Learn how to make homemade chocolate cake pops completely from scratch, with no box cake mix or canned frosting. Combine rich chocolate cake with the best chocolate buttercream, and coat in melted chocolate for a treat that will make your tastebuds pop! Watch the video tutorial for all my best tips.
See my vanilla cake pops recipe, too.
I originally published this recipe in 2018 and have since added new photos and a video.
Chocolate cake + chocolate frosting + colorful sprinkles = the most adorable treat! Today we’re making chocolate cake pops because, after I shared my vanilla cake pops, I received so many requests for a chocolate version! Your wish is my command.
This recipe was a Sally’s Baking Challenge back in 2018, and readers have loved them over the years:
One reader, Sophia, commented: “Such an awesome recipe—these are basically Starbucks dupes and super yummy! I made the cake pops for a friend’s birthday but my family almost ate all of them before I could give any to her, LOL. ★★★★★”
One reader, Jen, commented: “This recipe was great! Made them for my son’s birthday party and had multiple people ask for the recipe! My son even said they were better than Starbucks! ★★★★★”
By the way, if you’ve ever eaten store-bought cake pops—these taste totally different. They’re from scratch. There’s no cake mix, there’s no canned frosting. You can actually TASTE the homemade.
I have plenty of step-by-step photos, a video tutorial, and lots of success tips today because I want you to understand every instruction before it’s your turn to make them. After all, the process isn’t difficult—you’re literally just baking a chocolate cake and making frosting and then mixing them together. But things just get a little particular when it comes to rolling, lollipop-sticking, and dunking/dipping. If you can make bread bowls, you can handle cake pops. (They’re more fun to eat too… sprinkles!)
How to Make Chocolate Cake Pops
Since we’re ditching box cake mix and canned frosting, we’ll need to take a little extra time to prep both from scratch. Here’s an overview of the process:
- Make a 1-layer chocolate cake and let cool.
- Make chocolate frosting.
- Crumble cake into frosting and mix.
- Roll the mixture into balls.
- Dip in melted chocolate.
- Top with sprinkles and let dry.
- EAT!
Quick tip: Whenever I make cake pops from scratch, I always begin the night before. I make the cake, cover it, and let it sit out at room temperature overnight. I also prepare the frosting, cover, and refrigerate. This way everything’s ready to go the next day.
Make a 1-Layer Chocolate Cake
It might seem like the switch from vanilla cake pops to chocolate cake pops is easy. Replace some flour with cocoa powder, right? And vanilla frosting with chocolate frosting? I wish! Chocolate is a complicated soul and requires a little finesse; that’s why my vanilla cake and chocolate cake recipes are so different! I baked a few single-layer chocolate cakes before stopping with this one.
Behind the Scenes: Recipe Testing
The first few began with creamed butter + sugar. My favorite chocolate cakes and cupcakes typically rely on oil for the fat because (1) moisture and (2) the flavor of butter really isn’t necessary because chocolate overpowers it anyway. My initial thought with cake pops, however, was that I needed a slightly drier cake to get the best texture for cake pops (because it will be mixed with frosting). Well this was just a huge mess from the start, because dry cake is gross.
That being said, you’ll need oil for the cake. And a few other basics like cocoa powder, sugar, flour, and eggs. Hot water is also a must. The hot liquid encourages the cocoa powder to bloom and dissolve. When I make chocolate cake, I usually reach for hot coffee (instead of hot water) because coffee accentuates the chocolate favor—but that’s not as crucial here, because we’re just crumbling the cake and mixing with chocolate frosting.
By the way, you can totally enjoy this chocolate cake on its own. If you ever need a single-layer chocolate cake—use this recipe. It’s so good. Deep and dark chocolate flavor. Super moist. Super rich. Top with chocolate buttercream, whipped cream, peanut butter frosting, or red wine chocolate ganache.
What was a little more difficult than testing the perfect single-layer chocolate cake was figuring out how much frosting I needed. Too much frosting and the cake pops are wet and greasy, while too little frosting means there isn’t enough to bind the cake crumbles. After lots of trial and error, I finally found the perfect amount… and it’s not much, because the chocolate cake is already so moist.
Crumble the cake into the bowl of frosting, and yes, you’ll feel very weird doing this. You just made this beautiful chocolate cake and will now break it up into a bowl of frosting. Because that’s what cake pops are—cake crumbs and frosting.
Once the two are mixed together, it’s time to roll the mixture into balls. This part is EASY. I found the chocolate cake pops much easier to roll into balls than my vanilla version. This mixture is just sooo smooth! Your hands will get a little sticky, but just roll with it. 😉
Tips for Homemade Chocolate Cake Pops
Success Tip #1: Make Smaller Cake Pops: If you roll the cake pops too large, they’ll wobble off the lollipop stick because they’re too heavy. You need 1 Tablespoon of the cake pop mixture per ball (about 20g). No more, no less. You’ll end up with 40 of them. Quite a lot—but these freeze beautifully! And you can gift them to anyone and everyone. Who doesn’t love a homemade cake pop?
