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 pops—a 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 daughter’s 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. ★★★★★”
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. ★★★★★”
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 are—super 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 moist—and 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 set—without ruining the perfectly round cake pop—is 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 scratch—no 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 flour (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
- 2–3 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 350°F (177°C). Grease 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. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on 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 30–36 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: 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 | Lollipop Sticks | 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
Do you have a chocolate frosting recipe for the same amount? The recipe posted was perfect. Looking to switch it up and make chocolate 🙂
I do! See my chocolate cake pops recipe.
Hi Sally! Thanks for all the tips. I’m fairly new to large batches of cake pops and have a question. I’m making the pops for my Dad’s 90th birthday party and the cake pops will be displayed upright. After coating and sprinkling them, is it still okay to store them in a large plastic bag for a couple of days or do I need to store them upright? Thanks in advance for your advice.
Hi Michele, Once the coating has set it’s perfectly fine to store them in a large bag or container until you are ready to put them in a display for the party!
Hi Sally! I am wanting to use this recipe for my gender reveal. Would it be possible to add either pink or blue food coloring to this cake batter? If so, do you have any recommendations on how to do so? I want the inside to show either pink or blue and the frosting on the outside to be white, for a surprise effect when you take a bite! Thanks so much!
Yes, absolutely! You can add food coloring (I recommend gel food coloring) right to the cake batter before baking the cake. The amount you add depends on how dark/light you want the color to be. Have fun!!
I made this recipe this weekend for my 13 year old for his birthday. He specifically asked for cake pops. This recipe is fantastic. Easy to follow and way better tasting than any others I tried in the past.
I did bake it on a 9×13 pan because it’s all I had. I reduced the baking time to 25 minutes and it was perfect.
Thank you!
Hi Sally! I love your cookbooks/recipes/blog. It’s so nice to have a trusted source for recipes. I know I’m not wasting my time and effort when I start baking one of your delicious treats.
This is my first time with cake pops and I’m not a fan of candy melts. How much chocolate approximately do I need to buy to coat these? I bought a few Ghiradelli baking bars and melted/colored one as a test, but it looks like I will need a lot more.
Thank you for any advice!
-Sarah
Hi Sarah, You will need about 40oz of chocolate. If you are using pure white chocolate be sure to read the recipe notes on how to melt it down with a bit of oil. Enjoy!
Can I substitute a spring form pan with a 9x 13 in pan?
Thanks!
If you don’t have a springform pan I recommend using an 11×7 pan instead.
Hi Sally,
I am making cake pops this week for my grand daughter’s Sweet 16. I have made them before but with a cake mix. I want to make this recipe you have shared. I know I read it somewhere above but can’t find it……when would I tint the cake mix if I want to make it pink?
Also, have you used red velvet cake mix? Wondering how this would work and would you use this frosting or cream cheese frosting?
Thanks!
Hi Ceci, to make the cake pink you can add the food coloring to the wet ingredients before you mix them with the dry. You can also add the food coloring as the very last step after the batter is fully mixed together. I have not used my red velvet cake to make cake pops, but other readers have told me they used it with success! If you use cream cheese frosting just keep in mind that it should be stored in the refrigerator.
Hi Sally
So I baked the butter cake and omg the cake itself tastes amazing. THANK YOU !! I’ve got an issue though, I mixed the cake and frosting made the balls but running short of coating. Can i freeze the balls without the candy coating for a few days or is it going to crack when I need to make the cake pops with coating??
I’m so glad you like them! It should be fine to freeze the cake balls until you are able to buy more ingredients for the coating.
Hi Sally,
I am planning on using your cake pop technique with your light pumpkin bar and cream cheese icing recipes…is that too daring? Would there be any reason why it wouldn’t work?
I love that combination of cake and icing and figured it would be quite the treat for Halloween!
Hi Elle! That should be just fine. Remember when making cake pops– you need less frosting than you think to get that cake pop consistency!
Ok Sally here is my question. I made your funfetti cake and I used 3- 8 in round cake pans. I didn’t spray one of the pans well enough so my cake fell apart coming out…not to fret tho because my wonderful husband said…don’t toss it just make cake pops! So…should I make one more 8 in layer cake to make sure my cake to icing ratio is accurate?? I’m already making another batch of funfetti for the replacement layer and cupcakes. Thanks!!
Hi Emily! You could make another cake layer OR just use half of the prepared frosting. Frosting freezes pretty well!
I went ahead and made another layer in a 6 in pan. It turned out perfect and everyone loved them. Thank you!!
Hi Sally! I made this special treat for our concert choir. They were a hit! I specifically wanted a recipe made from scratch and yours met my expectations. Thank you for sharing and I will keep your site close for future creations.
Hi I just baked this in a Springform pan and noticed that the cake really didn’t rise! That if I used a 9″ regular cake pan it would have been the same height. What went wrong? Thanks! Really doesn’t look like I will get 40 balls out of it. 🙁
Hi Laura, If your cake didn’t rise the first things I would suggest are to check to make sure your baking soda and baking powder are fresh, you can check your oven temperature with an inexpensive oven thermometer (most ovens are slightly off), and try not to open the oven door during the bake time. For more troubleshooting tips check out this post: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/cake-baking-tips/
My cake pops came out super gooey. Seems like the buttercream broke? I was able to scoop them. I have them chilling in the fridge…will this help?
