Chocolate Cake Pops

These chocolate cake pops are made with moist chocolate cake, delicious chocolate frosting, then coated in more chocolate and dipped in sprinkles!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 1

Bake 45

Total Time 1 45

Servings cake pops

Calories 184

Author Gabby Kislanko

Equipment

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake (see notes for boxed mix cake)

¾ cup all purpose flour
½ cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar
¼ cup + 2 tbsp unsweetened Dutch processed cocoa powder
¾ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
¼ cup canola oil (or vegetable oil, grapeseed oil, or sunflower oil)
¼ cup milk (regular or vegan)
1 egg (SEE NOTES for vegan version)
½ cup hot water

Chocolate Buttercream

⅓ cup butter, softened (regular or vegan)
½ cup cocoa powder
1 cup powdered sugar
¼ tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp milk (regular or vegan)

Chocolate Coating

2½-3½ cup chocolate candy melts or chocolate chips (semisweet, milk, dark, or white chocolate)
1-4 tbsp canola oil (or coconut oil, or other neutral oil) (if needed) SEE NOTES BELOW
sprinkles (optional)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Note that step by step photos of the instructions can be found in the post above.

Make the Chocolate Cake

If using a box mix, follow the instructions on the box to make the cake. If making this recipe from scratch, follow the instructions here. Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare an 8 inch round cake pan or 8x8 square baking pan (The shape won't matter since the cake will be crumbled up later), lining it with parchment paper on the bottom and a light coating of cooking spray on the sides.
In a large mixing bowl, add flour, cocoa powder, salt, sugar, baking soda, and baking powder. Whisk together then add in the egg, vanilla extract, oil, and milk. Pour in the hot water and whisk until the batter is smooth. Bake for 20-26 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
Let the cake cool completely before proceeding to the next step.

Make the Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Add butter and cocoa powder to a large bowl and mix until smooth. Slowly add vanilla extract, powdered sugar, and salt. Add the 1 tablespoon of milk if the buttercream seems too thick.

Assembling the Cake Pops

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Crumble the cooled chocolate cake up into the bowl with the buttercream. Use your hands or a standing mixer to mix it all together until fully combined.
Form into 1 tablespoon - sized balls and place on the baking sheet. The balls should be no bigger than one tablespoon or they will be too heavy and fall off of the cake pop sticks. Refrigerate for at least two hours or freeze for 1 hour.
Once the cake pops have chilled, prepare your cake pop holder. You can poke holes in a styrofoam box, an upside down cardboard box, or fill a few cups with uncooked rice to put the cake pops into.
When the cake pops have chilled, remove them from the fridge or freezer and melt the chocolate melts or chocolate chips in a microwave-safe mug or glass liquid measuring cup. Microwave for 30 seconds at a time and stir between each interval until the chocolate has melted. If using chocolate chips, add in a little bit of oil at a time to thin out the chocolate if needed. If it's too thick, it will be difficult to dip and the cake balls will fall off of the sticks.
Dip the tip of one end of each cake pop stick into the chocolate then gently push it into one of the cake balls about 3/4 of the way through.
Dip the cake pop into the cup of chocolate and gently turn it and twist until it's fully coated, letting extra chocolate drip off. Dip the cake pops in sprinkles, then place them in the cake pop holder to set. They should set in 30-60 minutes.

Notes

PLEASE NOTE: I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh your dry ingredients. Metric measurements are found above under the "Metric" tab.

MEASURING FLOUR and COCOA POWDER: Either measure your flour using a kitchen scale or use the proper scoop and level method: fluff the flour in the bag/container with a fork then use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup, then run the back of a knife along the top of the cup to even it out. Do the same for the cocoa powder.

VEGAN OPTION: To make vegan cake pops, use this vegan chocolate cake recipe, and use vegan butter and milk in the buttercream. For the chocolate coating, you can use vegan semisweet chocolate chips, or any vegan chocolate chips you'd like.

GLUTEN FREE OPTION: To make gluten free cake pops, swap out the chocolate cake for your favorite gluten free chocolate cake from scratch or use a gluten free box mix cake.

CHOCOLATE COATING: If the chocolate mixture is too thick, the cake pops will break or fall off the sticks when you dip them. To thin out the chocolate, add in 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil or other neutral oil (coconut oil works too) at a time and stir. Keep adding more until the chocolate is thin enough that a cake pop could be swirled in the chocolate easily.

TIP: Melt the chocolate in a 2 cup glass liquid measuring cup, since they are tall and deep and easies to dip in. Avoid using a shallow bowl or dish since you want to be able to dip the cake pop and submerge it in chocolate.

Storage and Freezing Instructions: The cake pops can be stored covered in the fridge for up to 10 days. You can also make the cake balls ahead of time, store in the fridge for up to 3 days, then dip them in chocolate. To freeze the cake pops, place in a ziploc freezer bag for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature when ready to serve.

Nutrition