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
Hi! I adore this recipe. I need to double …have you ever? Any tips? Was thinking 9×13 pan at 350 for 42 min would be ok but I don’t want to brown as i know that will affect texture. Thx for thoughts!
Hi Allyssa! We don’t recommend this cake as a 9×13 cake. Instead, you’ll enjoy our white cake recipe. See the recipe notes for a 9×13 inch pan. Enjoy!
Hi Sally!
Your recipes have been a Godsend everytime. I faced one problem with my cake pops, I take out the frozen ones and dip them in warm-medium melted chocolate and they coat beautifully but tend to crack once dry. Any idea what I’m doing wrong here?
Hi Merlin, 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 of the temperature difference between the two. Hope this helps!
Hi. If I will decorate my cake pops with fondant, how far ahead I can do it and fondant topper can still hold its shape? What do you use to stick thw fondant decors?
Hi there, we don’t decorate with fondant, so unfortunately we can’t give you a confident answer here. Might be best to search for a quick fondant + cake ball decorating tutorial online to see what is recommended. Would love to know what you decide to try!
My daugter (5) and i bake every Sunday. Today she requested cake pops and im so thankful this was the recipe I chose. There recipe explains every step in detail and although its a time consuming process its easy enough for a child to make with assistance. We loved making your cake pops and they taste amazing.
I would like to make these for my daughters wedding and put in gift bag for hotel guests. so I need to cover each one and put into the bags. what do you recommend to cover them with so they don’t melt. Also, where do I get candy melts?
The recipe was delicious but each of the elements were definitely too sweet, even for my sweet tooth kids.
I love this recipe! I haven’t tried it yet someone want me to make them for a baby shower. I’m going to experiment first but I will let you know how they turned out. Thank you for sharing.
I love this recipe! Making cake pops for the very first time, I tried your recipe exactly as written and it turned out absolutely amazing. Everyone (all adults) loved the cake pops and called the next day asking if I had any more! They really had the ‘homemade’ taste Sally mentioned. I did not think these were too sweet at all, and I used the candy coating. I will definitely make these again and try different flavors for the cake. Thanks for the great recipe!
Can you mix in mini chocolate chips to batter?
Yes, absolutely! I’d start with 1/4-1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips.
Would I be able to add strawberry extract to this recipe to get a strawberry cake pop or is that not advised?
Hi Amber, you can certainly add strawberry extract to this cake recipe. Or, you can use our strawberry cake recipe instead (you’ll want to scale it down a bit, but our cake pan sizes and conversions guide can help). Enjoy!
Love your recipes, Sally! Would I be able to cut this recipe in half and then bake the cake in a regular 9 inch cake pan?
Hi Jane, that should be fine, just keep a close eye on it as it will bake much faster being a thinner layer. Use a toothpick to test for doneness.
Hi! I really want to make these but my fear with cakepops is the sweetness. I don’t want them to end up too sweet.
Hi Jess, these cake pops are sweet, but we don’t find them cloyingly so. 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.) Let us know if you give them a try!
This was a great recipe with wonderful explanations for a first-time cake pop baker. I loved the base cake, probably more than the end result. I used pure white chocolate for half of the cake pops, and candy melts for the rest. The candy melts were a bit too sweet for us, so lessons learned. But other than that personal preference, it’s a great recipe!
I’ve made this recipe twice now and it is PERFECT. They go like hot cakes at all events!!!
A couple of tips…it really does make 40 cake pops. I use the larger pop-cycle sticks as opposed to the narrower, shorter ones. I find it easier to manage them (they are pretty top heavy!)
I used a combination of pure white chocolate bars (two Lindt 4.4oz bars) and one 12oz bag of Ghiardelli White Chocolate Chips. I melted in the microwave and they turned out great. (Not sure where 40oz came from? I always have had more than enough for all 40 cake pops.)
I can confirm that the water based food dye doesn’t work! LOL.
My process is this: Bake the cake as directed (which is DELICIOUS, btw). Cool completely. Make the frosting. If the edges of the cake are a little crunchy, I trim them off. Mix cake and frosting together to directions. I use my little Pampered Chef scoop (melon baller size? perfect size) to measure the cake pop balls. Roll and put on parchment paper covered jelly roll tray (it has an edge, they won’t roll off! LOL) Cover and refrigerate overnight. Reroll to smooth in am. Put cake balls back in fridge. Break up the chocolate bars into pieces and put into 2 cup measuring cup along with bag of chips. Melt chocolate on 50% power 2 mins, stir. Back in for a minute @ 50% power. There will still be little bits unmelted, but they will fully melt as you stir. Let cool a little bit (otherwise your cake balls may get gooey and not stay on the stick.) 2 Cup measuring cup works great for dippiing… Use a cardboard box with small holes in it to put dipped cake pops in. I put the box on a jelly roll pan, so that any sprinkles get caught on the pan instead of all over the counter! I have also used dried flower foam to put cake pops in and that worked great too! I lightly tap the side of the cake pop on the measuring cup to allow excess chocolate to drop off so it doesn’t drip down the stick.) Add sprinkles IMMEDIATELY after finished dipping or else they won’t stick. Let set at room temp before moving, for an hour, then refrigerate to set solid. These are SOOOO good.
