Homemade Starbucks Cake Pops

Equipment

Consistent Size - Aim to always have the cake balls uniform. I recommend using a cookie scoop, kitchen scale, or a tablespoon. Anything works, as long as the size is consistent and the cake small enough to stay on a lollipop stick.

Cake Pop Stick - Purchase on Amazon, Walmart, or a hobby store. I used these reusable sticks I purchased on Amazon.

Microwave or Double Boiler - Use either a microwave or double boiler to melt chocolate.

Baking Sheet - Baking sheets are ideal for placing the cake balls to set in the refrigerator.

Styrofoam or Cardboard Box - After being dipped in melted chocolate, the cake pops will need to be upright to dry. I recommend using a large styrofoam block or cardboard box with tiny holes pre-poked.

Ingredients

Cake

Most Starbucks cake pops use vanilla or chocolate cake, but not all. Below I have listed 20 cake pops and the flavor of cake used. If the cake is particular, like peppermint chocolate, you might want to modify the recipe and use chocolate cake with peppermint frosting to bind it together. That modification is an easy workaround to complex flavors.

I recommend making the cake type you are most comfortable with (store-bought, a standard box cake mix, homemade or leftover cake). In the recipe card are instructions for a basic homemade vanilla cake.

Frosting

The frosting is needed to bond the cake crumbles together. Use either store-bought or homemade frosting. I make a simple vanilla frosting with confectioners sugar, vanilla extract, and a touch of milk.

A general rule, use two tablespoons of frosting for one box of cake crumbles (the equivalent of a 13x9 baking sheet). Adjust the amount of frosting according to the cake crumbles you are using. In the recipe card are instructions for an easy-to-make frosting.

Expert Tip - Use only a tiny amount of frosting. Too much frosting will make your cake pop greasy. To avoid that, start with a little and work it into the cake crumbles. It usually takes a minute or two of work before the cake crumbs bind together.

Coating

There are four shell types you can use. I have used all of these methods in the past, and they have their merits. When coating the pop, I always add 1 - 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. This thins out the chocolate making for a better shell.

• Candy Coating - Purchased melts are easy to work with and come in various candy colors.
• Chocolate Melts - Ghiradelli chocolate melts come in white, milk, and dark chocolate and are available at most grocery stores. Ghiradelli melts are made with cocoa butter and have a shine similar to tempering, which makes them my favorite chocolate to use.
• Ganache - Creates a sinfully rich coating. Click here for my ganache recipe.
• Homemade shell - Create a hardshell from scratch by combining 2 cups of baking chips and ⅔rds cup coconut oil (lower to ½ cup if using white chocolate). Microwave at 50% power in 30-second intervals. Stir between each interval. Repeat until smooth.