Cake pops can be a nightmare to make! They can crumble, they can fall off the sticks, they can even taste like a mouthful of mushy, wet cake. I have heard all the horror stories! But even though they can be terrifying to make….they are just SOOOO darn cute!!! Once you’ve really mastered the basic cake pop technique, you can totally take it to the next level with the decorating and really create adorable treats to match any party theme. The possibilities are endless!! In this tutorial I will show you how to make basic cake pops. But don’t worry, we’ll still use sprinkles to make them super cute!!

Here’s all that you’ll need: Cake mix, frosting, Wilton Candy Melts, sucker sticks, and sprinkles.

Start by preparing cake mix according to package directions. I chose Funfetti! I love the pops of color it leaves inside the cake! So fun!! You can use a basic cake mix and a can of frosting. You don’t need anything fancy for this! Any flavor will work just as well.

Bake until a toothpick comes out clean. Let it cool.

Once the cake is cool enough to handle, toss it all in a large bowl. You can just chunk it up any way you like. Try not to let your OCD get the best of you (me).

Now it’s time to get down and dirty! Crumble the cake into fine crumbs using your hands. This is a great time to let the kids help. They get to make a mess, but it’s a contained mess, so you both win!

Add two heaping spoonfuls of frosting. I don’t measure it out. I just take a regular old spoon from my utensil drawer and pile up the frosting. It doesn’t seem like it would be enough frosting for all that cake but it really is. The cake is moist enough that we really don’t need to go overboard. Less is more. Trust!

I used a cookie scoop to get my cake balls uniform (see OCD comment above) but you can also use a spoon or your hands as well.

Squish the cake mixture between your hands. Have some fun! Play with it like Play Doh if you want. Then once you’re done with that, roll it into a ball approximately 2 inches or so in size.

Continue to roll the rest of the cake mixture into 2 inch balls or make as many as you need. I used a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper as my tray.

Place Wilton Candy Melts in the color of your choice into a microwave safe mug. Heat for 30 seconds and then stir. Heat for another 30 seconds and stir. You can even heat for another 30 seconds and stir. After that I would heat in 15 second intervals. It’s very important not to burn the chocolate! Once it’s burned, it’s game over! There’s no saving it, only wondering what time Michaels is still open and if you have time to run out and get some more.

Be sure to reach all the way to the bottom when you stir. Microwaves don’t heat evenly, so it’s important to really mix the candy melts well.

Next dip the tip of your sucker stick into the melted candy melts. This is our first trick! This helps to ensure that your sticks won’t fall out.

Insert the stick into a cake ball. It’s like you’re gluing it with the candy melts.

Repeat the process for all of the cake balls. I try to use the same color candy melt for inserting the sticks as I do for covering the outside. It just makes it easier and it all blends better in the end. Next, we’re going to pop the tray of cake balls into the freezer for about 20 minutes. The trick to this is that you want them to be firm but not frozen! If they freeze, the temperature between the cold cake balls and the hot melted chocolate will be too much of a difference. This results in cracked chocolate and oozing oil! Not cute!!

You may have to remelt your candy melts. Do so in 15 second intervals. Once you reach the desired consistency, allow melts to cool for 1-2 minutes. We want it to be melted but not hot (see above). Dip the cake ball into the candy melts and gently swirl, making sure to cover the entire ball with candy coating. Lightly tap the cake pop on the side of the mug, allowing the excess candy coating to drip off. You’ll need to repeatedly tap the stick to the side of the mug. Sometimes I rotate the stick while I’m doing this just to keep everything nice and uniform.

Add sprinkles to the outside of the cake pop before the candy coating has a chance to harden. You’ll have to act fast so make sure you have a sprinkle station set up and ready to go! Caps off!

Stick cake pop into a foam block (I get them at the dollar store in the floral section). You’ll want to take a sucker stick and pre insert it so that you’re holes are ready to go. It’s easier to have it ready ahead of time and it helps to ensure your cake pop won’t get damaged or pop off the top! Another great idea it to use a deep pan filled with rice if you’re in a pinch. I’ve also seen them stuck through the holes of a colander but none of mine seem to accommodate sucker sticks.

Allow cake pops to air dry. This will also help with the cracking and oozing. They really don’t take that long, maybe 5 minutes.

I’m loving this red, white, and blue theme for Fourth of July! And the best part was I had all of the colors already on hand! My mason jar is filled with red, white, and blue skittles. These are going to be adorable centerpieces for our July 4th BBQ!! So patriotic!

Aren’t they adorable?!? Are you team chocolate or team vanilla??? What are your favorite cake pop and frosting combinations??? Once you’ve mastered the technique try our Ice Cream Cake Pops or our Melted Ice Cream Cake Pops!

We’d love to hear from you! Leave us your comments and love down below!

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