Chocolate Cake Pops

Bite‑sized balls of chocolate cake blended with frosting, dipped in melted chocolate, and perfect for snacking or gifting.

These Chocolate Cake Pops transform a baked chocolate cake into indulgent, handheld treats. First, the cake is baked and cooled, then crumbled and mixed with chocolate frosting to form dough‑like balls. After chilling, each ball is stuck on a lollipop stick, dipped in a smooth chocolate coating, and decorated. They require a bit of assembly, but the result—a crunchy chocolate shell giving way to soft, chocolatey center—is more than worth the effort.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• They’re fun and festive—perfect for parties, celebrations or simply a sweet treat.
• The chocolate‑on‑chocolate combination delivers deep flavor and indulgence.
• Individually portioned: each pop gives you a satisfying mini dessert.
• Customizable: you can change coating, sprinkles, flavors or toppings.
• Impressively beautiful once finished—even if you’re not a pro.

Ingredients

For the Chocolate Cake:

• 1 cup all‑purpose flour (125 g)
• ¼ cup + 2 Tbsp unsweetened natural cocoa powder (30 g)
• ¾ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup packed light brown sugar (100 g)
• ½ cup granulated sugar (100 g)
• ⅓ cup canola or vegetable oil (80 ml)
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• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• ½ cup boiling water (120 ml)
• 1 tsp instant espresso powder (optional but recommended)

For the Chocolate Frosting (to bind):

• ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened (60 g)
• ¾ cup powdered sugar (90 g)
• 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted (10 g)
• 1 Tbsp milk (15 ml)
• ¼ tsp pure vanilla extract

For the Chocolate Coating:

• 16 oz semi‑sweet chocolate (e.g., 4 × 4 oz Ghirardelli bars)
• 1 Tbsp refined coconut oil (14 g)
• Optional: sprinkles or chopped nuts for decoration

Instructions

1. Bake the Cake: Preheat oven to 350 °F (180 °C). Grease a 9‑inch round cake pan, line the bottom with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk in brown sugar and granulated sugar.
3. Add oil, buttermilk, egg, and vanilla extract; mix until combined. Dissolve instant espresso powder in boiling water and add to batter; mix until just combined—the batter will be thin.
4. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 28‑30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and the top springs back when lightly touched. Let cake cool in pan for 30 minutes, then remove and cool completely on a wire rack.
5. Make the Frosting: In a stand mixer or with a handheld mixer, beat butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar, mix on low then medium until combined. Add cocoa powder and mix until well combined. Scrape down bowl; add milk and vanilla extract and mix on medium until fully combined.
6. Form Cake Balls: Crumble the cooled cake into a mixing bowl or mixer bowl. Add about ½ cup of the chocolate frosting (reserve the rest for another use) and mix until the mixture resembles cookie dough. Roll mixture into 1‑tablespoon sized balls and place on a parchment‑lined baking sheet. Freeze for about 1 hour.
7. Prepare Coating & Assemble: Melt chopped semi‑sweet chocolate and coconut oil in a microwave safe bowl, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth. Let the mixture cool slightly (~10 minutes). Remove 4‑5 cake balls from freezer at a time. Dip the end of a 4‑inch lollipop stick ~½ inch into the melted chocolate, then insert into center of a cake ball about ¾ of the way in. Then dip the cake pop into the melted chocolate so the entire pop (not the stick) is coated. Gently tap the stick a few times and rotate to remove excess. If using sprinkles/nuts, add them immediately after dipping. Place cake pop upright (in a Styrofoam block or similar) and allow to set. Repeat with remaining balls until all are coated. Let coated cake pops set at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

Tips / Storage / FAQs

Tips:

• Chill the cake balls well before dipping—this helps the coating set smoothly and prevents cracking.
• Use a tall cup for the melted chocolate to allow easy dipping.
• Tap off excess coating and gently rotate to reduce drips and promote even shells.
• Use a Styrofoam block or a container with holes for drying the pops upright.

Storage:

• Store coated cake pops in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
• For longer storage, freeze uncoated balls or fully coated pops (properly wrapped) for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.

