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    Home » Recipes » Desserts

    Easy Cake Pop Recipe

    Published: Feb 15, 2022 · Modified: Feb 1, 2025 by Eileen Murphy Kelly

    Jump to Recipe
    Cake pops decorated with red chocolate for Valentine's Day
    Cake pops decorated with red candy coating and sprinkles.

    Our Easy Cake Pop Recipe is a favorite. We use a combination of a baked cake mix and cream cheese frosting to create these delicious little sweet. Change the flavors and candy melts to suit any occasion.

    Cake pops with a red coating and white and pink sprinkles on a glass plate.
    Jump to:
    • ❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
    • Ingredients
    • Equipment
    • Instructions
    • Storage
    • Expert Tips
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Variations
    • Serving Suggestions
    • Similar recipes
    • 📖 Recipe
    •  
    • 💬 Comments

    ❤️ Why you'll love this recipe

    • These easy cake pops are easy to make and perfect for any occasion.
    • It is very affordable to make your own cake balls at home.
    • These are a breeze to prepare and can be decorated for any occasion.
    • Even the kids can pitch in and help to make these. A great rainy or snowy day project.
    • Decorate with melted chocolate and festive sprinkles. Truly, you can vary this recipe for any occasion. It is quite versatile.
    • A great recipe to use leftover cake.

    Ingredients

    • a baked cake made from a boxed cake mix
    • candy melts, colors to match the cake pops.
    • frosting
    • sprinkles

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Equipment

    • baking sheet
    • lollypop sticks
    • mixing bowls

    Instructions

    This is an overview of the recipe. The full instructions are below in the recipe card.

    1. In a large mixing bowl, crumble your prebaked cake.

    2. Use an electric mixer with the beater attachment to mix in the cream cheese frosting.

    A white large bowl with vanilla cake dough in it.

    3. Divide your cake into 20 sections. With the palm of your hand, round out each portion into a ball shape.

    4. Place the cake balls on a sheet pan or plate, and place them in the freezer for 15 minutes.

    Rolled cake pop dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

    5. While your cake pops are in the freezer, place the candy melts in a medium-sized bowl. Microwave for 30-second intervals until completely melted.

    6. Remove the cake pops from the freezer.

    7. Place your cookie stick in the candy melt, then the cake pop. Then add your cake pop to the candy melts. Coat the pop completely with the melt. On the side of the bowl, tap it gently with the stick removing any excess chocolate from the cake pop to create a smooth finish.

    8. Place the cake pop on the parchment paper. Immediately add your sprinkles before the chocolate dries.

    A sheet pan with red cake pops with pink sprinkles with cake

    Storage

    The cake pops can be stored in an airtight covered container for up to 3-4 days.

    Freezer Instructions:

    The baked cake balls can be kept in the freezer in a freezer-safe storage bag or container for up to 4 months.

    Defrost overnight in the fridge. You can freeze the balls unfrosted. Place the balls on the baking sheet in the freezer until frozen. Then place in the freezer-safe bag so they do not stick together.

    Expert Tips

    Expert Tip: A friend of mine told me a great trick, flip an egg carton over, empty of course, and place the sticks into the egg carton. They stay upright and dry nicely.

    • To place the stick in the cake pop, first dip the stick into the melted chocolate. Then place into the ball. This ensures the stick will stay in the mixture.
    • Use a deep glass bowl or measuring cup to melt the candy melts. Dip your prepared cake balls into the mix and be sure entire ball. However, you don't want too much on it. Gently tap the ball against the side of the glass bowl to remove excess coating. Then decorate with the sprinkles.
    • You can certainly purchase a cake pop holder from your local craft store. I hate to spend money on things I don't use at least weekly, so I don't have one.
    • This recipe uses half a baked cake for 20 pops. Generally, I make two batches and freeze the second batch for another day.
    • When making the pops, use the 2 Tablespoons of the frosting. If you add too much, the pops will be mushy.
    • Be sure the cream cheese is soft so the ingredients come together easily.
    • It is very important to freeze the pops for at least 20 minutes before decorating with the melted candy.
    • When removing the rounded balls from the freezer and give them a minute or two at room temperature so they are not too cold.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How long should the cake pops take to dry?

    They should be dry in about 1 hour.

    I don't want a flat-topped pop, how can I prevent this from happening?

  • Place the decorated balls into a piece of Styrofoam to dry upright.
  • When a flat-sided to the balls, what should I do?

  • When looking for a flat side to the balls, use the method I did above. Place the coated pieces on parchment paper to dry.
  • Why are my cake pops cracking?

