These chocolate cake pops are made with a chocolate cake and chocolate frosting covered with melted chocolate and sprinkles.
Chocolate cake pops are a delightful treat that combines the best of both worlds: cake and candy. These bite-sized sweets are made using homemade chocolate cake, which is easy to prepare and incredibly moist.
Once the cake is baked and cooled, it's crumbled and mixed with rich chocolate frosting to create a smooth, moldable mixture. This mixture is then shaped into small balls and placed on lollipop sticks.
The final touch involves dipping the cake balls in melted chocolate and decorating them with sprinkles, drizzles, or other fun toppings.
The result is a portable, fun-to-eat dessert that's perfect for parties, gifts, or simply satisfying your sweet tooth.
With their simple ingredients and straightforward preparation, these cake pops are a tasty treat that anyone can make at home.
If you like making delicious balls desserts, check out our chocolate truffles with cocoa powder, oreo balls, and cheesecake balls.
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Why this recipe works
- Chocolate flavor- these cake pops are loaded in rich chocolate flavor from the homemade chocolate cake that uses Dutch cocoa powder, and chocolate frosting that is absolutely delicious.
- Texture- they have a moist, dense interior encased in a thin, crisp candy coating, creating a delish contrast of textures that melts in your mouth with each bite.
- Bite size- one of my favorite things about these except from being super tasty, is that its great for portion control, and is a bite size treat that is fun to eat.
- Customizable- you can roll these in many flavors and toppings like different themed sprinkles, cocoa powder, crushed Oreos, mini chocolate chips, and much more!
- Freezer friendly- these small treats freeze great and are perfect to make ahead of time to always have in the freezer if you have unexpected guests over and need a quick and delicious treat.
Ingredients
Before you start to make this recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the cooking process will go smoothly and easily.
Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
Flour– I used all-purpose flour for this recipe, self-rising flour, and cake flour will work great as well.
Dutch cocoa powder– I like to use Dutch-process cocoa powder for our chocolate cake because I like the deep and rich chocolate taste, but the natural cocoa powder will work great as well!
Baking powder and baking soda – to allow the cake to rise. Make sure that your baking powder and baking soda aren’t expired.
Granulated sugar– I like to use granulated sugar, also the most common sugar used in baking. Caster sugar will work great as well.
Vegetable oil – I used vegetable oil for this recipe. Canola oil will work great for this recipe.
Eggs- to give the cake a good structure. Make sure you’re using room-temperature eggs.
Buttermilk- gives the cake extra moisture. You can make your own buttermilk if you don’t have one on hand. Simply mix a cup of milk with a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice and let it sit for at least 10 minutes.
Hot coffee- make a strong hot coffee, you can use espresso or instant coffee, and both will work.
Vanilla extract- Vanilla extract Is an essential ingredient for chocolate cake and adds flavor.
Salt- We used kosher salt for this recipe. Salt doesn’t give the cake a salty taste, it helps to enhance the chocolate flavor.
For the chocolate frosting
Butter- make sure you are using room temperate butter.
Powder sugar- is known as confectioners sugar. For a smoother buttercream, sift it before adding it to the butter.
Cocoa powder- we used Dutch cocoa powder. You can use natural cocoa powder as well.
Dark chocolate- melt the dark chocolate in the microwave or on the stovetop (bain-marie) and let it cool completely so it won’t melt the butter.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180 (350f) and prep an 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
Into a big mixing bowl add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and kosher salt. Mix well until combined.
Add the egg, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla extract, and mix until almost combined.
Add the coffee and mix until just combined and there are no lumps of flour showing.
Pour the cake batter into a parchment lined 8 inch parchment paper and bake in a 180c (350f) preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
Make the chocolate buttercream
Into a large bowl add room temperature butter and mix with a hand mixer or a stand mixer until the butter is light and fluffy.
Add half of the powder sugar and the cocoa powder, kosher salt, vanilla extract, and milk, and carefully mix until combined. Add the other half of the powder sugar and mix until smooth.
Allow the cake to cool to room temperature. Transfer the cake to a large mixing bowl and using your clean hands, crumble the cake completely.
Add the buttercream and mix using your clean hands until the mixture is fully combined.
