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
I tried this recipe today. Followed the recipe exactly. When making the cakeballs they are oily/greasy. What did I do wrong or miss. I won’t be able to use for dipping.
Hi Alicia, did the frosting seem oily/greasy when you made it? It sounds like maybe your butter was a bit too warm, which then translated to greasy frosting and greasier cake pops. For next time, you can also try reducing the amount of frosting. You want just enough to moisten the cake crumbs so that they can form balls. Hope this helps and thank you for giving this a try!
Can you use vegetable oil instead of butter? I’m trying to save on costs for an event I have to make them for.
Hi Amanda, butter is best so that it can be creamed together with the sugar. You could try coconut oil instead (you need a fat that is solid at room temperature), but the results may be different.
Can I cut the frosting in half?? I only have 12 cupcakes I have frozen that I wanted to turn into cake pops.
Please let me know! Thank you.
Hi Alexis, yes, you can cut the frosting in half. You’ll want enough frosting to *just* moisten the crumbs. Enjoy!
Hello,
I hope this gets to you in time. But I was wondering if I can add some plain yogurt? I’m not sure if I can do a Tablespoon or 2 and replace it with the butter.
Hi Elisa, for best results we recommend sticking with the recipe but let us know if you try anything!
Hi, is this kind of frosting good with any kind of cake?? I have rainbow chip cupcakes in the freezer I need to use it has almond extract in them. Would this work? I don’t want it to be too sweet
Please let me know!
Hi Alexis, definitely!
Hi Sally! Thank you for the recipe. I made these for an event due this Monday and have a question regarding timing. I dipped them and froze them but haven’t put the sugar flower decorations on them yet. If I take them out of the freezer on Sunday morning and let them defrost on the counter for a few hours, can I then put the flower decorations on with edible glue, put them in an airtight container and leave them at room temperature until Monday morning (day of the event)?
Thanks!
Hi Kriti, we’d recommend thawing them overnight in the refrigerator. Then you can add your flower decorations and store in the refrigerator until Monday. Hope they’re a hit!
Hi there! We tried this today but the cake didn’t rise as much as it seems to have done in the video and looks a bit dense and greasy inside. We assumed it was because we mixed some colour paste into the batter so we tried again without adding any colour and still had the same outcome.
Question 1: can we still make the pops with it despite its density?
We followed the recipe to the letter and have a thermometer in the oven to verify that the temperature is correct, and have confirmed that our baking powder is still good by pouring hot water on it.
Question 2: what could we have done wrong for the cake to come out like this?
Thanks!
Hi Andy, I’m sorry you had trouble with this recipe and would be happy to help. Did you make any substitutions at all? Were you using a conventional bake setting on your oven, or a fan setting? Is it possible that it was slightly underbaked? And in the meantime, you could try making the frosting and rolling a few cake pops with the cake you made, and see if the texture is all right as is (I expect it probably will be fine).
Hi Beth! Thanks for the reply. We didn’t make any substitutions. We made buttermilk using milk and vinegar as described elsewhere on this site. The oven was on a fan setting; we did the “toothpick test” and it seemed like it was ready both times we tried it.
The thing that’s confusing us here is that we also made two of the cupcake recipes from this site (carrot cake and super-moist chocolate) as well with the same ingredients and oven on the same day, and they both seemed to work out just fine, so we’re having a hard time figuring out what happened with this one!
You can use whole milk without souring it with vinegar for this particular cake, so maybe that had something to do with your result. We also recommend baking using a conventional baking setting (not fan), but if you were able to bake on that setting successfully with the other two recipes you made, I’m really not sure! But because you crumble the cake and mix it with the frosting, it’s going to be dense either way, so the cake should be fine to use here.
What advice would you give for dipping the cake if I want to make a cake ball versus a cake pop? Each cake ball will go in a mini cupcake liner.
Hi Becky, you could use a candy dipping tool or fork, like we do for dipping Oreo balls.
also don’t you need oil or dipping aid, to thin out the candy melts before dipping? isn’t to thick?
Hi Ellie, yes, you can use 1/2 teaspoon of vegetable oil to help thin it out if you’re using pure baking chocolate.
With this cake pop recipe, you have to have Cake pop mold or pan right?
You do not need a special pan. The post above details how we shape them, and you can also watch the video (directly below the recipe instructions) to watch how we make them.
would it be possible to use 1 cup half and half instead of milk for the batter? that’s all I have on hand.
Hi Ellie, half and half may be a little too thick, but you could try watering it down a little.
I made this recipe today and the dough is delicious but greasy for me. Not sure if i did something wrong. Also what would be the ratio for more frosting to coat a cake? I would like to make this as a birthday cake lol
Hi Karie, we’d recommend following this Vanilla Cake recipe for a birthday cake!
