Learn to make homemade cake pops from scratch! This recipe uses made from scratch cake with a secret ingredient and homemade cream cheese frosting. Switch up the candy coating with colors that correlate to the occasion. Here I used spring colors to make Easter cake pops!
Prep Time 2 hourshours
Cook Time 30 minutesminutes
Additional Time 2 hourshours
Total Time 4 hourshours30 minutesminutes
Servings 28
Ingredients
For the cake
½cup(113g)unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease the sides and bottom of one 9-inch round cake pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper cut to fit and generously grease the parchment paper as well. Dust the pan lightly with flour then tap out any excess; set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.
Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Stir with a whisk to combine and add it to the butter mixture followed by the milk. Beat on medium-low speed just until combined. The batter will be thick.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Use an offset spatula to spread the batter evenly into to pan. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached. Take care not to overbake.
Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes then invert on a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the frosting
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment of a large mixing bowl with a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed until creamy.
Add the confectioners' sugar and beat on the low speed until the sugar has fully moistened, then turn the speed up to medium-high and beat until well incorporated, about 3 minutes.
Crumble the cake into small bits and add it to the bowl with the frosting. Mix on low speed until the frosting and cake are fully combined.
Use a 1.5-tablespoon scoop to portion the mixture into balls. (The ball will be too soft to shape perfectly at this point.) Place the cake balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Reroll to get uniform balls with smooth surfaces then return to the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
Coat the cake balls
Melt the candy melts in separate bowls according to the package directions.
Remove 5 cake balls from the refrigerator at a time. Dip the lollipop stick into about 1/2 inch into the coating and insert it about halfway into the center of the cake ball.
dip the cake ball into the coating until it's fully coated to the base of the lollipop stick. Gently tap off the excess coating. Place it upright into a styrofoam block or cake pop stand and decorate with sprinkles. Repeat with remaining cake balls.
The coating will be set within 1 hour. Once the coating has set, place the cake balls in the refrigerator or the coating may crack.
Notes
Bakery emulsion: While this ingredient is optional, it is highly recommended. It adds a little something extra that makes the cake pops taste as if they were made in a bakery. You can purchase it on amazon.
Candy melts: Switch up the colors to match the occasion! Candy melts come in a variety of colors so you can make cake pops for any event.
Candy melt alternatives: Chocolate, white chocolate, and almond bark make great alternatives to candy melts. Follow the package directions on melting and use them the same way as instructed in the recipe.
I prefer to use a candy melting pot for melting candy melts. You can use a double boiler but it's very important to keep the heat as low as possible and melt slowly or the candy melts will become thick and unusable.
Make ahead tip
The cake pops will keep for up to 1 week stored in the refrigerator.
The cake can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and store at room temperature.
You can keep undipped cake balls in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or freeze them for up to 6 weeks. Thaw in the refrigerator and continue with coating the cake balls.