Use a small cookie scoop to scoop out the balls (or about 1 tbsp). Roll them into balls using your hands and place them onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate for at least an hour or 30 minutes in the freezer.
Melt your favorite chocolate, we used chocolate melts because they are the easiest to use.
Dip one of the ends of the cake pop sticks into the melted chocolate, and insert it halfway into the chocolate balls.
Gently dip each cake pop into the melted chocolate. Let the extra chocolate drip off.
Top with your favorite sprinkles and either stick the cake pops into a foam board (if you have one) or place them in a cup in the fridge to set. (like I did)
Expert Tips
- Measure your flour correctly! When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it with a measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour with a spoon to create as many air pockets as possible, and spoon it into your measuring cup. Finally, level it with a back of a knife.
- Line your baking pan with parchment paper! This step helps the cake to bake evenly, and it makes sure that your loaf cake will release easily from the pan.
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop out the balls, that way you will have even-sized balls, plus it ensures that your balls cool evenly.
- After combining the cake crumbs and frosting, refrigerate the mixture for about 30 minutes. This will make it easier to roll into balls and maintain their shape.
- Before inserting the sticks into the cake balls, dip the tip of each stick in melted chocolate. This acts as a "glue" to keep the cake pop securely on the stick.
- When melting chocolate for coating, ensure it's not too hot or too thick. The ideal consistency should be smooth and fluid, allowing excess chocolate to drip off easily.
- Make sure you line your baking pan with parchment paper to prevent the truffles to stick to the pan.
- Keep the balls chilled in the fridge before serving. if you place the truffles at room temperature, they will lose their shape and be too soft.
- Once your cake pops are coated, get creative with decorations. Use sprinkles, drizzled chocolate, or edible glitter to add a personal touch and make your cake pops visually appealing.
Faq's
No! You can’t taste the coffee. Adding the coffee simply enhances the chocolate flavor. So, don’t skip the coffee on the cake!
There are a few ways to melt chocolate. We like to use the microwave. If you will use the microwave, you will have to be careful that the chocolate won't burn.
Before I knew how to melt chocolate in the microwave, I burned it a few times and I didn't understand what happened.
Simply microwave your chocolate or candy melts in small bursts. Really small bursts 10-20 seconds each time. Stir the chocolate in between every burst until the chocolate is nice and melted.
Yes! Simply follow the instructions as written on the package and bake. Then cool the cake to room temperature and follow the rest of the instructions.
Cake pops are bite-sized treats made from crumbled cake mixed with frosting. This mixture is rolled into small balls, placed on lollipop sticks, and then dipped in melted chocolate or candy coating.
Cake pops are fully cooked treats. They are made from baked cake crumbs mixed with frosting, shaped into balls, and placed on sticks.
it's important to note that the cake used in cake pops is pre-baked, ensuring that the final product is completely safe to eat.
Storing
Store the cake pops in the fridge covered tightly with plastic wrap for up to 5 days.
Freezing
To freeze cake pops, first ensure they are completely cooled and any decorations are set. Place the cake pops on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, making sure they don't touch each other.
Freeze them uncovered for about an hour until they're firm. Once frozen, wrap each cake pop individually in plastic wrap or place them in airtight freezer bags, removing as much air as possible.
Label the bags with the date and store them in the freezer for up to three months. When you're ready to enjoy them, simply thaw the cake pops at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.
Substitutions
Dairy-free- to make these dairy-free, replace the buttermilk with almond milk and replace the butter in the frosting with vegan butter.
Egg-free- to make the cake egg-free, replace the eggs with ⅓ cup of applesauce.
Variations
Toppings- top these balls with chopped nuts, your favorite sprinkles, cocoa powder, Oreo crumbs, cinnamon sugar, coconut flakes, mini chocolate chips, and much more!
Chocolate- coat the chocolate pops with white chocolate, dark chocolate, or your favorite chocolate!
Spread- you can substitute the chocolate buttercream with your favorite spread or buttercream as well like Nutella, dulce de leche, peanut butter, marshmallow fluff, chocolate ganache, etc.
Semi-homemade- prepare homemade chocolate cake, but use store-bought chocolate frosting to save time without compromising on the cake's quality.
