How To Make Cake Pops With Messed Up Cake

I have to admit, I had never made cake pops before but I was determined to make them for our gender reveal party. I’ve made Oreo truffles multiple times, which are somewhat similar to cake pops. Somewhat. They’re essentially the cookie version of cake pops. Basically dessert cousins. I figured, how hard could it be?

Now, I know mine aren’t 100% true cake pops– they’re basically cake balls with sticks in them, but people can still carry them around like cake pops. I mean, who wants messy hands? Anyway, I’ll tell you at the end of the post how to make them into legit cake pops with the cake portion at the top and the stick coming out the bottom.

Prepare a boxed cake mix as directed on the box. Let the cake cool completely. Wash your hands. Next, crumble the cake into fine crumbs with your hands in a large bowl. Mix in about 1/3 cup of icing (I used store bought milk chocolate) with your hands. The mixture should be dense but not gooey. Gooey cake balls gross me out. Grab a cookie scoop (I used my 1.5 T scoop, which I LOVE). (Remember, everyone needs a cookie scoop, or 3.) Then, scoop out the mixture, packing the cake mixture into the scoop as you scoop it (I smushed the open side of the cookie scoop against the inside of the bowl). Smush the mixture in your hand to pack it tightly into a ball. Roll it into a nicely shaped ball. Roll the remaining mixture into balls (my cake mix made 18 balls).

Easy And Fun Homemade Cake Pop Recipe

Grab your Candy Melts (I purchased mine from JoAnn Fabric) and a small microwaveable dish (I used a small oatmeal bowl). Put about 5 morsels into the bowl and melt them in the microwave. Next, grab your cake pop sticks (I purchased mine from JoAnn Fabric). Dip your stick into the melted Candy Melt and quickly stick it into a cake pop at least half way down. Repeat with remaining cake pops. Then, set pops on a cookie tray. Freeze for about 15 minutes (they wouldn’t fit in my freezer so I put them in the fridge for 30 minutes– worked fine). Put your Candy Melts into a microwaveable mug (I filled mine to the top). Next, melt the Candy Melts as directed on the package. Dip the cake pop into the mug, evenly coating it. Let the coating drip off. Place the pop on cookie sheet. Finally, if using sprinkles, add immediately before coating sets. Repeat for remaining pops.

These may seem like a lot a work, but trust me, once you have it all mapped out it’s a breeze. I spent maybe an hour on these (not including baking and cooling times).

If you want your cake pops to be true cake pops, rather than cake balls with sticks in them, instead of putting them on a cookie sheet to dry, insert the stick into Styrofoam for the coating to set. I wanted mine to sit on the platter but still be pops, so that’s why I went the route I did.

Holiday Recipe: Cake Pops

FYI, the Candy Melt coating is really good. I used chocolate cake and you barely tell there’s dark cake underneath the coating. Just thought I’d throw that out there.

Note: Candy Melts come in a wide array of colors. But if you don’t spot a color you need, you can use gel food coloring. Do not use food coloring drops.

Step by step instructions on how to make cake pops! Learn some tricks on how to accomplish delicious and eye-catching cake pops!All activities should be supervised by an adult. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links.

Cake Balls Recipe

Have any leftover birthday cake? Or did you bake a cake and it turned out a little dry? So what do you do with

? Turn it into cake pops of course! This how to make cake pops tutorial has really easy steps to turn any cake into cake pops. Kids will love helping to make these but the best part is enjoying them as a fun treat!

You cake pops don’t have to be bakery-perfection. Just have fun making them and enjoy eating their soft gooey centers. They are actually really easy to do. Kids will really enjoy making them with you – especially the dipping and decorating parts.

Cake Pop Recipe

If you want your cake pops to be round you’ll need to use some foam board to stand them up on or a cake pop mold. We don’t mind having them a little flat on the bottom as they are easier to store that way and they get eaten pretty quickly in our house! But if you want to give these as a gift, we would recommend using the cake pop mold.

The best thing about making cake pops is using leftover dry cake. If you have leftover cake from a birthday party or another event, this is a great way to turn that cake into something new! If you had a cake fail and your cake turned out too dry, then that would also be perfect to turn into cake pops. You can also bake a cake from a cake mix or from scratch to make your cake pops. Whatever cake you use, you can use a food processor to crumble the cake. If you don’t have a food processor you can also use your hands.

Your candy chocolate will have directions for melting. This is the step you really want to be careful with.  If you over-heat, then add some shortening to it. Turn your microwave setting down as low as possible and stir often in between heating. Let the heat of the candy melts continue to melt on their own before putting in the microwave again so you prevent overheating them.

How To Make To Cake Pops

Microwave for half of the recommended time on your packaging. Stir and see if the heat from the candy melts will melt the remaining chocolate. All microwaves vary in heat settings so be careful not to over-heat your candy melts or you won’t be able to dip your cake pops in them.

If you want your cake pops to be round you'll need to use some foam board to stand them up on or a cake pop mold.

Here’s a fun summary you can pin to your Pinterest board so you’ll have this easy step-by-step reminder ready to go when you’re ready to make the 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.

How To Make Cake Pops (easy And Fool Proof)

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).

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.

Tricks To Make Cake Pops More Easily

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.

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.

I Hate Making Cake Pops

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.

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.

Easy Vanilla Cake Pops Recipe With Cake Pops Maker

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