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
Made a batch for gender reveal, added pink food colouring for the cake inside + some in the buttercream.
Recipe worked perfectly – I might have made mine a little big but it did the trick!
I’d love to make these and prepare ahead but I’m concerned with the freeze method. When you freeze finish product and thaw before serving do they appear to look wet and are they left with a dew appearance? I am making these for an event and want them to be oerfect and I didn’t want to do a trial run first lol
Hi Tracy, 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. Hope this helps!
can I use strawberry cake mix
Hi Diane, we’re sure you could, but the proportions of cake and frosting needed will vary.
Can your confetti cake be made into these? How would I change the recipe for it? Love all your stuff!
Hi Alanna, we’d start by adding 1/4 cup of sprinkles to this batter for confetti cake pops. Hope they’re a hit!
Is there a way to half this recipe to yield 20 cakepops?
Hi Neve, you could try halving the batter and baking it in a 6-inch or 8-inch cake pan, but we are unsure of the bake times.
These were amazing!!! Made them for my son’s gender reveal party. So moist and flavorful! Will definitely be making them again:)
Hello I am making these for a gender reveal also
Did you prepare these in advance ? Curious how they appeared if you froze them at all throughout this process> I’d love to get a jump start on them
I read your note about freezing, do you recommend freezing after they are dipped or only before?
Hi Sheri! You can also freeze the finished cake pops for up to 6 weeks once the coating has fully set. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
To clarify, can you freeze the cake balls, coated and uncoated?
Hi Bonnie, correct, you can freeze both the coated and uncoated cake balls. See recipe Notes for more freezing details.
Thanks SO much for this recipe. I have made it several times and it comes out perfectly each time. I have a question, I am wondering if you can roll this out with a rolling pin and use a circle cutter to make flatter cake pops? Like a puck? Have you tried that and does it work with this recipe? Thanks!
Hi Amber! We haven’t tried that. We fear rolling it out could get quite messy, but what you could do is try to press it into a pan or shallow baking sheet and then using a cookie cutter or knife to make your shapes. Let us know if you try it!
Hi Sally and the team. Love your website 🙂 I wondered – my son wishes for a birthday cake shaped like Ghibli’s Totoro. Do you reckon it would be possible to create the figure out of the pop cake dough and cover in white chocolate coloured grey with black gel colouring? It seems more fun and doable than cutting it out of cake slices. Thanks a lot!
Hi Betty, we can’t see why not! Let us know if you give it a try.
Can you use chocolate chips
Hi Lisa, for best results, we recommend using pure baking chocolate or chocolate candy melts. Chocolate chips contain stabilizers which prevent them from melting properly, making it pretty difficult to dip the cake pops. Hope this is helpful!
Sorry if this has been answered. How long are the cake pops good after making them? I made these last year for my granddaughter’s grad party and they were the biggest hit!!
Hi Mary Jo, you can store cake pops in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Or, see recipe Notes for freezing instructions.
Could you put the baked cake in the fridge to cool faster?
Hi Caroline, you could, but it can dry out the cake.
Okay, thank you for the speedy reply!
Great recipe, but the cook time is way more than 36 mins. I have a new oven and 350 is either not high enough or 36mins is too short. Other then that, its amazing
The cook time will vary on your oven. I used an 11×7 glass dish for the cake and it came out perfectly in 30 min.
Can I use buttermilk in the frosting instead of heavy cream or whole milk.
Hi Emily! Buttermilk will give the frosting a much tangier flavor. We recommend sticking with heavy cream or milk.
Wow! These are Great! I made 2 batches for my daughter’s baby shower. Covered with white chocolate then a strawberry or lemon flavored drizzle of white chocolate. Everyone loved them; my teenage grandson ate a dozen saying how good they are. I think he’ll ask for same at his party.
Hello how long would these last out of the fridge/will they melt quickly? Looking to sell some at a bake stall.
Hi Bridget, they would be fine at room temperature, but may not do as well outside on a really hot day.
So AMAZING!!!! Everyone I make them for absolutely loves them
My cake tasted like cornbread and the cake pops do as well. They do not taste good and I’m not sure what went wrong.
Mine do as well and I feel awful wasting all these ingredients however they simply taste like cornbread drowning in powdered sugar from my frosting.
Hi sally’s team! Can I use gluten free flour?
Hi Vera, we have not tested this recipe with gluten free flour but let us know if you give it a try!
I just made these with a 1:1 gluten free flour. The cake balls felt softer and more oily than they typically do when shaping them, and the cake pops felt slightly denser than they usually do with regular flour, but they were just as tasty and were very popular at my event. I would definitely make them again.
Real good, walked me through in a way I had no questions, and I really enjoyed the finished result
Could you suggest a cream cheese frosting recipe for these guys?
Hi Coco, You can absolutely use cream cheese frosting instead — we’re unsure of the exact amount, but you’ll want *just enough* to barely moisten those cake crumbs. Have fun experimenting!
Can someone please tell me how many oz of cake this recipe makes? I’m using leftover birthday cake that I froze. I want to make sure my cake to frosting ratio is right. Thanks!
Which chocolate melts to use for coating the pops?
Hi Sweta! See recipe Notes for details: 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.
very yummy but just a tad bit dry. my grandkids loved them 🙂
I made both the Vanilla and Chocolate versions for a baby shower – they were a huge hit! I followed both recipes exactly and used my 1-ounce scoop to portion them. I got 6 extra vanilla pops and was short 5 chocolate ones. Overall I had more than enough and will definitely make them again – especially since they can be done ahead and frozen.
Thanks for the recipes and all of the tips!
How many cake pops does this recipe make?
Hi Kara, 40 pops.
Can I use cake flour instead of all purpose? I have tons I’m looking to use up.
Hi Emma, We recommend sticking with regular all-purpose flour. If you’d like to make the switch, we would slightly reduce the milk. Cake powder is so light, and there may be too much moisture in the batter for the cake flour to support.
Can I substitute while chocolate chips instead of white chocolate bakers bars? If so is there any adjustments to make so its smooth for my cake pops
Hi Angela, for best results, we recommend using pure baking chocolate or chocolate candy melts. Chocolate chips contain stabilizers which prevent them from melting properly, making it pretty difficult to dip the cake pops. Hope this is helpful!
Hi, I was wondering how long you can keep the cake out of refrigerated. I know it said that they cake balls could be in the fridge for up to 2 days but, I wasn’t sure about the cake. Thanks!
You can make the cake 1 day in advance and store at room temperature, or freeze for up to 3 months.
I loved this recipe and it was a great recipe