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
Love this recipe!! Made it several times and it’s been perfect every time! I wanted to make a strawberry flavor, is it possible to add strawberries to batter or do an icing with strawberries? Any suggestions? Thank you!
Hi Irina, we’d recommend using our strawberry cake batter (or strawberry cupcakes batter for a smaller yield) instead! And here is our strawberry buttercream frosting recipe. Let us know how it goes!
I do love your recipes. You’ve got the greatest recipes for kid’s & adults !! Keep it up!
Recipe was great! Instructions super easy to understand! Is there anyway to reduce the sugar?
Hi Ruchna, you can reduce the confectioners’ sugar in the frosting but that will create a much thinner frosting. It shouldn’t make a huge difference in the texture of the cake pops, though. (Or you can very slightly reduce the sugar in the cake.)
Sally’s recipes are the best!I’m really excited to try making cake pops. I was wondering if I can make any of your other cake recipes into cake pops and which ones are the best for them. I am looking for fall flavors in particular, such as apple, pumpkin, and snickerdoodle cakes. All of your recipes are always a big hit and I know they’ll come out right if it’s your recipe. Thank you for all of your delicious recipes!!!
Hi Diana! Yes, you can make cake pops with most cake recipes – it’s just a matter of finding the right ratio of cake to frosting, which will depend on the recipes. Let us know what you try!
can I also add some sprinkles to the cake batter? If yes, approximately how much? Thank you.
Hi Amy, Yes, absolutely! We’d start with 1/4 cup of sprinkles.
These recipes seem real delicious. So looking forward to trying sone of them.
I appreciate that the instructions are very clear, however just beware that this recipe turned out EXTREMELY SWEET. This is my first time making this, so I’m following the recipe without any adjustment, and the flavor is way too sweet for my taste.
Followed recipe to a “T” except used Bob’s Red Mill GF 1:1 flour (needed GF items for bake sale). Turned out perfectly. I am not GF and I could tell the plain cake was GF, but once mixed with frosting for cake pops, really couldn’t tell! Coated half in milk chocolate and another in white chocolate, all with rainbow sprinkles. Thanks so much for the detailed directions/tips – extremely useful!
It was a a huge it! I made a double batch, baked half as a cake and frosted it, and made the rest into cake pops. Then I stuck the pops into the cake for decoration. Everyone loved it! Thank you!
Wish I could post a picture but I can’t figure it out lol
It was a a huge it! I made a double batch, baked half as a cake and frosted it, and made the rest into cake pops. Then I stuck the pops into the cake for decoration. Everyone loved it! Thank you!
Thanks for these recipes! A-MAZ-ING! I have 2 quick questions…
Can I freeze the finished (fully decorated) pops even after they were frozen for a few weeks prior to dipping? Or once frozen can’t refreeze? (like most foods)
Also, When I dip them straight out of the frig I seem to get a lot of cracks, even having my melts thinned down. Is there another way to preven cracking? I’m using Mercken’s chocolate melts with shortening or ez thins. (Both do the same)
Thank you in advance for your help!
Hi Christi, the coating can crack because of the temperature difference between the coating and the cake. You can definitely help prevent it by making sure that the coating isn’t too hot before dipping (let it sit for a few minutes before dunking). You can also let the cake balls sit at room temperature for a few minutes before dunking for extra assurance. Hope this helps and that you enjoy the recipe!
Sally has never steered me wrong and these cake pops are no exception! I tried make these a few years back and it was a disaster- so happy Sally had a recipe for them and as usual I followed the recipe to a T and they turned out amazing!!
Can I use avocado oil in place of butter for the cake?
Hi Candice, butter is best so that it can be creamed together with the sugar. You could try coconut oil instead (you need a fat that is solid at room temperature), but the results may be different.
Hi Sally!
If I wanted to add sprinkles to the cake batter (it’s being used for a baby shower) would you recommend still using jimmies to prevent the cake from turning colour? Or using non-pareils since they’re smaller.
Thanks!
Hi Beth, Sprinkles can bleed, but if you let them thaw outside of a container, the sprinkles aren’t as likely to bleed because nothing is trapping in the condensation. Use quality sprinkles or even naturally colored sprinkles. We’d start with 1/4 cup.
I used this recipe for my cooking class but I would like to know how many cake pop should this recipe make.
Hi Grace, this recipe yields about 40 cake pops.
The cake was good and icing is nice but when I put them together it turned to mush … not like a cake pop texture – but very wet and mushy so I had to throw it out ….. I followed directions precisely and was disappointed because I loved the flavour .
I volunteered to make cake pops. I thought that doing it quickly that would be easy. Wrong. The box cake was very moist. The frosting recipe turned out to be too much. After I made a few and they kept coming off the sticks. But my family tried them. I was told it was too moist. And they didn’t care for the pops. So I went searching the internet. Sally’s cake pops is the winner. Making a cake from scratch was great. And not too much frosting. Thank you Sally. They will be the hit of the party. ❤️
Hi, I made both the vanilla and chocolate cakes today, in preparation to make the pops tomorrow. I used an 8″ springform pan, and new containers of baking soda and powder. Both cakes are very low, like an inch to an inch and a half. I realize there is very little flour in the recipe, so I think they are probably fine. I just wanted to check and make sure they are ok, before I move forward. My plan is to dip them to look like little fishing bobbers for my grandson’s OFISHally ONE themed birthday party. Thanks for any advice you can offer!