These cake balls need to chill in the refrigerator before we pop ’em on a lollipop stick. Why? They’re much too delicate right now; they’ll completely fall apart. Which reminds me… you do NOT have to make these as pops. You can make them truffle-style by simply rolling them and coating in chocolate (just like how we make Oreo balls). Either way you enjoy them, chill the cake balls before coating. I just place them on a lined baking sheet and refrigerate them for a couple hours.
- Speaking of chocolate, you can dunk the cake balls into melted chocolate (white or semi-sweet), which is what I prefer for best taste, but that’s pretty expensive. And you need a good amount for all 40 cake pops. Instead, you can use candy melts/candy coating, and I give both options in the recipe below, along with notes for each choice.
Success Tip #2: To ensure the cake ball stays secure on the lollipop stick, dip one end of the stick into the melted chocolate coating first (just about 1/2 inch down), and 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: A 2-cup glass liquid measuring cup is the perfect depth for dipping the cake pops. If I’m using melted chocolate, like I did in these photos, I melt it in a double boiler then spoon a little at a time into the measuring cup. I don’t like dipping right into the whole pot of melted chocolate. Let the melted chocolate cool down for about 5 minutes before you dip the cold cake balls into it. (Otherwise the coating might crack as it dries.)
Success Tip #4: The best way to allow the coating to dry and set—without ruining the perfectly round cake pops—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. Cake pops dry/set within an hour or so. Enjoy!
Chocolate Cake Pops
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 26 minutes
- Total Time: 7 hours
- Yield: 40 cake pops
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Chocolate cake pops from scratch—made with homemade chocolate cake and chocolate frosting, dunked in melted chocolate and topped with sprinkles! Follow my thorough instructions, tips, and video tutorial for best results.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 6 Tablespoons (32g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder (1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (120ml) canola, vegetable, or melted coconut oil
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (120ml) hot water
Chocolate Frosting
- 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (90g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 cup (41g) unsweetened natural or Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 2–3 teaspoons heavy cream or milk
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Coating
- 24 ounces (680g) candy melts (or semi-sweet chocolate bars)*
- sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 9-inch pan (round or square) or 9-inch springform pan.
- Make the cake: Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside. Whisk the oil, eggs, and vanilla together in a medium bowl. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, add the hot water, and whisk everything together until combined. Make sure there are no pockets of dry ingredients hiding.
- Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 25–27 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 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. This isn’t a lot of butter and it will get stuck on the sides of the bowl, so you may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to really help get it creamed. Add confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons of heavy cream/milk, and vanilla extract, and beat on low speed until incorporated. Increase to high speed and beat for 3 minutes until it really comes together. Add another teaspoon of milk/cream if it looks a little too thick.
- 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.
- Measure 1 scant Tablespoon (20g) of moist cake mixture and roll into a ball. Place cake balls on a lined baking sheet. Refrigerate for 2 hours or freeze for 1 hour.
- Melt the coating in a 2-cup liquid measuring cup (best for dunking!). Microwave in 20-second increments, stirring after every 20 seconds until completely melted and smooth. (Or you can use a double boiler and pour a little at a time into the liquid measuring cup.) Let the coating cool down for a few minutes before you begin dipping. If it’s too hot when you dip, the coating will crack.
- Coat the cake balls: Remove only 2–3 cake balls from the refrigerator at a time. (Keep the rest cold!) Dip one end of a lollipop stick about 1/2 inch into the coating, then insert into the center of the cake ball. Push it about halfway to 3/4 of the way 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 above). Repeat with remaining cake balls, only working with 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 7. 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 Round Pan, 9-inch Square Pan, or 9-inch Springform Pan | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Baking Sheet | Silicone Baking Mat or Parchment Paper | Glass Measuring Cup | Double Boiler | Lollipop Sticks
- Chocolate: You can use candy coating/candy melts, almond bark, or semi-sweet chocolate (or white chocolate). If using almond bark or chocolate, chop it up before melting. Melt it with 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil to thin out so it’s easier to use as a coating. Keep warm over a double boiler. You can also temper pure chocolate for the coating. My full tempering tutorial is in Sally’s Candy Addiction if you have a copy.
- Cake Balls: Want to skip the lollipop stick? Go for it. Just dip the cake balls in melted or tempered chocolate to make delicious chocolate cake truffles. Whenever I dip truffles, I always use this spiral dipping tool. Drop the truffle in the chocolate and lift it out with the dipping tool. Quickly flip it upside down onto a lined baking sheet.