Chocolate-peanut butter- swirl peanut butter into your chocolate frosting before mixing with cake crumbs, then dip in milk chocolate and drizzle with melted peanut butter.
Orange zest- add orange zest to your homemade chocolate cake batter and use orange-flavored chocolate for coating.
Cake mix- use a boxed chocolate cake mix for the base, combine with homemade chocolate frosting, shape, and coat as usual for a time-saving alternative.
Equipment
- Mixing bowl (set of 3).
- Baking sheet and rack set (our fave).
- Cookies scoop set of 3 (the best cookie scoop we used).
- Rubber spatula.
- Measuring cup.
- Electric hand mixer to make the frosting.
More chocolate cake recipes
One bowl chocolate cake- This decadent one bowl chocolate cake is made by making two simple cake layers with the easiest and most chocolaty chocolate frosting.
Triple chocolate cake- This triple chocolate cake is made with three layers of a moist chocolate cake, frosted with decadent chocolate buttercream, topped with chocolate ganache drip, and chocolate whipped cream.
Small chocolate cake- This small chocolate cake is perfect when you're craving a chocolate cake but don't want to make a big cake.
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If you liked this recipe
📖 Recipe
Easy Chocolate Cake Pops
Ingredients
- 1 cup Flour
- ⅓ cup Cocoa powder Dutch processed
- ¾ teaspoon Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Baking soda
- ⅓ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¾ cup Granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup Vegetable oil
- 1 Egg
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup Buttermilk
- ½ cup Coffee hot
Chocolate buttercream
- ⅜ cup Butter soft, unsalted
- ¾ cup Powder sugar
- ½ cup Cocoa powder Dutch processed
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoon Milk
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 (350f) and prep an 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- Into a big mixing bowl add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and kosher salt. Mix well until combined.
- Add the egg, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla extract, and mix until almost combined.
- Add the coffee and mix until just combined and there are no lumps of flour showing.
- Pour the cake batter into a parchment lined 8 inch parchment paper and bake in a 180c (350f) preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
Make the chocolate buttercream
- Into a large bowl add room temperature butter and mix with a hand mixer or a stand mixer until the butter is light and fluffy.
- Add half of the powder sugar and the cocoa powder, kosher salt, vanilla extract, and milk, and carefully mix until combined. Add the other half of the powder sugar and mix until smooth.
- Allow the cake to cool to room temperature. Transfer the cake to a large mixing bowl and using your clean hands, crumble the cake completely.
- Add the buttercream and mix using your clean hands until the mixture is fully combined.
- Use a small cookie scoop to scoop out the balls (or about 1 tbsp). Roll them into balls using your hands and place them onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate for at least an hour or 30 minutes in the freezer.
- Melt your favorite chocolate, we used chocolate melts because they are the easiest to use.
- Dip one of the ends of the cake pop sticks into the melted chocolate, and insert it halfway into the chocolate balls.
- Gently dip each cake pop into the melted chocolate. Let the extra chocolate drip off. Top with your favorite sprinkles and either stick the cake pops into a foam board (if you have one) or place them in a cup in the fridge to set. (like I did)
Notes
- Measure your flour correctly! When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it with a measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour with a spoon to create as many air pockets as possible, and spoon it into your measuring cup. Finally, level it with a back of a knife.
- Line your baking pan with parchment paper! This step helps the cake to bake evenly, and it makes sure that your loaf cake will release easily from the pan.
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop out the balls, that way you will have even-sized balls, plus it ensures that your balls cool evenly.
- After combining the cake crumbs and frosting, refrigerate the mixture for about 30 minutes. This will make it easier to roll into balls and maintain their shape.
- Before inserting the sticks into the cake balls, dip the tip of each stick in melted chocolate. This acts as a "glue" to keep the cake pop securely on the stick.
- When melting chocolate for coating, ensure it's not too hot or too thick. The ideal consistency should be smooth and fluid, allowing excess chocolate to drip off easily.
- Make sure you line your baking pan with parchment paper to prevent the truffles to stick to the pan.
- Keep the balls chilled in the fridge before serving. if you place the truffles at room temperature, they will lose their shape and be too soft.
- Once your cake pops are coated, get creative with decorations. Use sprinkles, drizzled chocolate, or edible glitter to add a personal touch and make your cake pops visually appealing.
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