If you’re transporting them (which I’ve done twice) you can CAREFULLY put chilled cake pops into a ziplock bag. Be aware, you’ll loose a few sprinkles… OR you can use the dry floral foam block thing (you can squeeze 40onto two blocks, but three is easier) and put them in a bigger box to transport. JUST MAKE SURE, that the floral blocks cannot slide or tip in the box. I also covered the floral foam in tissue paper and put some cute ribbon on it as a decoration for the cake table, since I didn’t have a cake pop stand!
Did the people saying it’s a bad recipe actually try bake it? This is my go to cake pop recipe. Turns out right everytime!!
im nervous about freezing these when they are done! will the chocolate expand and crack?
Hi Kristin, These freeze beautifully! We’ve never experienced them expanding or cracking in the freezer.
My first cake pop recipe used and it will be my only! I’ve tried several times with no adjustments. They are always a hit wherever I bring them and I usually am asked to share recipe. Thank you!
Love this recipe Sally!!! Turned out exactly how it was supposed to be
What candy melts can be used with the gel food coloring? I’ve read that you can’t use gel food coloring for candy melts. Did you use it with the pure chocolate?
Hi Stephanie, Candy melts are oil based so sometimes adding a water based color will cause them to seize. We prefer to use pure white chocolate for best taste and you can color that with no problems. If you would like to use candy melts without coloring them you can purchase them in many different colors!
What is the proper ratio of cake to frosting?
Hi Lauren, we find the cake to frosting ratio as written is just enough to barely moisten those cake crumbs, which is ideal for cake pops. That ratio can change depending on the type of cake and frosting you use, but you want just enough that will allow the cake to be easily rolled and stay firm, but not be too greasy or wet. Hope this helps!
If using 8 or 9 in pan what would ge the cooking temp and time?
This cake is too large for a typical 9-inch cake pan. You’ll need to use a 9-inch springform pan since it rises quite high. Or you can use an 11×7 pan instead. A 10-inch springform pan would work as well.
this is sooo good!!!!!!! my whole family loves it sooo much and are constantly requesting it!! thank you sally 🙂
This was an absolutely delicious recipe. I’ll be using this vanilla cake as a base for some of my other flavors.
Is there any other alternative to a 9-in springform pan or 13×7? Or how can I adjust the recipe for a regular 8 or 9-in cake pan? Thank you!
Hi Li! You could split the batter between two 8 or 9 inch pans – the bake time will be shorter.
Hi Sally! Just tried out this recipe and I must say… IT. IS. AMAZING! The frosting is nice and thick, but not too thick so you can not fold in the batter nicely. The cake recipe is personally amazing and is nice and moist. When blending it in, it only took 1-2 minutes to fully incorporate the frosting into the crumbled cake. I let them freeze for around 1 hour and 20 minutes, and then used the coating recipe to coat them! (Obviously) The coating is perfect to me, and not too sweet or bland! This is my new go-to recipe for cake pops, and I can not wait to make them again! Thank you for the great recipe, Sally! I Will be using this recipe often, and I love your website! It is filled with amazing recipes, and just the other day I used your sugar cookie recipe! I made my own homemade frosting to go with it, and it chilled very nicely on the cool cookies. (Also with the cookies, they make so many! I made a ton of my own designs including mickey mouse, some printed designs and just some shapes) **ALSO THESE RECIPES ARE VERY EASY TO FOLLOW ESPECIALLY FOR ME BECAUSE I AM ONLY 13 YEARS OLD LOL** Thank you so much Sally! Ok bye now sorry for the long review…..
Hi there, wonderful blog! Quick question – is it possible to use melted chocolate chips for the coating as well?
Hi Krystel, for best results, we recommend using pure baking chocolate or chocolate candy melts. Chocolate chips contain stabilizers which prevent them from melting properly, making it pretty difficult to dip the cake pops. Hope this is helpful!
Did anyone experience the chocolate cracking? Any tips on how to prevent this? I froze the cake balls without chocolate, took them out a week later, and coated with melting chocolate. All but a few cracked within 24 hours. Help!
Hi Cheryl! 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 of the temperature difference between the two. Hope this helps!
I’ve tried this twice and the cake always comes out disgusting! I think it’s the whole cup of milk! Much prefer bbc good foods version
Great recipe, although if you want to make the “non-american” version, add half the suggested sugar and vanilla 😉
Hi! I am making a large quantity of pops for a baby shower. I plan on making the balls in advance and freezing them until ready to dip a few days before. Can I freeze them without the stick and put the stick in when defrosted and ready to dip?
You bet! See make ahead instructions in the recipe notes for more details.
Where do you get the sticks?
Hi Peggy! We link to the ones we used in the helpful tools section of the recipe notes – they’re called lollipop sticks. You could get them online or from most craft stores.
Excellent recipe and step by step instructions. I made these for a kids party and they were a hit!! A little too sweet for me, I think I will try to reduce the sugar in the cake batter to 3/4 cup instead of 1 cup next time but honestly the kids loved the sweetness!!! And the cake and frosting recipe was just absolutely perfection. Thank you again for this recipe!!!