Hi Jackie, it doesn’t sound like there should be an issue. (I’m just seeing this comment now!) How were the cake pops when you put them together?
When does the milk go in for the cake??
Hi Erin, in step 3, add the dry ingredients and milk to the wet ingredients until combined.
I made these for my son and daughter-in-law’s rehearsal dinner and they were fantastic! I used the vanilla recipe for the “bride” and dipped in white chocolate and sprinkles and then I followed your chocolate cake pop recipe for the “groom” cake pops dipped in white and dark chocolate to decorate like a tux. They were so cute, but even better because they tasted amazing! I have been making cake pops for years, usually the quick way with a box cake mix and a can of frosting, but from now on I will only be using this recipe from homemade! Everyone loved them!!! I also made heart-shaped sugar cookies, again using your recipe, and they were amazing too! I will be checking your website first whenever I’m baking! Thank you!!!
These are amazing!! Was so happy with the outcome.
I was told that let the cake balls and chocolate come to room temp otherwise it will cause cracks if cold is dipped into warm chocolate
Hi Lillian, yes, the coating can crack because of the temperature difference between the coating and the cake. You can definitely help prevent it by making sure that the coating isn’t too hot before dipping (let it sit for a few minutes before dunking). You can also let the cake balls sit at room temperature for a few minutes before dunking for extra assurance. Hope this helps and that you enjoy the recipe!
I love this recipe and plan on using it to sell cake pops. I would like to make chocolate as well. Sense I like this recipe so much would you know how to adjust it by adding cocoa powder?
Hi Lacey, here’s our chocolate cake pops recipe.
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.
Hi there,
I made these for a church gathering and the easily impressed kiddos flocked to them and ate the majority – thank goodness! Because I tried one and they were sooooo mushy! I’ve made cake pops several times and the coating usually has a nice crack to it before getting to the semi-mushy inside. But with these the coating was very soft and they were not appetizing. Here’s the story, I made the cake the night before I made the pops. I made the pops according to the recipe. I then stuck the pops in the fridge to be taken to the event the next morning. The pops were at room temperature for about 2 hours before eaten. Was I not supposed to put them in the fridge over night? Please let me know! Thanks so much!
Hi Megan, your question got buried and I’m just seeing it now! But hopefully this troubleshooting can help if you try the recipe again in the future. Refrigerating the pops overnight shouldn’t have been the issue. When shaping, was the mixture extra moist and soft? I wonder if it will help for next time to use a little less frosting. Make the frosting as written, and only add enough to the cake crumbs to bring the mixture together. Your cake may have been under-baked, too, so the crumbs were extra moist. I hope some of this helps if you try them again. Thank you for the feedback!
Super easy to follow directions and had a lot of fun making these with my kids. They turned out amazing!!!
I’ve always used the box cake mix to make cake pops as it doesn’t need frosting to bind it together (the cake is super sticky and rolls together so easily). However I love love love all your vanilla cake recipes and this one is great also but is there a way to bake the cake or adjust the ingredients or temperature so frosting is not needed? Any tips would be appreciated! Thank you!
Hi Gillian, we haven’t tried making a version of cake pops that does not require frosting to bind the cake crumbs together. If you decide to do any experimenting, let us know how it goes!
I am obsessed with these! They turned out perfect! Thank you for sharing.
Three stars for clear directions – successfully made beautiful cake pops. However, I did not find the flavor to be appropriately balanced, I found these to be way too sweet for my taste. I made rice krispie treats on the same day and these turned out even sweeter than those. Only recommend if you have a major sweet tooth. I even added extra salt to try to balance the flavor but it only helped marginally. Still love this website but this was a miss for me.
Sally…HELP! Lol I made the cake twice today and both times it turned out dense, didn’t rise and raw like on the inside even after baking FAR past the recipe time. The first time I thought maybe my baking soda was expired, so I tried again. Same thing happened again. Can you please offer any insight on what your expertise thinks it could be? I weigh all ingredients and follow your instructions implicitly. Your recipes are the ONLY I use or trust. The all come out perfectly! So I know this is something completely happening on my end lol And insight would be so appreciated. It’s driving me bonkers wondering what else it could be causing this. Thank you!
Hi Barb, check your baking soda AND baking powder. Could be an issue with the baking powder. Did you use a smaller baking pan by accident? Perhaps too much batter, and therefore the cake didn’t bake properly. Additionally, it may be helpful (if you try the recipe again), to slightly reduce the milk. Perhaps by 2-3 Tablespoons. Just in case it’s something with your brand of flour, butter, etc.
Can i use cake flour instead of all purpose flour?
Hi Angie, I recommend regular all-purpose flour. If you’d like to make the switch, I would slightly reduce the milk. Cake powder is so light, and there may be too much moisture in the batter for the cake flour to support.
What if we used salted butter
Hi Chrissy, if using salted butter, reduce the added salt to 1/4 teaspoon.