These top tips for the best cake pops include everything from preparing the dough and shaping the cake pops, to dipping them in chocolate and decorating. They will help treat makers of all experience levels to master these fun, bite-sized desserts. I’m also sharing some of my favorite cake pop recipes for you to try out.
Prepare your cake according to the boxed directions or make a cake from scratch. Bake like normal and let it cool completely before getting started.
Once cooled, break up your 1 baked cake and place the pieces into the bowl of your stand mixer. *You can also do this by hand, but it takes longer.
1 baked cake
Using the paddle attachment, turn the mixer on low speed. Let the cake mix until it is crumbled into small pieces.
Add ⅓ cup frosting and continue mixing on low to medium-low speed until thoroughly combined. The consistency should be similar to play-doh. If it is too dry and crumbly, add more frosting.
⅓ cup frosting
Use a cookie scoop, meatball maker, or kitchen scale to portion the cake pop dough into equal servings (a standard cake pop is 1 ounce each).
Roll the portion dough around in your hand to form a smooth ball that's approximately the size and shape of a truffle. Repeat with all of the cake pop dough.
Note: The balls are easier to round out into smooth, better-shaped cake pops if you chill them after combining and portioning. So, roll the cake mixture out and pop them all in the fridge. Chill for at least an hour before rolling them again to smooth out any misshapen edges.
Dip & Decorate
Break up your 1 lb almond bark and place it into a microwave-safe container. Heat the chocolate in 30-second increments, stirring well in between each one, until fully melted.
1 lb almond bark
If coloring your chocolate, you can add your oil-based food coloring and stir it until combined after the chocolate is melted.
oil-based food coloring
Take one of your 28 treat sticks and dip one end into the melted chocolate. Then, press the chocolate-covered end of the stick into one of the dough balls.
28 treat sticks
Repeat this process until all of the balls have a stick, then let them set for 2-3 minutes so that the chocolate hardens.
Take one cake pop and dip it into the melted almond bark. Then, tap off any excess chocolate, twirl it around to the other side, and tap it again.
If using sprinkles, sprinkle them onto the cake pop while the chocolate is still wet.
sprinkles
Place your cake pop into a cake pop stand or upside down on a piece of parchment paper and let it set for about 5 minutes, or until the chocolate has hardened.
Add a drizzle of some more chocolate, if desired. Your cake pops should be fully set within an hour at most. Serve immediately or store for later.
You only need a standard-sized cake. This is the amount that you would get from a box of cake mix or a regular cake recipe. It can be a 9x13, two 8-inch or 9-inch rounds, or even a bundt cake.
I recommend baking your cake a day in advance to make the assembly of your cake pops a snap.
You can use storebought frosting or one of my homemade buttercream frosting recipes. Choose a flavor that pairs well with the cake flavor you are using.
If you want to color your cake pops, make sure you are using an oil-based food coloring (not liquid or gel). This can be difficult to find in stores, but I've had some luck at Michael's. If you can't find it, you may need to order it online.
Almond bark melts nicely with no additional ingredients. If using melting wafers or candy melts, you may need to thin out the chocolate with a small amount of coconut oil.
You can literally taste the difference when every part of these tasty cake pops is homemade. There are plenty of cake and frosting recipes on BIWL to take your cake pops to the next level.
Storage:
The undipped cake pop dough can be stored in the refrigerator for 4-5 days, or in the freezer for 3-6 months.
Once dipped, your cake pops can be kept at room temperature for 4 days or in the fridge for 7-10 days.