This copycat Starbucks cake pop recipe uses simple ingredients to make a tasty treat that costs a lot less than Starbucks cake pops!
Let’s be honest: Starbucks cake pops are cute, tasty, and almost too good to be true. But every time you buy a cup of coffee, you have to spend a few dollars on a single pop to get your caffeine fix? That makes sense.
I figured out how to make these small pieces of delight at home, and spoiler alert: it’s easier than you think.
This recipe for making Starbucks cake pops at home has everything you love about the real thing. The cake centers are soft and sweet, the candy covering is pink, and there are just enough sprinkles to make you feel elegant.
Time & Ingredients
Time to Get Ready: 1 hour
Time to cook: 40 minutes
The whole time is 1 hour and 40 minutes.
- 1 box of cake mix with vanilla flavor
- water (according to cake mix packaging)
- vegetable oil (according to cake mix packaging)
- eggs (according to cake mix packaging)
- 1/3 cup of French vanilla frosting
- 1 package of light pink candy melts
- 12 ounces of white sprinkles
- Lollipop sticks
Instructions
1. Prepare the Cake Batter and Bake
Follow the directions on the packaging to get your cake ready. In a bowl, whisk together the cake mix, water, oil, and eggs. You can use a hand mixer or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment on low speed if you want. Put the batter in a greased 9×13-inch baking dish or two 8×8-inch round cake pans. Bake in a 350 degree F oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
2. Crumble, Mix with Frosting, and Chill
Let the cake cool all the way down, then use a fork to break it up in a big bowl or in the baking dish. Mix the frosting into the crumbled cake, cover it with plastic wrap, and freeze it until it’s cold.
3. Shape the Cake Balls and Freeze
Use a cookie scoop and your hands to shape the mixture into balls that are all the same size. You should try to make them all the same size, like a ping pong ball. Put them back in the freezer until they are hard. When the cake and frosting combination is cold, it’s easier to shape it into precise balls. The cake and frosting combination is quite wet, and it’s hard to shape them correctly when they’re at room temperature. After they have been frozen, I roll them again to level off the edges. Put it on a baking sheet next.
4. Insert Lollipop Sticks and Freeze
You can melt candy melts in the microwave in 30-second bursts or in a double boiler. Put each lollipop stick in the pink chocolate, then place it into one of the cake pop balls. Put them all back in the freezer until they are hard after doing this.
5. Coat Cake Pops and Decorate
Gently dip the balls into the melted chocolate, or pour the chocolate onto the balls and spin them around to cover them. Let the extra coating drip off onto parchment paper. If you want, you can add sprinkles to the decoration. Put them in a styrofoam block or a cardboard box and stand them up to harden. There you go! You can make these quick cake pops in no time!
Tips & Expert Advice
- Before you put the chocolate coating on your cake pops, make sure they are chilled enough. They will change shape and start to melt if they aren’t cold enough.
- Expert tip: Only use as much icing inside the cake pop as you need. They could get excessively mushy and sugary if you add too much.
- Don’t take all of the cake balls out of the freezer at once. Take out a small amount at a time so that they are easy to handle.
- Put them in a container that won’t let air in and line the bottom with a paper towel.
- They will stay fresh on the counter for a few days, but for the best results, I suggest keeping them in the fridge for up to four days.
- To freeze, put them in a container that can go in the freezer and keep them there for up to three months. Before serving, let it thaw at room temperature.
FAQ
How much does Starbucks charge for each birthday cake pop?
A Starbucks cake pop costs $3.75 each.
How can I keep the cake balls from falling off the sticks?
Before dipping the cake balls, make sure they are completely cool. Also, don’t miss the process of freezing them with the sticks already in them.
What if I don’t have a styrofoam block for this Starbucks cake pop recipe?
Not a problem! To keep the cake pops standing up while they set, poke holes in a cardboard box or use a colander turned upside down.
WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO KEEP THE COATING ON EACH PINK BIRTHDAY CAKE POP FROM CRACKING?
After freezing, let the cake pops remain at room temperature for a few minutes. This keeps the temperature from changing too much when you dip into the warm coating.
Nutrition Facts
Makes 15 servings
Serving Size: 1 gram
- Calories: 246
- Total Fat: 2g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 274mg
- Carbohydrates: 55g
- Fiber: 0g
- Sugar: 33g
- Protein: 1g