so much! Iโve never made them or eaten so wasn’t sure the consistency.
Wanting to make these for my sonโs birthday party do you think I could add sprinkles to the batter? And if so how much
Hi Janet, weโd start by adding 1/4 cup of sprinkles to this batter for confetti cake pops. Hope theyโre a hit!
Loved the taste and look these but did not enjoy coating them – my climate is too hot to keep it all cool enough for setting, and then eating. Is it possible to coat these with a dusting of cocoa powder instead of melted chocolate? Or some other coating that would not melt in 25-30C ambient temperature?
Hi Sara, you could certainly try a dusting of cocoa powder and/or confectioners’ sugar instead, but if you are in a hot/humid climate then those toppings may “melt” into the cake pops and/or become quite sticky. Are you dipping the cake pops while they are still cool from the refrigerator? That will help. If you have a cooler spot to let them set, that will help the cake pops to set before storing in the refrigerator. Thanks for giving these a try!
Can these sustain at room temp for 24 hours with the coating and everything already on it?
Hi Gabby, a cool room temperature should be fine for 24 hours.
Hello, I tried this recipe and mine are SO sticky I canโt roll them- not sure where I went wrong because the chocolate ones turned out perfect! I crumbled 12 more vanilla cupcakes I had in the freezer and tried to ball again and Its still super sticky.
Hi Rebecca, happy to help! Did the frosting seem like the correct consistency? Did you make any changes to the recipe?
Worst recipe ever! The cake balls fell apart as I tried to dip them.
I didn’t have that problem! It sounds like there wasn’t enough icing to hold the cake together, or you didn’t let them sit in the fridge/freezer long enough. Did you follow the recipe exactly?
Hi! So, I made these once before, and I ate a little bit of the crumbled cake, and it was SO GOOD! The best vanilla cake, I’ve ever eaten! So, I want to use the cake batter for cupcakes. Do you have any idea of how many that would make and a guess to what the bake time would be? Thanks a lot! =)
Hi AB, We’re so glad you love these! This recipe is a scaled down version of our Vanilla Cake. The full recipe makes about 3 dozen cupcakes.
First time making chocolate cake pops. Dough/balls are delicious. how do you store plain cake pops or coated cake pops in the refrigerator? Do you cover them or put them in a container with a lid?
Is there concern about condensation on the coated cake pops? Is there concern about picking up refrigerator odors?
Thanking you so much for your response.
Hi Helen, you can lightly cover the cake pops or store them in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.