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
Can you please let me know what I’d have to adjust to make this is an 8-inch cake pan (and not springform)? Also, I’ll be making it at 6,000 ft elevation, do I need to change anything? Thank you!
Hi Nikki, An 8 inch pan– regular cake pan, not a springform pan– should be large enough for half of the recipe. Same temperature, and use a toothpick to check for doneness. We wish we could help with high altitude adjustments, but we have no experience baking at high altitude. Some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html Hope this helps!
Hi! This recipe is a birthday staple in our household. We send a bunch to school with our girls. Any suggestions for an egg free version? I’m worried that our little one will notice flaxseed and won’t like that, if I go that route.
Thanks!
Hi Anna, we haven’t tested an egg-free version, but let us know if you try anything. So glad your family loves these cake pops!
I did ground flaxseed or applesauce for years for other cakes and my daughter never noticed… I couldn’t really even tell.
OMG, I LOVE THESE THANK YOU SO MUCH SOOOOO GOOOOD My family loved them thank you for turning a boring party FUN.
This recipe makes about 40 cake pops.
Hi, after dipping the pips in melted wafer, do we let then sit outside or put them back in the fridge?
Hi Maheem, let the cake pops set at room temperature after dipping.
I loved this recipe!! Pretty simple and tasted great! My friends loved them! We did realize the coating was kinda thick. Any way to thin it down? Thanks!
Hi Mercy, I like thinning out the coating with a little vegetable oil. It works particularly well when using white chocolate.
Do you have a recipe for Cherry Chip Cake Pops?
Hi Melissa, we don’t at this time, but let us know if you find one you love!
I just made these for my Grandson’s and I used a box cake mix. Turned out really
good, except for the consistency of the white chocolate. I double dipped them, and
then covered with sprinkles. Turned out excellent. I got about 30 cake pops from a
regular box mix. I’ll definitely be doing these again.
Can I halve the recipe using a 9 inch springform pan? What temperature and time, thanks!!!
Hi Jessica, An 8 inch pan– regular cake pan, not a springform pan– should be large enough for half of the recipe. Same temperature, and use a toothpick to check for doneness! Enjoy
If I were to halve the recipe, how long do I bake the cake and at what temperature?
Hi David, An 8 inch pan– regular cake pan, not a springform pan– should be large enough for half of the recipe. Same temperature, and use a toothpick to check for doneness! Enjoy
Can I use a 9 inch springform pan?
Hi David, yes – this recipe uses a 9 inch springform pan (see step 1).
So good
May I inquire how to incorporate cocoa powder for chocolate cake pops?
Hi Courtney, here is my chocolate cake pops recipe.
First off, Sally’s rocks! Can these be stored in the freezer so that they last longer than a week? If so, any recommendations for letting them thaw (e.g. leave in fridge overnight, or let thaw at room temperature, etc.)
Hi Patrick! See recipe notes for freezing instructions 🙂
Hello,
I am hoping you can help! When making my cake pops I have always made the cake allowed cake to cool in fridge, used icing with crumbled cake mix and then formed my cake pop balls. I’ve never chilled them before adding my stick, after I let it set either at room temperature or in the fridge then for 30 minutes is when I melted my candy coating/chocolate onto my cake pops. Majority of them would stay on the stick. My issues was a few days afterwards is when the cake pops would either fall off the stick or while eating will fall off the stick. CAN YOU PLEASE HELP??
Hi Brooke, To ensure the cake ball stays secure on the lollipop stick, dip the stick slightly into the coating first. Then stick in the center of the cake ball. We also do recommend keeping them chilled until you are finished dipping them in the coating.
This recipe and the chocolate recipe are just perfect. Thank you so much! Are there other flavors you have that would work well with cake pops or cake balls? Thanks again for always having dependable recipes!!
Hi Janis! You can use most cake recipes to make cake pops. Here’s our chocolate cake pops recipe!
Hiya, hope you see this quickly. I’ve made the cake pops and have gone to make the icing but I don’t have heavy cream and I can’t go get any? Is there a substitute for it??
Milk works too!
This recipe was a fun challenge for me. A few things to share: next time, I will freeze the pops instead of refrigerating them (a few of my pops fell off the sticks). It is so much easier to work with the pops when they’re firm and cold. I think I will use a cookie scoop next time to get a smoother, rounder shape to the pops. My pops would not stand up straight in the cardboard box–not sure what I did wrong. Next time I will use a thick styrofoam block, as it will support the whole stick. Make sure to tap the excess candy coating off the pop, otherwise it will drip down the stick/onto the counter. I also might wait a *few* minutes after dipping the pops into the candy coating before dipping in the sprinkles. I found the sprinkles started to pour down the side of the pop with the frosting (which reinforces how important it is to tap off excess coating). The directions to keep the candy coating warm on a double boiler were very helpful–make sure to do this. I saw a few other recipes that suggested using fondue pots, which I think would work well. These pops were SO delicious. I’ll definitely be making them again.
This cake recipe is absolutely perfect! The taste and texture are excellent.
I was wondering if this cake batter could possibly be cooked in a Bundt pan for pound cake. Thoughts or suggestions ?
Hi Sallie, so glad you loved these cake pops! This is the recipe we love for our pound cakes.
