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
I tried this recipe but when I pulled my cake out of the springform the edges and bottom were overly browned. I didn’t think I should crumble that crusty part into the cake. So I cut it closely and then removed a tablespoon or so of frosting from the recipe. I’m super bummed, wish I would’ve removed more, because my cake pops are very greasy. I feel like I likely have to start all over (and I’m a mom of three under the age of four, one is newborn, so time is very very valuable.) Is there anything I can do to remedy this situation?!
Hi Stephanie! Adding more cake to the mixture should help – bake another cake and add it (always cool it first!) until you reach the correct consistency instead of starting over.
In the recipe it says that you need one cup of milk but I couldn’t find were to use it later in the Instructions, we haven’t finished making them but it does taste really good
Hi Gabriela, see the beginning of step 3 — “With the mixer running on low speed, add the dry ingredients and milk to the wet ingredients until combined.” Hope you enjoyed the cake pops!
Aww, im sorry to hear that! I have two littles and I know what you mean about time. If you are serving them to your littles I bet they will stil like them with extra frosting. ^^ And many adults like them too! I’ve made them with a bit too much frosting as well as what I’d consider the perfect amount and people seem to love them either way. I hope that makes you feel better about it. I realize you were commenting 2 months ago…
Happy Christmas, God bless!
I’ve been wanting to try this recipe for a while. I’m wondering whether I can sub the candy melts/chips for peanut butter chips in the coating? Can’t wait to try it out.
Hi Jenna, We have actually not tried that, but they should melt a bit easier than chocolate chips if you use a lower heat. Let us know if decide to give it a try!
I did end up trying it, and while it was very delicious, the peanut butter chips didn’t melt to a very good dipping/coating consistency. I think if I did it again I’d try half PB chips and half white chocolate to get a little closer to the proper texture for a thinner/more thorough coating. Still, despite their clunky appearance, they were a big hit! Thanks for a prompt response 🙂
In keeping with Jenna’s peanut butter theme, do you think it is possible to incorporate some peanut butter into the cake/frosting mixture?
Hi, I will like to make the cake pops to resemble balls on a cake.
can I use white chocolate to coat and colour them?
how can I get them shiny?
thank you
Mel
Hi Mel, Yes, we use white chocolate here and you can color it with gel food coloring. If you are worried about appearance and will NOT be storing these in the refrigerator, then you can temper the chocolate. There is a full tempering tutorial in Sally’s Candy Addiction if you have a copy.
I have a rather maybe silly question. I made cake pops a while back and dipped them in the cookies and cream candy melts. I have an order for cake pops and they requested the cookies and cream coating chocolate. Ofcourse I can’t find them annnywhere anymore, fear they might of gotten discontinued and as i do not want to disappoint my client iv been trying to find an alternative with no luck. Question is, would it be possible to use a cookies and cream Herseys candy bar to melt down and dip the cake pops in? Sorry for my life story there ha. Thanks for any help!
Hi Elyse, It looks like the Wilton brand is still available on Amazon. You can certainly try just using a Hershey’s bar but the “cookie chunks” in them will be bigger. Let us know if you try it!
These are amazing! I’m an experienced baker and weighed all my ingredients and they came out perfect. Thank you so much for the recipe!
I used all the icing called for in the recipe and the cake crumbs seem to be way more than “just enough to coat the crumbs”. Should I have used less?
Hi Lauren, are you saying you have more cake crumbs or more frosting than needed?
I also had this issue, I had way more frosting than that just enough to coat the crumb. Should I not have used all of the frosting?
Hi there,
I want to make these in red velvet with creame cheese frosting.
These are planned to be eaten on a Sunday for a birthday. So would need them done by Saturday.
Could I make the balls on the Friday and freeze or put in fridge? Will the balls still taste moisture.
so I can do the melting on the Saturday.
Hi Bethany, you can store the undipped cake balls in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, so making them on Friday should be fine!