  • If you experience cracking, your candy melts are too hot or your cake is still very cold. Be sure coating is not too hot before decorating
  • My candy melted very thick, what can I do to thin it out?

  • If the candy melt mixture is too thick when melted, add a drop of vegetable or coconut oil.
  • A cake pop with red candy coating with a bite out of the cake.

    Variations

    For the cake mix, try red velvet, chocolate, pumpkin spice, or strawberry to name a few.

    Any color candy melt will work. Green for Saint Patrick's Day, blue for 4th of July, orange for Pumpkin for Halloween and Thanksgiving.

    Pink and green for Easter, blue and pink for baby showers.  Use white melts for any holiday and decorate with festive sprinkles. There are endless possibilities.

    Go crazy with sprinkles and decorating for any occasion.

    Serving Suggestions

    Our Rocky Road Fudge is a no-bake festive candy that can be decorated for any holiday.  Another fun treat is our version of Hot Cocoa Bombs.

    A dessert bar for parties is always fun. Next time, make our Fruit Dip Marshmallow Fluff along with these easy cake pops.

    Homemade Twix Bars are another fantastic sweet treat.

    Similar recipes

    A few festive treats to enjoy are these yu Strawberry Lemonade cupcakes and Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes. Both are seasonal cupcakes that are from scratch and delicious.

    I love any comments or questions, please feel free to leave them below.

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    Thank you for your continued support. I am forever grateful.

    Eileen  xo

    If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.

    If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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    📖 Recipe

    Cake pops with a red coating and white and pink sprinkles on a glass plate.

    Easy Cake Pop Recipe

    Festive easy cake pops for birthdays and holidays made with an easy combination of a boxed cake mix and cream cheese. The recipe can be used for any Holiday by adjusting the cake mix and decorating for the occasion.
    5 from 1 vote
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    Course: Baking, Snack
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: cake pop recipe, cake pops with cake mix, Valentine cake pops
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 0 minutes minutes
    freezer time: 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes minutes
    Servings: 20 cake pops
    Calories: 149kcal
    Author: Eileen Kelly

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases

    Equipment Needed:

    • As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
    • baking sheet
    • Parchment Paper
    • Cookie Sticks (20) 6 inch sticks

    Ingredients

    • 15 ounce box cake mix, baked Note 1
    • 2 Tablespoons cream cheese frosting, softened Note 2
    • 12 ounces candy melts Note 3
    • sprinkles, any of your favorites Note 4

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    Instructions

    • In a large mixing bowl, crumble your cake.
    • Use a hand mixer, stand mixer, or spoon to blend in the softened cream cheese frosting.
    • Divide cake mixture into 20 sections. With the palm of your hand, round out each portion into a ball shape, about 1 ½ inch each.
    • Place the cake pops on a sheet pan or plate. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes.
    • While the cake pops are in the freezer, place all of your candy melts in a medium sized bowl. Microwave for 30 second intervals until completely melted.
    • Remove the cake pops from the freezer.
    • Place the cookie stick in the candy melt, then the cake pop. Then add your cake pop to the candy melts. Coat the pop completely with the melt. On the side of the bowl, tap it gently with the stick removing any excess chocolate from the cake pop to create a smooth finish.
    • Place the cake pop on the parchment paper. Immediately add your sprinkles before the chocolate dries.
    • Continue steps 6 – 8 until each cake pop is complete.

    NOTES

    Be sure to check Expert Tips and FAQs above with important tips and questions that can help make a delicious recipe.
    Note 1: We use a vanilla box mix for this cake, size 15.25-ounce box, and bake in a 9" x 13" baking pan. I usually roll the second half of the cake balls and freeze them for another day.   The flavor of the cake can vary for any Holiday or celebration.
    Note 2: Use either full-fat cream cheese, reduced-fat, or Neufchatel. I don't recommend fat-free as its taste is just not as good as the other types of cream cheese for this recipe. 
    Note 3: Swap whatever color candy melt is suitable for the event.
    Note 4: Get creative with the sprinkles. 
     
    Storage:
    Once they are baked, the cake balls can be kept in the fridge in a covered container for about 3 -4 days.
     
    I'm not a registered dietician, I do my best to provide the most accurate nutritional values. Any nutritional data I provide is an approximation. Actual dietary information can vary based on ingredients and portion sizes.
     
    Don’t forget to shop at the Everyday Eileen store on Amazon.
     

     

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 149kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Fat: 6.8g | Saturated Fat: 1.1g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 101mg | Sugar: 16g
    Tried this recipe?Mention @Everyday_Eileen or tag #everydayeileen!

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    Thank you for sharing!

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