How To Make Smooth Cake Balls

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).

Strawberry Cake Pops

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.

Easy Brownie Cake Pops Recipe From Barbara Bakes

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.

No Bake Oreo Cake Pops

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.

Cake Ball Recipe (step By Step 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.

Easy Homemade 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

Did you make this recipe? Snap a photo of it and tag me on Instagram @ or use the hashtag # so I can see it and feature it!

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!No doubt about it, cake pops are fun. But while these bite-sized cakes on a stick can be a blast to eat, making them can turn into a not-so-fun affair, especially when those super-sweet morsels fall off the stick, crack, leak or are just plain lumpy.

Homemade Chocolate Cake Pops

We’re here to tell you there’s a fix to all sorts of cake pop fails, and it starts with a nice, smooth finish. We’ll show you how.

To guarantee the cake pops are all the same size, use an ice cream scoop to shape the cakes. After you’ve scooped them all out, roll each one between your hands to bind crumbs together until the surface is smooth. Place the balls in the refrigerator for at least an hour so they don’t fall apart during the dipping process. Or you can store them in the fridge overnight.

Once your cake pops are sufficiently chilled, take them out of the fridge and roll them between your hands again to form each one into a tighter ball. If you’re opting for hearts or other shapes, form them now — before you insert the sticks!

How To Make Cake Pops With A Cake Pop Maker

After you’ve shaped your pops, gently slide in the sticks and put the cake pops back in the fridge for a few more minutes while you make the coating. Take the pops out about 10 minutes before you dip them so they don’t crack or fall apart after the chocolate coating has dried.

The most important part of getting a smooth finish to cake pops is the consistency of the coating, and one of the easiest ways to guarantee this is by melting candy melts correctly.

It’s suuuuuper easy to overheat candy melts. When they get too hot, they clump (so not good) and don’t fall off the spatula easily. Keep the following in mind as you melt the melts.

How To Dip Cake Balls On Bluprint

Dip each cake pop into the melted chocolate, lift up, turn and dip again until the entire surface is coated. Gently shake the excess coating from the top of the cake pop while it’s upside down.

Once you’ve shaken out the last drop of excess chocolate, turn the cake pop right side up and gently shake it while twirling between your fingers. This helps even out the coating.

Once you’re done, stick the pop on a piece of Styrofoam to dry. For a more planet-friendly option, use an egg carton turned upside down.

Cake Balls Recipe

Once they’re finished drying, you’re ready to decorate your cake pops, which will go much easier now because your cake pops are so smooth. Have fun!Are you looking for beginner tips on how to make cake pops? You’ve come to the right place to learn the basics. From the best type of cake, frosting, candy melts, and tools to use — to tips on making the process frustration-free and smooth.

If you want to start with the very basics of how to make cake pops, you’ve come to the right place! Follow this basic process, and you’ll be making intricate designs in no time.

As much as we love these delicious treats, we’ll admit they are super time-consuming and can be frustrating at first. So be sure to set aside a good amount of time. And rest assured, we’ve put together a list of supplies and tips to make the process as smooth as possible.

Chocolate Cake Pops — Salt & Baker

Please note these treats are time-consuming, so breaking up the process will make it seem less daunting. Bake the cake the day or night before you plan to shape and decorate the pops. Make sure to cover the cake, so it doesn’t dry out.

We’ve made our best cake pops with a boxedcakemix. Our favorite iswhite cakewithsprinkles, but you can usefunfetti cakeor any flavor. Just follow the directions on the box.

If you decide to form and decorate the same day, make sure the cake is completely cooled. We slice off the top and sides of the cake. And remove the inner cake leaving the very bottom. Which will make it easier to crumble.

Easy Cake Pops ~sweet & Savory

Crumble the cake into small pieces in a medium-sized bowl. Make sure there are no large chunks. It will make it harder to keep them together.

Our favorite is thecanned vanilla frosting. Mix 2/3 can of frosting (3/4 if you didn’t cut off the sides of the cake) of any flavor you choose into the cake crumbles. The cake should stick together well. If it doesn’t, you’ll need to add more frosting until it does.

For basic round pops, use a tablespoon orcookie scoopto measure the cake and roll them into balls. However, we’ve also made shapes with a silicon mold or handheld tong mold. They tend to turn out really well.

Oreo Cake Balls (just 3 Ingredients!)

After forming, place cake pops onto wax or parchment paper. We like to use 2 separate plates with wax paper. That way, half of them can stay in the freezer while you’re dipping the others.

Place the cake balls in the freezer for about 15 minutes. Don’t freeze too long, or