See Your Chocolate Cake Pops!
Many readers tried this recipe as part of a baking challenge! Feel free to email or share your recipe photos with us on social media. 🙂
Reader Comments and Reviews
the cake pops tasted delicious, but they just fell apart for me. it was very hard to get the balls to go on the stick, and many of those that did fell us they were drying. however, i let my kids dip in the icing and decorate with sprinkles, they definitely did not come out pretty, but they had a blast and they are still delish! i made the cake and frosting the day before, then we crumbled and rolled into balls (easy) and kept in fridge till dipping time. Also my first time using candy melts so that could have been part of the issue.
Hello!
Was wondering if I can use Hershey special dark 100% cacao (Dutched cacao)?
Also, which pure chocolate chip brand do you recommend for melting? Can I thin the pure chocolate or almond bark using crisco? If yes, how much crusco should I use?
Thank you!
Hi Cari! You need natural cocoa powder (not dutch processed) for this cake recipe. You can use dutch-process cocoa powder in the frosting. We recommend using pure semi sweet chocolate (not chocolate chips) – we like to use Bakers brand baking chocolate that comes in bars. We usually use vegetable oil for thinning the chocolate, but crisco should work as well. Enjoy!
Hi! I was wanting to make these but I was wondering if I have 1/2 the recipe since I only need 20.
Hi Diana, you should be able to cut recipe this in half and use a 6 inch pan. Enjoy!
Thank you so much!
Do I need to cover the rolled cake pops in the fridge overnight if they aren’t dipped yet?
Hi Stephanie! Yes, we would cover them or store them in an air tight container overnight in the fridge. Enjoy!
I made the vanilla cake pop recipe last week, so decided to try for chocolate this week. I found the cake pops much easier to shape with this recipe, as they are more moist, but they break apart when I insert the stick and won’t stay on the sticks while dipping. Are the cake pops too moist? Is my coating too thick?
I followed the recipe for the cake pops, let the cake cool several hours before mixing with frosting, and refrigerated the rolled cake pop balls overnight. My coating is Ghirardelli chocolate chips melted with vegetable oil to thin out.
Hi Sally, I have a question for you! After the cake pops have been dipped how long can they stay out in room temperature before you need to refrigerate? And how long are the cake pops good for after dipped in chocolate?
Hi Anna, we usually like to put our cake pops right in the fridge to help the chocolate coating set. They’ll be fine at room temperature for a few hours at a party or for serving purposes, but it’s best to store them in the fridge. They’ll be good there for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to six weeks.
Love this recipe. Can I make only the cake ahead and freeze it? For how long?
Hi Maria, absolutely. You can make the cake layer ahead of time and freeze it for up to three months.
This looks amazing! If I’m going to be dipping these in tempered chocolate, would it still be fine to roll them in sprinkles after?
Yes, that will be fine. Enjoy!
Hey! Not sure if you already wrote this in the instructions (I cant find it) but where do we let the cake pops dry right after coating? Do we let it dry at room temperature? Or we still have to refrigerate or freeze it? If you reply then thank youuu!!!
Hi Joanna, you can do either, but it will take longer to let them dry at room temperature. We usually let them dry in the fridge to speed up the process a bit. Hope this helps!
Someone above referred to a loss of taste in the coating if the dipped pops are frozen before eating…how much of a change is there? very noticeable?
Also, does freezing the coated pops increase the risk of the coating cracking?
Thanks..my sample tastes sublime,waiting to serve them!!
Hi Martha! We haven’t had any issues freezing coated cake pops. See make ahead instructions after the recipe. Hope you love them!
I made the cake pops using your vanilla recipe and it was DELICIOUS!
My questions for the chocolate cake pop recipe is…Can you put a half cup or so of mini chocolate chips in the batter right before you start rolling them into balls? Getting some kind of crunch when biting into them?
Do you spray your springform pan prior to baking the cake?
Yes, you can definitely add some mini chocolate chips! We recommend spraying your pan with non stick baking spray.
Ok, these are fabulous! But I think the addition of rum or bourbon would make them an adult favorite! So do I just sub in the alcohol for the heavy cream?
Hi Sky! We haven’t tested it but don’t see why that wouldn’t work. Would love to hear how it goes for you.
This is amazing! I made these cake pops yesterday and they were a huge sucess! They are soo chocolaty so if youre not a big chocolate fan this might not be the best recipe for you, but if you are then you should absolutely make these bc they truly are amazing! And if anyone is wondering if you can use butter instead of vetegable oil you can!
Was wondering how much chocolate I would need to coat the cake pops in rather than candy melts? And would a smaller batch of your chocolate cream cheese frosting work here? Can’t wait to make these, thanks in advance!
