Birthday cake pops are the perfect treat of bite-sized cake on a stick covered in chocolate and decorated with rainbow sprinkles. While these mini treats are perfect for kid’s parties, they are also fun and colorful for any event (and for all ages!).
There are so many ways to make cake pops (try these Oreo Cake Pops for a delicious no-bake option) but the Funfetti cake mix and sprinkle count make these feel extra celebratory for birthdays and parties.
Looking for more Birthday fun? Check out:
Tips for Making Cake Pops:
- Add your icing to your cake crumble in small quantities so you just get the point of having enough for it to stick together. It should feel like play dough.
- Use a small cookie scoop to scoop cake mixture so you get even portions for each cake pop.
- Make sure your cake balls are well-chilled before coating.
- Have your decorations nearby and prepped to go so you can attach them while the chocolate is still melted.
- You can use a tall glass to pour your melted chocolate in (or melt it in a microwaveable mug) so you have a little dunk tank to fully submerge your cake pop into.
Ingredients
- Funfetti cake mix: You can use any flavor cake mix: chocolate, vanilla, red velvet, yellow, etc. but the Funfetti cake mix will have the extra fun sprinkle surprise inside. Be sure to check your cake mix to ensure you have whatever other cake ingredients the mix recommends for baking (eggs, oil, etc.).
- Can of vanilla frosting: You will also need one container of store-bought vanilla frosting. They also have Funfetti frosting if you want to up your sprinkle count, but you can use plain vanilla too.
- Cake pop sticks: While it’s most common to use sticks like this, you can also use forks or edible items like pretzel rods!
- White candy melts: These discs of chocolate are the easiest way to get that chocolate coating as they melt easily and you don’t have to temper the chocolate.
- Sprinkles: These are part of what makes birthday cake pops so fun! You can use rainbow sprinkles or rainbow nonpareils.
- Microwave or Double Boiler: You can melt candy melts in the microwave, but you can also use a double boiler to do it on the stove top or a chocolate melter like this one.
Looking for more cake pop tips? Check out our How To Make Cake Pops for more!
How to make birthday cake pops:
1. Bake the cake: Bake your cake according to the package instructions and allow to fully cool.
2. Add the frosting and mix: Spoon the baked cake into a large mixing bowl. Add 1/2-2/3 of the container of frosting. Using the full container makes the cake pops a bit too soft and harder to work with once we dip them in chocolate. But, this is how you get cake pops to stick together—with frosting. Use clean hands to mix together the frosting and cake. The cake pop batter is going to be pretty soft, but moldable.
3. Roll cake balls: Form your cake pop batter into small balls (about 3-4 tablespoons each). You don’t want them to be too big, just so they easily fit in the palm of your hand.
Once you have formed all your pops (a standard size cake will make around 35-40 cake pops), put them in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours or the freezer for 30 minutes.
4. Melt your candy melts: Melt candy melts in the microwave in 30-second increments on half power. You could also use a double boiler to do it on the stove top or a chocolate melter like this one. If you need to thin your candy melts, you can stir in a teaspoon of canola or vegetable oil once melted and can reheat the chocolate for 15 seconds at a time to remelt if it starts to set up at any point.
5. Attach the cake pop stick: First put your stick into the melted chocolate and push the stick 2/3 through a cold cake pop.
6. Dip the cake pop: Dip the attached cake pop into the melted chocolate and allow any excess chocolate to drip off the pop. Gently tap the cake pop stick on the side of your bowl to also shake off extra chocolate. Then, add any sprinkles and store the cake pop upright while it sets (unless you don’t mind a flat bottomed cake pop).
You can add your sprinkles over a large bowl or plate so that you catch any extra sprinkles that fall and use them later.
While they are drying, you can keep them upright in a number of ways like sticking them into a container that is filled with granulated white sugar or rice or you can stick them into a block of styrofoam.
Want an easy no-bake “cake pop” idea? Try using large marshmallows on a stick and get to the decorating right away!
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I store my cake pops?
If making these ahead of time, you can store your completed cake pops at room temperature for 1-2 weeks. You can store them for up to four weeks in the refrigerator, but the cold can create some condensation on your decorations and cause them to bleed or warp a bit.
Can I use white chocolate chips instead of melting wafers?
While candy melts work best for cake pops, you can also use chocolate chips instead. The mixture will be a little thicker and slightly harder to work with (but still OK). And the shell around the cake pops will be thicker once the chocolate sets.
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Instructions
1. Bake the cake: Bake your cake according to the package instructions and allow to fully cool.
2. Add the frosting and mix: Spoon the baked cake into a large mixing bowl. Add 1/2-2/3 of the container of frosting. Using the full container makes the cake pops a bit too soft and harder to work with once we dip them in chocolate. But, this is how you get cake pops to stick together—with frosting. Use clean hands to mix together the frosting and cake. The cake pop batter is going to be pretty soft, but moldable. Should feel like play dough consistency.
3. Roll cake balls: Form your cake pop batter into small balls (about 3-4 tablespoons each). You don’t want them to be too big, just so they easily fit in the palm of your hand. Once you have formed all your pops (a standard size cake will make around 35-40 cake pops), put them in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours or the freezer for 30 minutes.
- 4. Melt your candy melts: Melt candy melts in the microwave in 30-second increments on half power. You could also use a double boiler to do it on the stove top or a chocolate melter like this one. If you need to thin your candy melts, you can stir in a teaspoon of canola or vegetable oil once melted and you can reheat the chocolate for 15 seconds at a time to remelt if it starts to set up at any point.
5. Attach the cake pop stick: First, put your stick into the melted chocolate and push the stick 2/3 through a cold cake pop.
6. Dip the cake pop: Dip the attached cake pop into the melted chocolate and allow any excess chocolate to drip off the pop. Gently tap the cake pop stick on the side of your bowl to also shake off extra chocolate. Then, add any extra sprinkle decorations and store the cake pop upright while it sets (unless you don’t mind a flat bottomed cake pop).
Notes
Tips for Making Cake Pops:
-
- Add your icing to your cake crumble in small quantities so you just get the point of having enough for it to stick together. It should feel like play dough.
-
- Make sure your cake balls are well chilled before coating.
-
- Have your decorations nearby and prepped to go so you can attach them while the chocolate is still melted.
-
- You can use a tall glass to pour your melted chocolate in (or melt it in a microwaveable mug) so you have a little dunk tank to fully submerge your cake pop into.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Birthday Cake Pops
Amount per Serving
% Daily Value*
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