What is the best way to seal them without ruining the cake pops to freeze (Aka post decorating)? Are they as sensitive like baked cake layers where they need to be fully protected from the air with layers of Saran Wrap etc? Or can they just be thrown in Tupperware? I don’t want the flavor to change or have them dry out!
Thank you!
Hi Kim! We like to freeze them in a large zipped-top freezer bag after they’ve fully dried. Try to remove as much of the air from the bag as possible. They’re great for up to 6 weeks, then just let them thaw overnight in the fridge.
So this recipe is amazing! My only question is does adding food coloring and doubling the recipe make the cake more dense? I used 2 9in springform pans and when the cake cooled, it deflated and was super dense. Still tasted amazing though
Hi Alexis, when making cakes, it’s best to make two separate batches rather than doubling. When doubling, it’s easy to over mix (with the added volume of ingredients) and that can lead to overly dense cakes. The food coloring shouldn’t have an impact on the density (especially if using gel food coloring). Hope this helps for next time!
Hi Sally! What brand of pure white chocolate do you buy, and from where?
Hi Jenessa, We like using Bakers or Ghirardelli brand pure white baking chocolate.
The sprinkles you used are spectacular! May I ask where you bought them? The colors and the shape are gorgeous! Thank you so much!
Hi Franziska, Rosie from Sweetapolita has an online sprinkle shop full of beautiful sprinkles: https://sweetapolitashop.com/
Do you refrigerate after you coat them? I left them at room temperature and they were super mushy to eat.
Hi Kait! We let them set at room temperature. Did the coating not set, or were the cake balls themselves mushy? Did you make any changes to the recipe?
I’ve made at least a dozen of Sally’s recipes, and I’ve made most of them multiple times. I’ve loved every single one of them, except for this one. It was okay, but not what I was expecting.
I was expecting the cake to rise quite high because of this line in the recipe: “You’ll need to use a 9-inch springform pan since it rises quite high.” However, the first cake I made only rose about an inch in the new 9-inch springform pan I bought. I thought something must’ve gone wrong, so I confirmed my baking soda and baking powder were still active, looked up troubleshooting for cakes not rising, and then tried the recipe a second time. The second cake was as flat as the first. I decided to use it anyway, and when I crumbled the cake, it looked like it should inside. I think the recipe was just misleading in describing how high the cake would rise.
I also had trouble coating the cake pops. I used Hershey’s Chipits white creme chips (they used to be called white chocolate chips so I assume they’re basically pure white chocolate?). The recipe says, “If using almond bark or pure white chocolate, chop it up before melting. Melt it down with 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil to thin out so it’s easier to use as a coating.” I used way more than 1/2 teaspoon of vegetable oil to thin out the chocolate so that I could coat the balls, but even that wasn’t enough. The coating was still chunky and didn’t evenly coat the balls.
Once the cake pops were finished, I was disappointed by the taste. They weren’t as flavourful or as moist as I was expecting. I love baking from scratch because the results are almost always better than what you could buy at a store, but not this time. I prefer the cake pops from my local bakery and Starbucks over these. If the recipe were a little clearer and produced a more moist and flavourful cake pop then I would be happy to try making it again.
I already have some frosting I would like to use. I have one 8″ cake already made, also. How much frosting would I need for that size? Is there a texture we are looking for when mixing cake and frosting? Thanks!
Hi Jay, the ratio of cake to frosting really depends on the exact frosting and cake you’ll be using — you’ll want *just enough* to barely moisten those cake crumbs. Have fun experimenting!
How do you melt the chocolate in the measuring cup?
Hi Claudia, you can microwave the chocolate in the measuring cup. Enjoy!
Going to try this recipe in a couple days.(My daughters 3rd birthday!) Question: Can I add sprinkles in the batter to look like funfetti? Or will it ruin the consistency?
Yes, absolutely! We’d start with 1/4 cup of sprinkles.
Delicious recipe!! I am wondering, how long will these last in the fridge? About a week or less? Thank you for this wonderful recipe, my family loves these. (Can’t stop eating them tehe,might not last a week)
So glad you love them! Store cake pops in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Hi Susan, the 1cup of milk (or buttermilk) goes into the cake batter.
