Make Funfetti Cake Pops for Your Next Birthday Party!

Cake pops are a party on a stick! Here’s how to make the best, most fun-tastic cake pops, with all the tips you need for success.

Make Funfetti Cake Pops for Your Next Birthday Party!
Sprinkled Cake Pops in Two Jars on a Plate Next to Small Plate of Sprinkles
Simply Recipes / Claudia Cash

There’s just something about cake that brings out your inner child and makes you grin from ear to ear. Yeah, you know what I’m talking about! But the common question seems to be: do you prefer chocolate or vanilla? And I say, “NEITHER. I’m a CAKE POP kind of gal!” 

If you’ve had cake pops before, then you know why they’re a tried-and-true favorite. Once you’ve tried them, you’ll see why these little gems of joy need to be at every celebratory occasion under the sun! I’m going to walk you through making them step-by-step.

Sprinkled Cake Pops in Jars on a Plate Next to Two Small Plates of Sprinkles
Simply Recipes / Claudia Cash

What Are Cake Pops?

Cake pops are a soft and sweet mixture of crumbled cake and frosting. You roll that mixture into a ball, then dip it in chocolate and add sprinkles! 

You’re probably wondering why you’d go to so much effort to make them when you could just bake a cake and still have the same ingredients, but I’m here to tell you that something magical happens in the process of actually incorporating the frosting INTO the cake. 

It changes the texture and becomes ultra-fudgy and dense. Once the pops are dipped in chocolate, it truly is a treat to sink your teeth into! The crack of the chocolate followed by the chewiness of the cake pop is an experience you won’t forget.

Box Mix + Homemade Frosting: A Winning Combo

I have been making cake pops for over 12 years and have found that using a boxed cake mix and homemade frosting is the best combination. When I first started out, I used canned frosting, and didn’t like the way it incorporated with the cake. It was too mushy, and that’s not what we want! 

If I’m feeling extremely ambitious, I’ll make both the cake and the frosting from scratch. If I’m short on time, I’ll turn to the boxed cake mix. I promise your cake pops will turn out beautiful either way, but I will ALWAYS take the extra few minutes to make frosting from scratch. It truly can’t be beat. 

Cake Pops with Sprinkles on a Plate with One Partially Eaten
Simply Recipes / Claudia Cash

Cake Pop Filling

The frosting really is the glue that’s holding the cake together, so you want a good-quality frosting. 

When adding frosting to the cake pop filling, less is more. There have been times when I’ve added too much frosting and they stick to my hands when rolling the pops out, and then they’re too soft to dip in chocolate. 

Start with 1/4 cup of frosting, and then mix it into the crumbled cake in 1/4-cup increments. I’ve never had to use more than 1 cup, which means you’ll have leftover frosting! Put it in the fridge for your next cake pop adventure or use it on cookies or cupcakes. Or simply grab a spoon and dig in after you’ve had a really stressful day. I promise I won’t tell anyone. 

Cake Pops on a Stand with Holes Surrounded by Sticks and Sprinkles
Simply Recipes / Claudia Cash

Add a Splash of Color With Gel Food Coloring

If you’d like to color the frosting or the cake, I recommend using gel food coloring. Wilton is my go-to brand because I can find it almost anywhere! Insert a clean toothpick into the coloring and then drag it through the cake batter or frosting. If you need more coloring, repeat the process, but use a clean toothpick each time!

Just a little PSA: using liquid food coloring may change the consistency of the frosting, so stick with gel!

Mix and Match Flavor Combinations 

Cake Pops in Jars and Some Cake Pops on a Plate Next to Small Plate of Sprinkles
Simply Recipes / Claudia Cash

An Expert’s Cake Pop Tips

  • Let the cake cool completely before crumbling. If you add frosting to a warm cake, it’s going to affect the consistency of the frosting. 
  • Crumble the cake with a stand mixer. I’ve done it by hand, and it takes a long time! 
  • Don’t use too much frosting! I already mentioned this earlier, but it’s worth mentioning again. You want the mixture to hold its shape, but still be a little firm.
  • Refrigerate after you’ve combined the cake and frosting. It’ll really firms things up and make it easier to roll into balls. I usually do this overnight, but you could do it in a couple of hours.
  • Use candy melt circles for your chocolate coating. I used Ghirardelli in this recipe, but have used Wilton, and even bulk candy melts from Winco. Using regular chocolate will cause the cake pops to melt in your hands.
  • Add a tiny bit of shortening to your coating to thin it out a bit. I personally like the consistency of a slightly runnier coating because I can dip the pops faster. I’ll melt the chocolate in the microwave in a heatproof bowl in 30 second increments, and then add the shortening in 1/2 teaspoon at a time. Don’t use vegetable oil or coconut oil to thin it out. The chocolate won’t set up properly. Learn from my mistakes and stick with the shortening. 
  • Use a cookie scoop to get the ball rolling… Literally. Ha! I’ll scoop everything out, and then go through and roll the pops. If the pops aren’t forming while you’re rolling them, take a ball, smoosh it together between your hands, and then roll. 
Cake Pops on Plate with One Partially Eaten
Simply Recipes / Claudia Cash
  • Dip your stick into the melted chocolate and then insert it into the ball. Lay it on the cookie sheet. Once they’re all done, freeze for a half hour to really firm things up.
  • Work with your coating in small batches. This will keep the coating from becoming too difficult to work with and from using too much chocolate. 
  • Use a spoon to help get the chocolate all around the cake pop and to help smooth it out. I will twist the cake pop against the spoon to get the excess off.
  • To really get extra chocolate off, tap the stick against the rim of the bowl while also twisting to make sure the chocolate comes off evenly. It sounds intimidating, but you’ll find your groove!
  • Place the cake pops standing up so they can harden. I used a cardboard stand I found at Walmart, but you could use a piece of Styrofoam too. 
  • If you’re using sprinkles, add them while the chocolate coating is still wet! If the candy coating has hardened, dip the top of the cake pop in the chocolate and then add sprinkles. I promise no one will notice.