Hi Sherry! Buttercream will break and get greasy if the butter was too warm to start with, make sure to use proper room temperature butter. Chilling the pops will help.
I’d never made cake pops before (some of my friends hadn’t even heard of them!) so these were a definite eye opener for me….they taste amazing and I got so many compliments on both the taste and how gorgeous and professional they looked. I didn’t tint the white chocolate that I dipped them into, but I tinted the frosting, so when you bit into them the filling was a pretty pink against the white coating❤
Hi Sally! Would an 8 and 1/2 inch springform pan work?
That shouldn’t be a problem!
Yes quite the daunting task/but a labor of love….200+pops!! Thank you so much for your quick response. I certainly didn’t want any surprises after putting it together have a great day Sally
Hi Sally: we are renewing our wedding vows and I chose to do a cake pop and wedding cake with 810 and 12 inch layers. How far in advance can I set that up at room temperature ( 65° ) Without the pops becoming sticky to pull off of the cake forms? I don’t want to be assembling the cake just before the service. Our event is September 21.
I can’t even imagine that many cake pops! SO fun!! If you use candy melts and the room is cool they should be ok for a day or two! Keep in mind real chocolate will melt easier.
Hello Sally,
I know from your previous comments that your frosting recipe yields about 1 cup…that being said, how much did you actually put in the cake/frosting mixture for cake pops? Did you use all of it?
Yep, all of it!
Hi Sally! I have some leftover cupcakes from a pull-apart cake I made for my kiddo’s birthday, and thought it would be fun to make them into cake pops as an extended birthday treat! I know the cake-frosting ratio is key – any tips on the right amount of frosting to use for about 10 cupcakes? (The cupcakes AND frosting come from your recipes too…thanks for being my favorite inspiration & baking expert!)
Hi Kelly, What a great use of the leftovers! Definitely go by feel for this one – you want them to come together easily without being too sticky 🙂
Hi, Sally! You’re such a saint to be answering questions two whole years later!
I wanted to know if there’s a way to make the vanilla cake a yellow cake – I’m planning to do these as yellow cake pops with chocolate coating, very Betty Crocker cake mix-esque. Do I just add yolks? I appreciate the help!
Hi Abigail! That would require some testing. You could try using my yellow cupcakes as the cake, but it may be too much batter for this size pan. Best to just stick with this recipe!
hello! Thank you for this recipe! It was delicious! I made them for a bake sale and they were a hit! I do have one question for you!:) Once my cake pops were finished and the chocolate hardened, most of my cake pop’s chocolate coating cracked. It didn’t fall off, but there would just be a crack around the side. Is there anything I can do to prevent that? Thank you!
Hi Lauren! Yes, you can definitely help prevent that next time. If you keep the shaped cake pops a little warmer– aka don’t put in the freezer or refrigerator for so long before dipping– the coating won’t crack. OR make sure that the coating isn’t too hot. The coating is cracking because it’s so warm and the pop is so cold.
Hi Sally! In your notes you recommend to bake the cake a day ahead. Does it create a better texture when rolling the balls? I was hoping to make them in one day, but I won’t if it makes a difference. Thanks for your help!
Hi Beth! You can definitely bake/cool the cake and make the cake pops all in one day. I just give the suggestion to make it ahead to save time, if desired. 🙂
How much food coloring do you suggest I put in the frosting
It’s the same amount of frosting in the recipe.
It depends on the color. If you’d like to tint the frosting, which will be mixed with the cake crumbs for these cake pops, stick with a couple drops, then add more if needed to darken the shade.
will try and post a picture =made for daughter 25th birthday . placed them in a styrofoam ring with green floral moss covered over the ring. added fake double knot out roses in the center. Recipe was exactly on point , and of course delicious. thank you for making me an amazing baker
Hi, Sally! Would paper straws work in place of the lollipop sticks?
Hi Taylor! Yes, those are a wonderful alternative to lollipop sticks.
would paper straws work in place as a pop sikel stick
Hi Rylee, we fear a paper straw will not provide enough support for the cake pop.
These were quite time consuming but delicious!! I would definitely recommend using this recipe. I did modify it a bit by using Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 baking flour to make them gluten free. I sifted the flour which helped with the texture. Everyone that ate them loved them!!
Hi Sally just wanted to say your cake pops look amazing! I’ve been doing cake pops for quite a while and yes I agree box cakes are not great they can be practical in a pinch yes but I find that they taste too artificial especially the frosting but I did notice when I started making homemade cakes they don’t roll as smooth I also noticed there are a lot more oily than the box cakes is there anything I can do to remedy this and some of them did fall off the stick when Dipping uggh! And I do after dipping them with the stick put them in the refrigerator so the little candy melt will set so they don’t fall off but with cakes from scratch I noticed sometimes they still do
This is my second time making these cake pops! They are so delicious!!!
Sally, do you think if I put two tablespoons of vanilla in the frosting, will it be too moist?? I may have accidentally put two tablespoons instead of 1 and I’m afraid they aren’t going to work out.
Do you mean 2 teaspoons? Because that would be fine. 2 Tablespoons would be a lot of excess liquid. Let me know how they turn out!