Where does the cup of whole milk fit in? I have tried it with the milk and it doesn’t work, I am thinking the milk doesn’t belong
Hi Sally. I love this cake recipe and would like to use it to make 2 x 10 inch square cakes to cover with fondant afterwards. Can you please tell me how to change the ingredients measurement for that?
Thank you
Hi Karine, here’s everything you need to know about cake pan sizes and conversions. Glad to hear this recipe is a favorite for you!
Hey, how much cake pops does this make individually? Is it 40?
Correct — the recipe as written makes 40 cake pops.
Hi. I was wondering if I could not use the frosting because I have a cake pop mold and want to use that. If I can do you think I can for any cake pop recipe.
Hi Pippa! We don’t have much experience with these products, but you may need a recipe specifically formulated for the cake pop mold. Let us know what you try!
Hi, I was wondering if there was a weight ratio of cake to frosting for cake pops? Thanks
Hi Nic, the ratio of cake to frosting really depends on the exact frosting and cake you’ll be using — you’ll want *just enough* to barely moisten those cake crumbs. Have fun experimenting!
Hi. Sally. making this recipe for the first time for my future daughter-in-law bridal shower
Do I cut the edge off the cake before start making the crumb for the pops, or is it okay just to leave it in. This is my first time making cake pops . I am also using an Irish coffee cake recipe for this
Thank you,
Elizabeth
Hi Elizabeth, no need to cut the edge off of the cake first! Enjoy!
I’ve done this recipe once but I’m wondering whether or not I could switch it out with another cake flavor such as Red Velvet?
Hi Caroline, absolutely! Feel free to use other cake flavors for cake pops. Depending on the frosting you use, you may need to use more or less than with other flavors. You want the crumbled cake to be just slightly moistened. Have fun experimenting!
Hi
Do you half to use a springform pan?
Hi Hazel, the recipe is actually written for a 9-inch springform pan, so no need to halve it!
I think Hazel meant to ask if she *has* to use a springform pan. 🙂
Well to answer that question, this recipe can also be made using two 8-inch cake pans instead of the springform pan. Hope this helps!
Any tips for preventing the white chocolate coating from cracking? They came out great, except about half of them had big cracks by the time they finished drying. I used a stand so they dried upright. Not a big deal for a practice batch, but would be disappointing if they were for a party.
Hi Rachel, The coating can crack because of the temperature difference between the coating and the cake. 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. Hope this helps!
Sally, do you have a cake to frosting ratio, based on the cake and frosting in your recipe? As in 400g cake to 200g frosting- I won’t hold you to the exact amount as I will be experimenting anyway. I had donuts get stuck in a pan and decided rather than tossing them in the bin, I’d try making them into cake pops! I’ll make my own frosting.
Hi Lisa, the ratio of cake to frosting really depends on the exact frosting and cake you’ll be using — you’ll want *just enough* to barely moisten those cake crumbs. Have fun experimenting!
Do the cake pops “sweat” at all after they’ve been frozen (like the make ahead tip you suggest)? Worried about condensation on the chocolate as they come to room temp
We haven’t had that issue!
Hi! Love the tips and tricks, would you happen to know approx how much cake your recipe makes? I want to try with some leftover cake of my own and use your frosting/ coating recipes . Thanks!
Hi Mimi, the ratio of cake to frosting really depends on the exact frosting and cake you’ll be using — you’ll want *just enough* to barely moisten those cake crumbs. Have fun experimenting!
Using this recipe for cake, and adding icing that I had leftover, I used 4 parts cake to 1 part icing (by weight). e.g. 600 g cake (baked) and 150 g icing was how much fit in my food processor at one time.
I made cake pops for the first time this weekend for my daughter’s 5th birthday party to serve with ice cream sundaes. This recipe was a huge hit!! I just wanted to thank you for sharing such an amazing recipe. I did a combo of chocolate ganache and regular candy melts. Everyone raved about them and I’ve already shared the link to your site!!