FAQs:

• Can I use store‑bought cake or mix instead of scratch? Yes—many cake pops incorporate crumbled leftover cake or boxed cake mix.
• Do I need to use sticks? Yes—sticks help present the pops and make dipping easier.
• What causes cracking of the coating? Too cold cake balls or too hot coating can cause cracking—chill balls well and use properly tempered coating.
• Can I vary the flavor or coating? Absolutely—change cake flavor, frosting, coating color, and decorations to match the occasion.

Final Thoughts

Chocolate Cake Pops take a bit of time and patience, but the result is a fun, elegant dessert that people will admire and enjoy. With rich chocolate flavor, creamy interior, and a crisp shell, they’re perfect for parties, celebrations, or gifting. Once you master the basics, the flavor and decoration possibilities are nearly endless.

📖 Recipe

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Chocolate Cake Pops

Learn how to make Chocolate Cake Pops: from baking chocolate cake to mixing with frosting, shaping balls, freezing, dipping in chocolate coating, and decorating. Fun, customizable and delicious.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Chocolate Cake Pops

Prep Time 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Cooling Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 3 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings 1

Ingredients

For the Chocolate Cake:

• 1 cup all‑purpose flour 125 g
• ¼ cup + 2 Tbsp unsweetened natural cocoa powder 30 g
• ¾  tsp baking powder
• ½  tsp baking soda
• ½  tsp salt
• ½ cup packed light brown sugar 100 g
• ½ cup granulated sugar 100 g
• ⅓ cup canola or vegetable oil 80 ml
• ½ cup buttermilk 120 ml
• 1 large egg
• 1  tsp pure vanilla extract
• ½ cup boiling water 120 ml
• 1  tsp instant espresso powder optional but recommended

For the Chocolate Frosting (to bind):

• ¼  cup unsalted butter softened (60 g)
• ¾  cup powdered sugar 90 g
• 2  Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder sifted (10 g)
• 1  Tbsp milk 15 ml
• ¼  tsp pure vanilla extract
• For the Chocolate Coating:
• 16  oz semi‑sweet chocolate e.g., 4 × 4 oz Ghirardelli bars
• 1  Tbsp refined coconut oil 14 g

Optional:

• sprinkles or chopped nuts for decoration

Instructions

Bake the Cake:

• Preheat oven to 350 °F (180 °C). Grease a 9‑inch round cake pan, line the bottom with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk in brown sugar and granulated sugar.
• Add oil, buttermilk, egg, and vanilla extract; mix until combined. Dissolve instant espresso powder in boiling water and add to batter; mix until just combined—the batter will be thin.
• Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 28‑30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and the top springs back when lightly touched. Let cake cool in pan for 30 minutes, then remove and cool completely on a wire rack.

Make the Frosting:

• In a stand mixer or with a handheld mixer, beat butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar, mix on low then medium until combined. Add cocoa powder and mix until well combined. Scrape down bowl; add milk and vanilla extract and mix on medium until fully combined.

Form Cake Balls:

• Crumble the cooled cake into a mixing bowl or mixer bowl. Add about ½ cup of the chocolate frosting (reserve the rest for another use) and mix until the mixture resembles cookie dough. Roll mixture into 1‑tablespoon sized balls and place on a parchment‑lined baking sheet. Freeze for about 1 hour.

Prepare Coating & Assemble:

• Melt chopped semi‑sweet chocolate and coconut oil in a microwave safe bowl, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth. Let the mixture cool slightly (~10 minutes). Remove 4‑5 cake balls from freezer at a time. Dip the end of a 4‑inch lollipop stick ~½ inch into the melted chocolate, then insert into center of a cake ball about ¾ of the way in. Then dip the cake pop into the melted chocolate so the entire pop (not the stick) is coated. Gently tap the stick a few times and rotate to remove excess. If using sprinkles/nuts, add them immediately after dipping. Place cake pop upright (in a Styrofoam block or similar) and allow to set. Repeat with remaining balls until all are coated. Let coated cake pops set at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

Notes

Chill the cake balls well before dipping—this helps the coating set smoothly and prevents cracking.

Use a tall cup for the melted chocolate to allow easy dipping.

Tap off excess coating and gently rotate to reduce drips and promote even shells.

Use a Styrofoam block or a container with holes for drying the pops upright.