Make Ahead Cake Pops

Cake pops aren’t something you can whip up last minute, but you can break down the process and make them ahead of time. I usually make the cake and frosting, mix it all together, and the next day (or a few days down the road) I’ll do the assembly part. If the cake pop batter is in the fridge, you can leave it there (covered, of course) for about 1 week. 

I don’t recommend making the pops completely and then freezing. The chocolate wouldn’t thaw very well, and you’d have a mess on your hands. If you’d like to make the cake pops without the chocolate, you can freeze in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. To thaw, pull them out of the freezer and let them sit at room temperature, then begin the chocolate dipping process (in method Step 8).

Cake Pops with Sprinkles on Plate with One Partially Eaten
Simply Recipes / Claudia Cash

More Celebratory Cake Recipes 

Bake the cake:

Mix and bake the cake according to package directions. Any pan suggested on the back of the box will work, but I bake mine in a 9 x 13-inch pan.

Funfetti Cake in a Baking Dish Cut into Pieces Using a Knife with Some of the Pieces Removed
Simply Recipes / Claudia Cash

Make the frosting:

While the cake is baking, make your frosting in a stand mixer. Transfer the frosting to another dish and keep at room temperature, but don’t worry about cleaning out the stand mixer just yet. You’ll use it in the next step to crumble the cake.

Best Buttercream frosting - white frosting in a pink bowl
Simply Recipes / Cindy Rahe

Let the cake cool, then crumble:

Let the cake cool completely and then cut into roughly 8 squares. Lift each cake into the bowl where you just made the frosting. Crumble the cake mixture with the stand mixer’s paddle attachment until the cake turns into small, fine, even-sized crumbs. You don’t want any big lumps of cake left.

Cake Crumbled in Mixer for Funfetti Cake Pops
Simply Recipes / Claudia Cash

Combine the frosting with the cake crumbs: 

Add frosting to cake crumbs 1/4 cup at a time. Each cake mix has a different consistency, so you may end up only using 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of frosting. That’s okay! Just make sure your mixture holds its shape without being sticky.

Cake Crumbled in Mixer for Funfetti Cake Pop Recipe
Simply Recipes / Claudia Cash
Hand with Cake Pop Dough
Simply Recipes / Claudia Cash

Refrigerate the mixture:

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate the mixture for at least 2 hours up to overnight.

Shape the chilled mixture into balls:

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Scoop the mixture onto cookie sheet using a 1-inch cookie scoop. Roll each cookie scooped piece into a ball using your hands. If you want to freeze the pops for later, now is the time to do it! 

Cake Pop Dough Balls Sitting on a Baking Pan Covered with Parchment Made Using an Cookie Scoop
Simply Recipes / Claudia Cash
Funfetti Cake Pop Rolled into Balls
Simply Recipes / Claudia Cash

Melt the chocolate:

Melt a little bit of chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl (or coffee mug!) in the microwave in 30-second increments. You don’t want to add too much chocolate right now, because this chocolate will be used to essentially hold the cake pops to the stick.

If your chocolate is really thick, you can add 1/2 teaspoon of shortening at a time to the melted chocolate. Stir and melt the shortening completely. This will help thin out the chocolate if it’s too thick. You want the chocolate to have a nice drizzle to it. No need to cool the chocolate.

White Chocolate in a Bowl Scooped with a Spoon with Cake Pops and Sprinkles in Background
Simply Recipes / Claudia Cash

Assemble the cake pops:

Dip the tip of your cake pop stick into the melted chocolate and insert it about halfway into the cake pop. Lay the cake pop onto the cookie sheet and repeat the process for all the cake pops. Freeze for 1 to 2 hours to firm them up.

Confetti Cake Pop Attached to Stick with Chocolate
Simply Recipes / Claudia Cash

Melt the remaining chocolate:

Melt the rest of your chocolate, in small increments, using the method in Step 7. Be careful not to melt too much chocolate at one time, or else it will seize up. I find it’s best to work in smaller batches.

Dip the cake pops into the chocolate:

Dip the cake pop into the chocolate and use a spoon to help get the chocolate all around the cake pop. Smooth the chocolate out by twisting the pop against the spoon. To get off excess chocolate, tap the cake pop against the rim of the bowl while twisting the stick.

Cake Pop on a Stick Dipped in Bowl of White Chocolate
Simply Recipes / Claudia Cash

Decorate:

Insert cake pop into a stand or Styrofoam. Add any sprinkles while the chocolate is still wet. 

If drizzling with chocolate, melt a little chocolate and scoop into a resealable baggie. Snip a tiny corner off and drizzle the chocolate over the cake pops!

Sprinkles Added to Cake Pop Sitting on Tray with Holes
Simply Recipes / Claudia Cash

Enjoy:

Wait about 5 minutes for the chocolate to harden, then enjoy!

Storage:

Keep your cake pops at room temperature for about 3 days, but good luck on getting them to last that long! Whenever I make them, my family is begging to eat them!

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Cake Pops with Sprinkles on Plate with One Partially Eaten
Simply Recipes / Claudia Cash