I have made these multiple times for bake sales and team dinners–they are always a hit! Do you have advice on the best way to make them gluten free? Is it as simple as just using 1:1 flour, or would additional changes be needed? Thanks so much!
Hi Meg, We have not tested this recipe with gluten free flour but let us know if you give it a try!
I have made cakes with
Gluten Free Flour and it works
Great. I always get the flour with the
Added ingredients that hold it together. King Arthur all purpose flour is good. I loved Domata but I have not Ben able to find it anymore. I have made cookies, cakes Banana Breads etc. all are good.
Hi first off wanted to say I LOOOOVE your blog I always come here first when looking for recipes so thank you!!!
My daughter requested funfetti cake pops. Would I add sprinkles to the crumbling stage and fold in before rolling into balls?
Hi Jennifer, we’d start by adding 1/4 cup of sprinkles to this batter for confetti cake pops. Hope they’re a hit!
Hi Sally, after coating do I leave the cake pops to set in the refrigerator or do I leave it out to set at room temperature.
Hi Omi, let them set at room temperature.
Hi Sally! I love your recipes! Thank you for what you do! ❣️
My question: I have frozen funfetti chip cupcakes In the freezer I baked a month or two ago. I have almond extract in them with white chocolate chunks. I was wondering if I let that come to room temp could I use that with the frosting you recommended??? I just don’t want it to be too sweet.
Please let me know!
Hi Alexis, you can certainly use those cupcakes! The ratio can change based on the exact cake and frosting you’re using, but you’ll want enough to *just* moisten the crumbs. Enjoy!
Hi! Can I substitute regular 2% milk in for the whole milk in the frosting or the cake? Also, instead of using candy melts to cover the cake pops, could I use some leftover royal icing I have? Thanks so much! Can’t wait to try!
Hi Abigail, you can definitely use 2% milk here. We haven’t tried royal icing on them, but let us know how they turn out if you do!
I decided to make a batch of cake pops using a box mix and a can of frosting, but threw it away before I even rolled the balls. It tasted so artificial and the texture was terrible. So I found this recipe and made these instead. They came out so cute and tasted better than the Starbucks ones. My advice is to read this whole post carefully and follow all of her advice!
Hi! If you want colored cake pops, would you add it to the cake and frosting, and do you think the amount matters?
Hi Kayla, you can use gel food coloring to color the cake and the frosting.
Love them
I not finished making them yet but so far they’re delicious. I just have a couple concerns. I only came out to about 28 balls (pre-chocolate coating). As the cake cooled it deflated a lot. Is that normal or did I possibly that the spring form off too soon? When scooping with tbs I didn’t want to pack it in too much so I had some outside the spoon. Could these things result in my quantity issue?
Hi Suzanne, did you use a different sized cake pan by chance? When cakes shrink and sink, it’s often because they are underbaked a bit. A few extra minutes in the oven can help for next time. We’re glad you’re enjoying the cake pops!
These tast really good! I didnt have any candy melts so I made my own frosting and froze it over night and it worked out really good!
Hi, I dont have powered suger could I substitute with granulated sugar?
Hi Mercy, no, granulated sugar will not work as a replacement for confectioners’ sugar in the frosting.
This is the best cake pop recipe! The ratio of cake to frosting was perfect.
Hi Sally! I love this recipe! To make these Funfetti, can I just add sprinkles to the batter?
Hi Melanie, we’d start by adding 1/4 cup of sprinkles to this batter for confetti cake pops. Hope they’re a hit!
These are so good and worth the extra effort making homemade cake and frosting. They’re better than Starbucks cake pops in my opinion. I can’t stop eating them!
I have a cake pop maker at home and these look amazing! I can’t wait to try them!
I have leftover cake from your chocolate layer cake and perfect white cake. can I use this?
Hi Tova, absolutely! The ratio can change based on the exact cake and frosting you’re using, but you’ll want enough to *just* moisten the crumbs.
Can you use any cake for cake pops? I’ve made red velvet cakes and cupcakes for valentines. I made enough to use for cake pops. Will this work? Also ,for the cake and cupcakes I made a cream cheese butted cream. Will this butter cream work for cake pops ?
Hi Elizabeth, the ratio can change based on the exact cake and frosting you’re using, but you’ll want enough to *just* moisten the crumbs.
Hi. Can you use coconut sugar instead?
Thank you
Hi Laura, for best results, we recommend sticking with granulated sugar. Swapping for coconut sugar would take some testing to ensure results.
Wow! I’ve never attempted cake pops before, nor have I eaten them. The people at the gathering went crazy for them. I’ve still not tried one, but no need to, they empty plate spoke for itself! Great, simple recipe
Thanks!!