How Do You Make Perfect Cake Pops

Learn how to make cake pops right at home! This easy and fool-proof cake pop recipe is guaranteed to come out perfect every time! These delicious candy-coated cake balls make a great party favor for just about any gathering.

Whether you’re making my Starbucks copycat vanilla birthday cake pop, red velvet cake pops, or no-bake oreo cake pops, this simple guide will make you a master at cake pop making in no time!

Cake pops are very simple to make because they only require only a few ingredients like baked boxed cake mix, vanilla frosting, and of course they are dipped in melted candy melts (the kind you can pour into molds).

How To Make The Best Cake Pops At Home

For cake balls– When making cake balls all you really need is a baked cake made with cake mix, frosting, and candy melts to coat the outside of the balls. You can shape the cake balls with your hands or use a meatballer to get the perfect shape and size each time.

For cake pops– you will need the same ingredients here but you need to add cake pop sticks and a styrofoam block to keep the pops upright until they harden.

Here is a quick rundown on how to make these addictive and delicious treats. You can find the full detailed recipe in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

The Do's And Don'ts Of Making Cake Pops

Overheat– When melting candy melts, be careful and make sure you do NOT overheat the candy coating. If this happens it will harden up too much.

Thin it out– In order to get a smooth candy coating that will ensure that your cake balls have a gorgeous outer shell you need to thin it out. You can mix in Crisco shortening, coconut oil, or EZ-thin dipping aid for a runnier consistency.

The best way to prevent the cake balls from falling off the stick is by making sure you added enough frosting to the cake balls and thinning out the candy coating. If the chocolate coating is too thick it will be heavy and way down on the cake balls.

Easy Cake Pop Recipe

TIP: If you want to avoid using the stick, just make cake balls instead! I have an easy recipe for red velvet cake balls and no-bake oreo cake balls right here in my blog.

If you’re looking into a super fast and easy version of my original vanilla cake pops, you have to try my no-bake oreo cake pops (VIDEO). All you need is Oreos, cream cheese, and candy melts. That’s it!

The only substitute for candy melts would be chocolate. If you set out to make cake balls without candy melts, you will need to mix 1 tbsp vegetable oil for every 1 cup of chocolate chips.

Common Cake Pop Issues & Tutorial

There are usually two reasons why they can crack. Before dipping the balls you want to set the stick by placing the cake pops in the freezer for 15 minutes. If you dip them and the candy melts are too hot, they will crack because of the sudden temperature change. Or the cake balls were too cold if you kept them in the freezer for over 15 minutes. Again, the drastic temperature change can cause the cracking effect here as well.

Learn how to make perfect delicious cake pops right at home! This easy and fool-proof cake pop recipe is guaranteed to impress everyone at your next party!

Yes, I like to make cake pops a few days ahead of time and keep them in an airtight container at room temperature.

Halloween Cake Pops Recipe

Calories: 88 kcal | Carbohydrates: 19 g | Protein: 1 g | Fat: 1 g | Saturated Fat: 1 g | Sodium: 152 mg | Potassium: 13 mg | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 10 g | Calcium: 47 mg | Iron: 1 mg

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Hi, I’m Dina, so glad you stopped by! I believe life is too short for bad coffee and boring meals. With my easy to follow step-by-step recipes, you’ll be surprised at how quickly a wholesome and delicious meal can come together. I hope you find something you enjoy!I’ve been making cake pops for baby showers and birthday parties for the past five years, and I’ve learned a few helpful tips and tricks along the way.  Before I dive into them I should clarify – these tips are for hand-rolled cake pop truffles (the original kind) on a stick, although many of these tips can also apply to the newer kind of cake pops made with cake pop machines and baking pan molds.

How To Make The Perfect Cake Pops

If you’re interested in kicking it old-school like me and prefer to roll your cake pops by hand, the first step is to bake a cake (9×13″), let it cool, and then crumble it up in a large bowl.  The next step is to mix crumbled cake with a can of frosting – this makes your truffle-like filling.

Tip #1:  Don’t use too much frosting!  I actually start with about ¾ c. of frosting (or ½ a tub) and add more as needed. I don’t think I’ve ever needed more than 1 c. of frosting (or ¾ of a can) per 9×13″ cake. The more frosting you add the softer your batter/cake pop filling will be.  You don’t want the balls to be too soft or they will slide around on the stick.

Tip #2:  Refrigerate your bowl of batter at this point before forming it into balls.  It will firm up your batter, making the balls easier to roll, and it will help keep the sticks more secure.  You can refrigerate for a couple of hours, or overnight.

Baby Shower Cake Pops · The Typical Mom

Tip #3:  I recommend either using the candy melt circles (found at specialty baking stores or the baking section of JoAnns, Michael’s, etc.) or “CandiQuik” brand chocolate coating (in grocery stores near the chocolate chips) for your cake pop coating. It’s made to serve as the “shell” for a truffle or cake pop so it sets up much nicer than almond bark, chocolate chips, or other melted chocolate options. The finished product also won’t melt in your hands if you touch it like regular chocolate will.

Now it’s time to turn your cake ball into a pop by inserting a lollipop stick into one end, about halfway through.

Tip #4:  Dip the tip of your lollipop stick in a little of the melted candy coating before inserting it into the cake balls.  Return cake pops to wax paper lined cookie sheet.

Birthday Cake Pops With Sprinkles

Tip #5:  Wrap your cake pops on the cookie sheet up with cling wrap and place them in the freezer for at least an hour or two to firm them up.  I recommend doing it overnight if you have time, just to break the overall cake pop process up.

Once firm or frozen, remove one cake pop from the pan at a time and carefully insert the ball end into the candy coating, holding it by the lollipop stick end.  Cover cake ball in candy coating and softly tap and rotate cake pop until the excess chocolate drips off. (Be careful not to tap the cake pop too hard or the ball may fall off the stick.)

Tip #6:  It is SUPER DUPER important not to get any water in your melted chocolate – water will turn your chocolate gross and clumpy.

How To Make Perfect Cake Pops

Tip #7:  I work with the chocolate candy coating in small batches, melting 3-4 squares of chocolate in a coffee mug at a time. I like to use a coffee mug because it’s narrow and tall, so a few squares of melted chocolate are deep enough to dip my cake pop into. I also use a spoon to help get the chocolate all around the cake pop (including slightly up onto the stick) and to smooth some of the excess chocolate off.

Tip #8:  You can use the above tap and rotate method for your chocolate coating until it cools if you’d like a perfectly smooth cake-pop finish, but I like to coat my cake pops with sprinkles. Not only does it look cute, but it also hides any imperfections in your coating so you don’t need to worry about getting it perfectly smooth.  If you’re opting to go the sprinkle route, you need to apply the sprinkles before the candy coating dries all the way.  I tap and rotate my cake pop initially after dipping to get the excess chocolate off, and then I apply sprinkles when it’s close to hardening up, continuing to rotate the cake pop until the coating is done moving, so the sprinkles don’t shift around or glob up in one spot.

Tip #9:  Poke cake pops into a rectangular piece of styrofoam (seen in the photo below) to dry completely.  This will prevent them from having a flat side or the candy coating pooling up on one side.

How To Make Confetti Cake Pops

Tip #10:  Don’t wait until the last minute to make your cake pops – make them up ahead of time and freeze them!  I’ve been freezing cake pops for years, and it’s such a