These rich chocolate cake pops are fudgy, moist, and surprisingly easy to make at home. Combine tender chocolate cake crumbs with sweetened condensed milk and silky chocolate frosting, roll into shapes, dip in melted chocolate, and enjoy a perfect bite-sized treat.
This year the calendar gave us a treat: National Cake Pop Day lands on the same day as the Super Bowl. To celebrate, here’s an easy guide to making the best homemade cake pops — they’re simpler than you might expect and perfect for parties.
How to Make Homemade Chocolate Cake Pops:
Start by baking a rich, fudgy chocolate cake. This recipe fills two 9-inch round pans and yields about 56 cake pops; you can halve the recipe if you want fewer. If you make the full batch, you can freeze half of the cake ball mixture before dipping so you have ready-to-dip cake pops later.
Tear the cooled cake into crumbs in a large bowl. Add sweetened condensed milk — it keeps the cake balls moist and silky — and a measured amount of chocolate frosting. Using an electric mixer, combine until the mixture is moist but not overly sticky so it holds its shape when rolled.
Roll the mixture into balls or shape them into hearts and footballs. For footballs, roll a ball, then pinch and pull the ends to form a rounded diamond. For hearts, flatten a ball into a triangle, pinch the bottom into a point, and press an indent at the top with your finger or knuckle.
Chill the shaped cake balls in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (or up to 24 hours) to firm them before dipping.
When ready to dip, melt high-quality baking chocolate or melting wafers in a deep cup or bowl. Dip the tip of a cake pop stick into the melted chocolate, insert it about 1/4″ into the cake ball, then dip the ball into the chocolate to coat evenly. Tap off excess chocolate and let the popped treats set upright in small holes poked in an inverted cardboard box, or lay flat on parchment for shapes that already have a flat back.
The Best Chocolate for Homemade Cake Pops:
Use high-quality baking bars or melting wafers for a smooth, shiny finish. Avoid chocolate chips because their stabilizers prevent them from melting and setting the same way. You can use semi-sweet, milk, or white coating; white chocolate may require an extra dip or two for full coverage.
How to Decorate Your Cake Pops:
Add sprinkles while the coating is still wet for a quick, festive look. For footballs, use a white decorating gel to pipe a line down the center and three short cross-lines to create the laces. Simple piping or drizzling extra chocolate adds a nice finishing touch for hearts and round pops.
Fun Variations for Other Holidays:
Change shapes and coatings to match the holiday: hearts dipped in white chocolate with drizzled dark chocolate for Valentine’s Day, or colorful sprinkles and your preferred coating for birthdays and celebrations. These pops are versatile — mix and match colors, drizzles, and sprinkles to match the theme.
No matter how you decorate them, these chocolate-covered cake bites are always a hit. They’re portable, shareable, and give you all the flavor of chocolate cake in a perfectly portioned bite.
Serve immediately once the coating sets. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week, or freeze undecorated cake balls for 1–2 months and thaw overnight in the fridge before dipping.
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Homemade Chocolate Cake Pops
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Cake
- 12 TBSP salted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup + 2 TBSP granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 TBSP vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
For the Frosting
- 8 TBSP butter, softened (1 stick)
- 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 TBSP sweetened condensed milk
- 1 TBSP milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
Additional Ingredients + Tools
- 1 cup sweetened condensed milk (for cake ball mixture)
- Cake pop sticks
- 40 ounces high-quality chocolate baking bars or melting wafers (do not use chocolate chips)
- Sprinkles, for decorating
Instructions
- Prep: Grease two 9-inch cake pans with shortening and dust with flour. Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Make the Cake: Cream the softened butter until creamy. Add both sugars and beat until fluffy. Mix in eggs, yolks, and vanilla. Add milk (the batter will be thin), then stir in the dry ingredients until combined.
- Bake: Divide the batter between pans and bake 25–32 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs. Cool in pans 10–15 minutes, then invert onto racks to cool completely.
- Make the Frosting: Beat softened butter until light. Add powdered sugar, milks, and vanilla; mix until smooth. Add cocoa powder and combine.
- Make the Cake Ball Mixture: Crumble the cooled cake into a large bowl. Add 1 cup frosting and 1 cup sweetened condensed milk. Mix with an electric mixer until the mixture is moist but not overly sticky and can be rolled into balls.
- Form Shapes: Roll into balls or shape into hearts and footballs (see shaping tips above). Place in an airtight container and chill 2 hours or overnight.
- Dip & Assemble: Melt the coating chocolate in short intervals. Dip a cake pop stick in chocolate, insert into a chilled cake ball, then fully dip the ball. Tap off excess and set upright in holes or on parchment to set. Add sprinkles while wet. Pipe football laces with white decorating gel once set.
- Serve & Store: Serve after coating sets. Store in an airtight container in the fridge up to 1 week. Freeze undecorated cake balls 1–2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge before dipping.
- Make Ahead: Cake balls freeze well before dipping. This recipe can be halved if desired.
Notes
Use high-quality baking bars or melting wafers for a smooth, glossy coating. Avoid chocolate chips, which contain stabilizers that prevent proper melting and can produce a dull finish.