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
the best cake pop recipe i ever made!
No it isn’t bad recipe
Hi, I want to make my cake pops a couple days ahead of an event so if I store them in the fridge and take them out the day I’m going to use them will they be sweaty?
Hi Corina, there may be a bit of condensation, but once you remove them from the refrigerator, let them come to room temperature without a cover on your container. This will prevent any excess moisture from getting trapped inside.
Hi, how would the baking instructions for the cake change if I’m using a glass pan? thanks!!
Hi Martina, bake time may be just a few minutes longer if using a glass pan. Keep a close eye on it and use a toothpick to test for doneness.
Hey, I wanted to ask if I make the cake pops 2 days before and store them in the refrigerator, will they still taste fresh. I want to make these as party favors and want to avoid any extra hassle the day of. Do you have any specific tips on storing or making these beforehand? Thank you.
Hi Polly, see the recipe notes for make ahead instructions! Making them 2 days ahead of time is fine.
Hello! i was wondering how to do the math for cupcakes to cake pops. Does anyone know how many cake pops 12 cupcakes makes?
Hey, I am guessing each cupcake will make 3-4 cake pops
Hi
Just wondering if these have to stay in the fridge after making and if so will they crack when I take them out or when there in there?
Hi Tammy, yes, we recommend storing them in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. They shouldn’t crack during storage.
Hi Sally! I want to make little mermaid cake pops on forks instead of sticks. It’s for my daughter’s 4th birthday. Any tips? What if I want them to stand up on their own with a flat base? And should I pre dip the fork prongs? Thanks!
Hi Kimi, how fun! If you want the cake pops to stand on their own, we’d form the balls with a flat base to support them. Once dipped, you can also allow them to dry facing downwards since you’ll want the flat base anyways. Yes, we would still pre-dip the tips of the fork prongs. Hope they’re a hit!
This recipe is so easy to make even tho i dont have the cake pop sticks they still turned out wonderful!!
If you want to freeze do you do it before or after you dip in chocolate?
Either works! See recipe Notes for details.
Can I use cheese cake for this because my mom wanted some cheese cake in it?
Hi TracyMay! A cheesecake pop would require its own recipe, and we haven’t tested one. We would search for a recipe with good reviews – let us know if you find one!
yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuum
**super hack! Chill the cake balls (i used half the buttercream only & crumbled when cake was hot) after chilling i let them sit for 15min and then coated and omg no cracks and perfect cake pops! When going straight from fridge to coating most cracked but letting them sit a bit was perfedt. I was worried about only using 1 egg but that worked!
Is the first thing the batter if not what is it
Hi Cole, yes, the first section under the ingredients list is for the cake.
This was an awesome recipe, so happy that you shared this. I really enjoyed making these and even did shapes for a friend’s sister baby shower. Homemade is always better. Thank you!
Hey Sally and Team!
I want to make the cake part red velvet, and was thinking of using your Red Velvet Cake recipe, but reducing it to produce enough cake for just a single layer. Would the cake flour still be a good choice, or too crumbly?
Hi Jasmine! We have not used our red velvet cake to make cake pops, but other readers have told us they used it with success (using cake flour)! If you use cream cheese frosting just keep in mind that it should be stored in the refrigerator. Would love to hear how they go!
Loved this easy to follow cake pop recipe and the helpful tips. I have used other recipes but this will now be my go to that I have saved. The only issue I ran into was when the icing was drying on some of the pops it started cracking but not on all of them. Any idea why that would happen?
Hi Jen, if the temperature difference between the cake pops and the melted chocolate is too much, then they will often crack. Leaving them at room temperature for a few minutes before dipping is a great solution. Glad you enjoyed these!
I’d like to mail a half a dozen or so of these cake pops. Any suggestions on how best to do this? Thanks.
Hi Becky! These cake pops should stay refrigerated, so we would only ship them if using an insulated cooler box, overnight. Let us know if you give it a try!
Wondering if I can use fat free milk in cake , that’s all I have a the moment.
Hi MaryJo, We recommend sticking with whole milk or buttermilk for this recipe.
Can I substitute for almond milk?
I used almond milk and it turned out great!
I would like to try this recipe but what are and how much of each ingredient for the chocolate recipe?
Hi Kathy, here is our recipe for chocolate cake pops. Enjoy!
these are so cute i love it. where did you buy the sticks? i need a cheap option thanks!
Hi Hadley, we use these lollipop sticks!
Could I make this gluten free by using a gf flour blend and adding xanthum gum? Celiac 4 year old here hoping for birthday cake pops!
We haven’t tested that, but please let us know if you do!
I made a chocolate birthday cake today…and it fell apart coming out of the pan! So sad, but then I thought of cake pops. I know I’ll be having a Valentine’s Day tea party, so I think I’ll save this ruined cake for these cake pops next month. My question is: how should I freeze the cake so that it’ll be ready to make cake pops later? In big chunks or should I go ahead and break it apart into little bits? Any tips? Thanks!
Hi Jessica, we’d recommend freezing in larger chunks, if possible. Here are all our tips for how to freeze cakes!
You should really make a restaurant! This tasted so good!
Hi! I have leftover frosting that I wanted to use to make cake pops. What ratio of cake to frosting do you recommend? I want to be able to scale this recipe correctly! Thanks.
Hi Millie, the ratio can change slightly depending on the exact cake and frosting recipes you use–you’ll want the mixture to be just slightly moist enough to hold together in a ball. Hope this helps!
Incredible! Everyone loved them! We made them stick up so it was earlier to store and display
This is a new family favorite! I always had requests for decorated cakes for every birthday. Now everyone requests cake pops! So much less mess in the kitchen, that’s for sure! This recipe is perfect! Thank you so much!
Can I use chocolate cake instead?
Hi Olivia! Here’s our chocolate cake pops recipe. Happy baking!
Have you ever made cake pops out of scratch carrot cake? Or used a cream cheese frosting for the dip? I’m thinking about this for Christmas & would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks so much!
Hi Mari! You can use our carrot cake (this one layer carrot cake would make a reasonable amount) recipe to make carrot cake pops – the exact amount of cream cheese frosting needed will differ with each cake and frosting recipe, so you can do it by look/feel.
Yummy cake pops! Great texture! Love that the frosting and cake are both made from scratch! A bit bland in the end but my kids adore them and I feel good giving them these pops! I appreciate all of the tips you included in the recipe. Looking forward to trying the chocolate cake pop recipe as well.
Can I use whipped cream frosting instead of buttercream?
Hi Grace, I fear a whipped cream frosting would be too light and airy to produce a cake pop mixture that stays together, but you can certainly try it. I have not personally tested it.
Hi Sally! Making these with blue sprinkles for baby shower favors. So excited. When they are setting in the styrofoam block, should I leave them out of the fridge for that hour or put them back in during that time? Thanks!!
Hi Erica, we let the cake pops dry at room temperature for that hour. Hope they’re a hit!