A ball of vanilla cake crumbs and frosting, with a white chocolate coating and topped with sprinkles... I am talking about none other than the cutest bite-sized treat -- vanilla cake pops from scratch. These bites of heaven are thankfully actually so simple and easy to make, which makes them the perfect treat to serve at your next event.
I have been spending the last month planning and preparing for my son, Kai's, first birthday. Seriously, how are we even at this point right now? So I have been perfecting my cake pop recipe specifically for this party. After a few trial and errors, we have found the winner!
This recipe will yield cake pops with the perfect ratio of cake crumbs to frosting. I challenge you to have just one!
Ingredients in Homemade Cake Pops
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder and baking soda
- salt
- butter
- granulated sugar
- egg
- vanilla extract
- whole milk
- frosting - made with butter, icing sugar, whole milk, and vanilla extract.
- chocolate coating - pure white chocolate and coconut oil.
- assorted sprinkles
How to Make Cake Pops from Scratch
In summary, the key steps you need to follow before you can take a bite into that perfect cake pop are as follows:
- Bake a simple vanilla cake.
- Prepare 4-ingredient frosting.
- Crumble the cake and mix it into the frosting.
- Roll the cake pop dough into cake balls.
- Dip into melted chocolate and decorate.
So easy! And so so good. Trust me on this one.
Homemade Cake vs. Boxed Cake
When you look for cake pop recipes online, the majority of recipes you will find are ones simply requiring box cake mix and readymade icing. I mean, sure, that is pretty convenient, but you will be compromising on the taste. Big time. Nothing beats from scratch cake pops. And, it's still pretty easy to whip up a cake and pop it into the oven. The icing is also just 4 ingredients that you mix together. You can do it!
Once you have your cake and frosting, the rest of the steps are all the same. You combine the two together and roll out little cake balls. No fancy cake pop tray required. Then, dip away into melted chocolate, decorate, or just leave them as is!
More Bite-sized Dessert Recipes
- Chocolate Cake Pops
- Baked Jelly Donuts with Strawberry Jam
- Dark Chocolate Raspberry Truffles
- Nutella Mousse Cups
- Caramel Cheesecake Brownies
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Recipe
Vanilla Cake Pops from Scratch
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 18-20 cake pops
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
The cutest bite-sized treat to serve at any event are vanilla cake pops from scratch -- luckily, they are actually simple and easy to make!
Ingredients
Cake Base:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup butter, softened to room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup whole milk
Frosting:
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ⅔ cup icing sugar
- 1 teaspoon whole milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Coating:
- 275 g pure white chocolate (approximately 10 oz)
- ⅛ teaspoon coconut oil
- 18-20 lollipop sticks
- assorted sprinkles
Instructions
Make the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 375 F. Lightly grease a round 6-inch cake pan.
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar together using an electric mixer, approximately 2-3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and continue to beat until fully mixed together.
- Slowly add one third of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, beat until just combined. Then alternate with half of the milk. Continue adding and alternating flour mixture and milk to the batter, and ending with the flour mixture. Use a spatula scrape down the sides and to stir until just combined.
- Pour batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the centre of the cake. Allow cake to cool in the cake pan for 30 minutes, then remove from pan and place on wire rack until completely cooled.
Make the Frosting:
- In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat butter until smooth, approximately 2 minutes. Add sugar, milk, and vanilla, and continue to beat until smooth.
Assemble and Shape the Cake Balls:
- Crumble the cooled cake and place into the bowl of frosting. An easy way to crumble is to break the cake into big pieces and place it into the Vitamix. A few pulses will turn it into perfect crumbs.
- Using an electric mixer, beat together until combined and smooth, approximately 2 minutes. The cake mixture should have a play-doh like consistency.
- Take a tablespoon of cake mixture and roll it into a ball. Place on a parchment-lined baking tray. Repeat until all the mixture is used up. Place tray into the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Coat and Decorate the Cake Pops:
- Melt the white chocolate with coconut oil in a tall, narrow cup or measuring cup. Dip ¼-inch of a cake pop stick into the chocolate, and then insert it halfway into the cake ball. Completely dip the cake ball into the chocolate and lightly tap off any excess. Add some sprinkles on top. Place upright into a cake pop stand, or a styrofoam block. Repeat with all cake balls. Place cake pops in the refrigerator and allow coating to set completely, approximately one hour.
Notes
Equipment used: round 6-inch cake pan, lollipop sticks, and a cake pop stand (or styrofoam block).
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
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Ana says
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! It was hard to find one not using the store-bought cake mix. I followed all of the instructions (except we added some more oil to the chocolate), and they worked out pretty well. And just one extra tip for anyone who might care: if you're doing this on an especially hot day (as I had the misfortune of doing), place your decorated cake pops in the fridge ASAP, that is, don't wait until you've finished all of them, as they will start sliding down the stick and fall apart...
🙂
Sam | Ahead of Thyme says
Thank you Ana! So happy you liked the recipe. And that is such a great tip!! So hard to work with chocolate on a hot day.
Cheryll says
loved the recipe! super easy to make, and the taste is good too!
Sam | Ahead of Thyme says
Thank you so much Cheryll. SO glad you liked the recipe!
Jaylin says
This cake was so delicious and easy to bake! I’ve only baked cakes from a box. Not anymore after this recipe 👍🏽 My girls really enjoyed them!
Sam | Ahead of Thyme says
Aw that makes me so happy! Thank you so much! So glad your girls enjoyed these cake pops 🙂
darinne says
Since I only have white chocolate chips with me, is it okay if I use this or do I have to buy the actual white chocolate bar?
Sam | Ahead of Thyme says
You can use white chocolate chips.
Jan says
What kind of chocolate are you using for white cake pops?
(I currently have almond bark on hand but can upgrade if needed)
Also, I have to make the insides light lavender in color- should I use to egg whites instead? Or is there a better option? (Or will it not matter/the color is not too yellow to mix in purple coloring?)
Sam | Ahead of Thyme says
I used white chocolate for the cake pops. The cake needs the full egg, I haven't tried it with just the egg whites. I think purple coloring could work. The top and sides of the cake is quite golden-brown, so you could cut the top and sides off and just make the cake pops using the inside of the cake, which is a lot lighter.
Jenny Bhatia says
My daughter picked this out today to make, I am excited and I will let you know how it goes. I have also featured this recipe on an email I sent out today. I am a travel blogger, but you know how that is going. So, I am sharing fun things to do during this time of social distancing. Stay safe and healthy. And keep these coming, we need the distraction and the treat.
Sam | Ahead of Thyme says
Thank you so much for sharing our recipe! Let me know how it goes 🙂 I will be sharing lots of recipes during this time. Stay safe and healthy too!
Alyssa says
I dont have chocolate on hand but I do have candy melts. Will they work?
Sam | Ahead of Thyme says
Yes, candy melts will work just as well. You don't need to add in coconut oil to them as they work well on their own for dipping once melted.