How does the coating stay thin if it’s not kept warm on the stove? I’ve made these only once and found the frosting (even though I added some coconut oil) got too hard for dipping if it didn’t stay warm. Thank you.
Hi Charlotte, you want to dip the cake balls while the coating is still warm – you can re-heat it if you find it’s getting too hard!
To thin frosting, I use gulf wax( household paraffin wax). I’ve used it for years in my bon bons at Christmas. You don’t need very much and it hardens with the frosting also leaves a nice shine.
Do you have any recommendations on preventing the sticks turning yellow from the oil from the cake?
Why do my cake pops crack?
Hi Cathie, The coating can crack because of the temperature difference between the coating and the cake. You can definitely help prevent that next time. If you keep the shaped cake pops a little warmer– aka don’t put in the freezer or refrigerator for so long before dipping– the coating won’t crack. OR make sure that the coating isn’t too hot. Hope this helps!
I made these cake pops with this cake and the chocolate frosting from your chocolate cake pops and dipped in 1/2 milk chocolate 1/2 semi sweet and they were perfect! My toddler is obsessed and I’m glad we found this recipe to make the treats homemade!
Hi there ! Really would love to make these for a friends birthday. I noticed also that you have a recipe for a lavender cake, have you tried making lavender cake pops ? If so, do you have any suggestions for how to modify this recipe to incorporate the lavender flavor ? Would I make a lavender milk like in your cake recipe ? Or incorporate the lavender into the frosting used to bind ? Please feel free to let me know your thoughts 🙂
Just seeing your comment now and I’m glad to help! I’ve never made the lavender cake into cake pops. You could absolutely prep the milk needed for the cake pops (both the milk for the cake batter and for the frosting) with lavender the same way the lavender cake recipe instructs– steeping with the dried culinary lavender.
I want to make half vanilla and half chocolate.. do I use a smaller pan and less baking time? Thanks!
Hi Lidiya! An 8 inch pan– regular cake pan, not a springform pan– should be large enough for a half batch. We’re unsure of the exact baking time, so use a toothpick to test for doneness.
I made the vanilla cake but used a chocolate buttercream frosting. For the chocolate ones. Turned out great
What type of chocolate can I add to this recipe to make chocolate cake pops?
Hi Jenny! Here’re our recipe for chocolate cake pops. Enjoy!
Hi Trina,
Thank you for the recipe!!
Jenny
Hi, I am baking everything dairy free, I made these once swapping milk with almond milk and butter with mardrine and I used dairy free chocolate chips for the coating and it worked out great. However, I wanted to make a second batch with a vanilla coating and can’t seem to find any dairy free melts. Do you have any suggestions as to recipes for homemade candy melts?
Hi John, I wish we could help more but don’t know of any recipes for homemade candy melts. We would do a quick google search to find one with good reviews.
You can buy white chocolate chips that are Dairy free at the store. Nestle makes some chocolate chips that are allergen free including dairy.
Hi Sally! I love all your recipes, they never fail me. I’ve never made cake pops before, for Christmas I got a cake pop mold kit and the baby cakes press. Is there anyway to incorporate them with this recipe?
Hi Maria! We don’t have much experience with these products, but the cake pop mold kit may help with forming the cake balls. You may need a recipe specifically formulated for the baby cakes press. Let us know what you try!
If you are tinting the white chocolate, when do you add the color? Thanks so much!
Hi Kristi, You can tint it with food coloring after it’s been melted. Enjoy!
I love your recipes! I’m looking to make Funfetti cake pops… if I were to use this recipe, how many jimmies would I use? Thanks I’m advance.
Hi Britt, start with 1/4 cup of sprinkles. Enjoy!
I always find the melts too thick and use a little canola oil to thin. Yummy pops – made them for Halloween and now Christmas.
Hi Sally,
I make cake pops frequently.
Have been a cake designer for 32 years.
Ever time I have chilled my cake pops and then dipped in chocolate they crack.
So I just roll in balls and dip in chocolate at room temperature and they turn out great!
Very important to add the vegetable oil to thin out chocolate.
After you dip them, do you need to have them put in the fridge right after they harden?
(fingers crossed this gets seen in time!!) hey there! so I’m trying to get a bit complicated with this.
for the idea I had in mind I want to do three cake balls stacked together on one stick and all three would be different colors so I’d have to dip them separately.
first of all, does putting more than one cake ball on the stick work or am I trying to get too creative? I’m worried that since I would have to push the stick all the way through for two of them that they’ll just slide off.
and second, if that is something I can do, how could I go about dipping the cake balls? can I dip them all separately, let them set, and then poke the stick through after the fact or do you have a different suggestion?
let me know if you have any ideas or recommendations. thanks so much!!
We’ve honestly never tried this before. If you use a longer lollipop stick it should be sturdy enough to hold the weight of three cake balls. If you let the coating harden first, it would be very difficult to put them on the stick. You could try dipping one color, pushing the cake ball down, adding the next and dipping that and pushing that down, then adding the top and dipping that last. Not sure how well it would work but let us know if you try anything!
I would try with smaller balls. Then dip them all in the first. Dry it. Dip the two in the next, dry it and then the last one in the third colour. Unless you are going for different tastes as well, then that wouldn’t work.