Hi Maria, you’ll need the same amount of pure chocolate. See recipe notes for details. You should be able to use 1 cup of cream cheese frosting, though we haven’t tested it. Would love to hear how they go!
These turned out so delicious! I used semisweet chocolate with a little oil for half the batch and the same with white chocolate on the other half. I definitely recommend this recipe! Cake pops taste so much better from scratch.
I made these and they turned out amazing. I used Ghirardelli white chocolate chip as the coating and I mixed a little bit of oil to thin it out like I had read in many other reviews!
Hi there, I want to make peppermint flavoured cake pops using extract. Do I add it to the cake mix or frosting or both and how much do I add? Thanks in advance!
Hi Lisa, you can simply add peppermint extract to your frosting – we recommend starting with no more than 1/4 tsp and tasting it…a little goes a long way!
Easy and fun. I made the chocolate cake pops. Thanks!
Hi there. If I temper pure chocolate, should I still add vegetable oil to thin out the consistency?
Hi Sadaf, No need for oil if you temper the chocolate. We have a full tempering tutorial in the book Sally’s Candy Addiction if you have a copy!
Best cake pops ever. The flavour is just out of this world. Made them vegan replacing some ingredients and they were just perfect.
This recipe is amazing and super easy to follow! I ended up only using about 10oz of Guittard Semisweet Chocolate Baking Bars to coat all of my pops (your tip to you use a 2 cup glass measuring cup was spot on!). I used Rainbow Sanding Sprinkles and Rainbow Shimmer Pearls to decorate. I had to let the chocolate coating set a bit before sprinkling them because the sugar sprinkles were melting into the chocolate coating at first! Coating/decorating the pops definitely took the most time, but I am so pleased with how the cake pops turned out. Thank you Sally for the awesome recipe!! 🙂
Could semi-sweet chocolate chips be used as coating?
Hi Sharon, We don’t recommend most chocolate chips as they contain stabilizers that help them to maintain their shape. Perfect for cookies but it prevents them from melting evenly. However, high quality chocolate chips such as Ghirardelli are typically ok to use. I recommend melting with 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil to help thin out.
Thank you!
Hi! I’ve already made these once and love this recipe, they didn’t last very long in my house. I used almond bark the first time but I don’t have any right now, would Ghirardelli 60% cacao chocolate chips work?
Hey Kayla! High quality chocolate chips such as ghirardelli are typically ok to use. I recommend melting with 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil to help thin out.
I plan on making these for my sons 7th birthday. I am making about a week ahead and freezing them.. once thawed how long are they good for?
For up to 1 week.
Hyy. Thank you so much for these.
I’m wondering if I can use Nutella or chocolate syrup for dipping the cake pops? Like Hershey’s chocolate syrup? If I can, do I need to heat them or I can use them as they are?
Hi Twinkles, I don’t recommend either as they won’t stick to the cake pops or dry hard. It’s best to stick with candy coating/candy melts, almond bark, or pure chocolate. See the recipe notes for details on each.
Hi! I was thinking I might try this recipe for my son’s wedding to go with the cupcakes for a fun, varied display, but with everything going on I was thinking I might freeze them for about a few weeks… How does freezing them affect the cake mixture? I know your notes say freezing them with the coating makes the coating not very tasty but if I freeze just the balls/pops to coat later, will they taste as good as the ones made fresh?
Hi Tab, These make such a fun wedding treat! Yes, the undipped cake balls freeze well for up to 6 weeks. Just thaw them in the refrigerator overnight before dipping and they will still be wonderful 🙂
Dude. This is how recipes should be done. Every possible question I had was answered in the article. The pictures and detail were SO helpful. This was my first time making cake pops and this made it SO easy, and they taste AMAZING. Thank you!
I halved this recipe because it was just for me and my husband but it came out AMAZING! The only thing is about an hour after I had dipped the balls the chocolate was still soft so I put it in the fridge. Do you know why they wouldn’t have hardened out of the fridge?
We are glad you enjoyed them, Ann! If your home is warm (like it is here in the summer heat!) then it would take the chocolate longer to set at room temperature. Placing them in the refrigerator to set is what I would have recommended 🙂
Amazing recipe! The cake pops turned out so perfectly!! They look beautiful and taste delicious- and that was with a 7 and 9 year old making/decorating them. We used dark chocolate and white chocolate Ghiradelli melting discs, and found that we didn’t need as much as was listed in the recipe. This will be a go to recipe for teacher gifts, baby showers, or birthday parties because they look so professional. And they taste way better than any you can find in a coffee shop. I was so impressed!
How long do undipped cake balls thaw in the fridge before being able to dip them? Overnight or a few hours?
A few hours is typically enough.