Cake pops are a delicious bite-sized treat that add fun to any party or event. These chocolate-covered cake balls on a stick are made with a homemade chocolate cake recipe, so they are extra rich and delicious.
Cake pops are perfect for parties since they are individual servings, can be made ahead of time, and you can decorate them however you like, so they are easy to customize for party themes and holiday events.
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What you need to make chocolate cake pops
- Chocolate cake: You can use our yummy homemade recipe below, or you can also use a chocolate box mix cake if you prefer.
- Can of frosting: You will also need one container of store-bought chocolate frosting.
- Cake pop sticks: While it’s most common to use sticks like this, you can also use forks or edible items like pretzel rods!
- Candy melts: These discs of chocolate are the easiest way to get that chocolate coating as they melt easily and come in lots of color options.
- Edible decorations: Use whatever sprinkles or non-pareils you like to decorate.
- 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you use chocolate chips instead of candy melts for cake pops?
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.
How to make chocolate cake pops
1. Bake the cake: Bake your cake according to the recipe and allow to fully cool.
2. Add the frosting and mix: Spoon the baked cake into a large mixing bowl. Add 1/2 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.
Starting with less frosting is better as you can always add more if you need it, but you can’t take it away if you use too much.
3. Roll cake balls: Form your cake pop batter into small balls (about 3 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 extra decorations and store the cake pop upright while it sets (unless you don’t mind a flat bottomed cake pop).
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.
Tips for Making
- Add your icing to your cake crumble in small quantities so you just get the point of having enough for it to stick together.
- 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 so you have a little dunk tank to fully submerge your cake pop into.
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.
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Instructions
Make the cake:
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In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, stir together the water, oil, vanilla extract and vinegar. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry.
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Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from pan and allow to cool fully.
Make the cake pops:
-
Add the frosting and mix: Spoon the baked cake into a large mixing bowl. Add 1/2 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.Starting with less frosting is better as you can always add more if you need it, but you can’t take it away if you use too much.
-
Roll cake balls: Form your cake pop batter into small balls (about 3 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.
-
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.
-
Attach the cake pop stick: First, put your stick into the melted chocolate and push the stick 2/3 through a cold cake pop.
-
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 decorations and store the cake pop upright while it sets (unless you don’t mind a flat bottomed cake pop).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.
Notes
Tips for Making
- Add your icing to your cake crumble in small quantities so you just get the point of having enough for it to stick together.
- 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 so you have a little dunk tank to fully submerge your cake pop into.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Chocolate 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.
