Recipes & Cooking Desserts & Baking Easy Desserts How to Make Cake Pops for the Perfect Bite-Sized Treat 5.0 (1) 1 Review Here's how to make cake pops at home! By Katlyn Moncada Katlyn Moncada Katlyn Moncada is the associate food editor at BHG.com, sharing food news and tutorials on becoming better home cooks. She is a writer and editor with nearly a decade of experience in digital media, photography, and video production. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on March 28, 2024 Recipe tested by Colleen Weeden Recipe tested by Colleen Weeden As a food expert, Colleen Weeden has written extensively for Better Homes & Gardens. From airfryer tips to advice on how to poach an egg, she shares her passion for food with practical, easy-to-follow tips. She has also contributed to Midwest Living magazine. Learn more about the Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen Rate PRINT Share Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Karla Conrad Prep Time: 1 hr 45 mins Freeze Time: 1 hr Stand Time: 30 mins Total Time: 1 hr 45 mins Servings: 1 cake pop Yield: 34 to 36 - cake pops Jump to Nutrition Facts Have your cake and frosting in one sweet bite-sized treat. A popular addition to your favorite coffee shop menus, cake pops are balls of cake and frosting dipped in creamy melted chocolate or candy melt. Here we'll show you exactly how to make cake pops so you can enjoy this irresistible treat right at home. From there, you'll be able to use your new DIY cake pop skills to create delicious and vibrant cake pop variations for any holiday. Don't feel like cake pops? Omit the stick and make cake truffles (aka cake balls) instead. Using a fork, simply dip the cake balls into the coating, allowing the excess to drip off. Freeze for 30 to 60 minutes more or until the truffles are firm. Ingredients 1 package 2-layer-size desired-flavor cake mix 1 cup desired-flavor frosting 12 ounce vanilla- or chocolate-flavor candy coating, chopped 12 ounce semisweet, dark, or white baking chocolate, chopped 34 lollipop sticks Basic Butter Frosting ¼ cup butter, softened 2 ⅔ cup powdered sugar 2 tablespoon milk ½ teaspoon vanilla Directions Prepare your favorite cake mix according to package directions. Use any suggested pan size and bake according to package directions. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Line trays or baking sheets with waxed paper; set aside. Better Homes & Gardens / Blaine Moats Remove cooled cake from pan and crumble into a large mixing bowl. Better Homes & Gardens / Blaine Moats Add 1 cup of your favorite frosting. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until combined. Better Homes & Gardens / Blaine Moats Using a small scoop, drop mixture into 1-1/2-inch mounds onto prepared trays; roll mounds into balls and freeze for 30 minutes. In a small microwave-safe dish heat 1 ounce of the candy coating (about 1/4 cup) on 50 percent power (medium) for 60 seconds until melted and smooth, stirring once. Dip one end of each lollipop stick into melted candy coating and poke sticks into balls (this helps the balls stay on the sticks). Freeze for 30 to 60 minutes more or until balls are firm. Better Homes & Gardens / Karla Conrad Place remaining candy coating and chopped chocolate in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat until melted and smooth, stirring frequently. Working in batches, dip balls into melted chocolate mixture. Allow excess to drip off; place balls on clean waxed paper-lined trays or baking sheets.* After coating is set, transfer to storage containers and store, covered, in refrigerator. Let stand at room temperature at least 30 minutes before serving. Basic Butter Frosting In a medium mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Gradually add 2/3 cup of the powdered sugar, beating well. Gradually beat in 2 tablespoons of the milk and the vanilla. Gradually beat in the remaining 2 cups powdered sugar until smooth. If necessary, beat in enough of the remaining milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, to reach spreading consistency. How to Store Cake Pops for a Make-Ahead Party Treat Layer cake pops between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 1 month. If you don't want pops to have a flat side, poke the ends of the lollipop sticks into Styrofoam or florist's foam to suspend the pops until chocolate is set. Cake Pop Recipe Variations Now that you've got our cake pop tips, you can skip that slice of cake and serve up a tray of cake pops at your next gathering. They're bite-size and party-ready. Plus, when you make your own DIY cake pops, there are so many ways to spice them up. Check out our roundup of favorite cake pop recipes including berry cheesecake cake pops, holiday cake pops, and more. Red Velvet Cake Pops Use red velvet cake mix, Basic Butter Frosting, vanilla-flavor candy coating, and white baking chocolate for dipping. Reserve 1/2 cup crumbled cake. After dipping pops in white chocolate, sprinkle with reserved crumbled cake. Tiramisu Cake Pops Use yellow cake mix, Coffee Frosting, vanilla-flavor candy coating, and white baking chocolate for dipping. After dipping pops in white chocolate, sprinkle with 1/4 cup crushed chocolate-covered espresso beans while chocolate is still wet. Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cake Pops Use chocolate cake mix, Almond Frosting, chocolate-flavor candy coating, and semisweet or dark chocolate for dipping. Before freezing the mounds of dough in Step 2, form each mound around a well-drained maraschino cherry. Rate It Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 207 Calories 10g Fat 30g Carbs 1g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 1 Calories 207 % Daily Value * Total Fat 10g 13% Saturated Fat 6g 30% Sodium 126mg 5% Total Carbohydrate 30g 11% Total Sugars 23g Protein 1g 2% Calcium 30.3mg 2% Iron 0.9mg 5% Potassium 39mg 1% *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.