How to Make a Basic Cake Pop

Ever seen one of those adorable sweet round balls of cake and chocolate goodness placed perfectly on a lollipop stick? Wished you could make your own? Well now that dream is becoming a reality today. I can’t wait to get you going and show you how to make a basic cake pop. You will be wanting to make all different kinds and shapes before you know it.

Cake pops are not only a treat for the eyes but also for the taste buds. The appearance is irresistible and so much fun to use your imagination to create something new and tasty. You may even find yourself looking at the candy aisle in a new way for your next creation.

How to Make a Cake Pop

I first must say that you should not get frustrated if this is your first time attempting to make cake pops. The more you make them, the faster and easier it will become. Another great tip I have for you is to be sure that you have all your supplies prepared and set-up before beginning. This will take away a lot of stress in the long run.

Another great plus about cake pops is that they are easily freezed and can be thawed out in a short time for people who are trying to watch their figure and do not want them to ruin. Now let’s get started.

Ingredients and Supplies:

• Your favorite cake recipe or boxed cake mix
• The ingredients needed to bake your cake
• Icing-Choose an icing that pairs well with your type of cake, ex: cream cheese icing with red velvet cake, vanilla icing with vanilla cake, chocolate with chocolate cake.
• Cake pop sticks– also known as lollipop sticks. I love using paper straws as well. They add a lot of color and can be found for just about any occasion.
• Melting chocolate or candy melts in the color of your choice
• Sprinkles
• Cake pop stand– or anything that will hold the cake pops up while chocolate hardens

You will want to go ahead and have your cake prepared whether homemade or boxed cake mix. I do want to mention that I bake mine in a 13×9 inch pan because it can easily be divided into 4 equal parts. One-fourth will normally yield about 11-12 cake pops depending on the size. *I can then easily freeze the remaining cake to use later. I like to freeze each fourth separately by first wrapping in saran wrap and then in foil. Don’t forget to write on the outside of the foil with a sharpie marker the type of cake and also the date you baked it.

First crumble your cake into fine crumbs similar to sand or potting soil. Rubbing sections of your cake against each other will also assist in crumbling it into smaller pieces.

Once you have crumbled your cake mix, you are ready to add your icing. For one-fourth of cake, I add one large “rounded over” tablespoon. *I know precise measurement huh? But the amount of icing will also be up to your taste which will come in time after you have made several different batches. Start out with less icing than you may think and start to incorporate into your cake crumbles. You can always add more icing as you see needed.

Continue to mix in your icing until it is fully incorporated. You will start to see the cake molding together and no longer crumbling. *As you mix if your cake crumbles are not sticking together well, you will probably need to add more icing. If you are still unsure if you have enough icing, go ahead and test the cake by rolling together in ball the palm of your hand to see how well it stays formed.

Start rolling your cake into balls. I usually prefer for my cake pops to be about 1 inch in diameter. *The chocolate coating and sprinkles will also give the appearance of a larger cake pop. I use a tablespoon to scoop out the cake and begin rolling in the palm of my hand until a round and smooth ball is formed. 

After all your cake has been rolled into balls, they will need to be chilled either in the freezer for about 15 minutes or in the fridge for several hours. *Chilling them allows the cake pops to retain their shape and not become mushy when dipping in chocolate. Be sure not to let them become frozen completely and then attempt to dip in chocolate immediately or it may cause your chocolate to crack on the cake pop once it has finished hardening. 

Melt your chocolate or candy melts. I find the microwave is easiest. *You do want to make sure though that you melt enough chocolate to give you enough depth to dip you cake pop and submerge it completely. Follow your chocolate or candy melt package for specific heating instructions. Be careful not to overheat too quickly which can scorch your chocolate and can no longer be used.

The chocolate or candy melts are ready when it appears smooth with no lumps and flows smoothly off your spoon. *If you are having a hard time with getting it to melt evenly and without lumps, you can add shortening to the chocolate but only add about 1 tsp at a time. Stir until melted or add in and microwave to finish melting.

Remove your cake pops from the freezer once they are chilled and let the dipping begin. First place your cake pop stick about ½ inch into the candy melts and then place into your cake ball about half way through. *This application of candy melt on the stick before inserting helps your cake ball to cling to the lollipop stick.

Dip your cake pop into the candy melts being sure to evenly coat the ball. Lift your cake pop out and gently tap and rotate to remove any excess chocolate that would weigh down your cake pop and possibly cause it to fall down the stick. *Tap your wrist gently to remove excess chocolate and avoid knocking the cake ball off the stick. 

Before the candy melt coating hardens, decorate with sprinkles of your choice depending on the occasion or holiday to ensure the sprinkles will stick and stay adhered. Place your cake pop into your stand and allow to completely harden.

At this point, you may either display for a party or wrap your cake pops in clear treat bags and close with either ties or ribbon. Cake pops are great as a gift just placed in a basket of some kind or even placed within a simple gift bag.

Hopefully these instructions will only be the beginning for a simple cake pop you can create. After you have mastered the basics, don’t be afraid to let your imagination go wild and inspire you to make even more elaborate cake pops that all your friends and family will look forward to.

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