Why did my cake pops fall off their stick?u003cbr/u003e

This can happen for a couple different reasons. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eMake sure that your cake pops are about 1 inch after being rolled - bigger cake pops are heavier and fall into the melting chocolate easily.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAdding too much frosting to your crumbled cake can create cake balls that are mushy and don't stay put when dipped in the chocolate.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eDon't skip dipping the stick into the melted chocolate wafers before inserting into the cake pop. The chocolate helps act as a glue that secures the cake ball to the stick.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eMelted chocolate is too thick. This can happen when it gets too hot. The texture of melted wafers also differs from brand to brand. If your chocolate is too thick, you can try adding a little coconut oil or Crisco to thin it out. u003cbr/u003e

How To Make 4-Ingredient Cake Pops (Easy Recipe)

These easy cake pops are simple to make, requiring just 4-ingredients. Crumbled cake meets vanilla frosting, gets shaped into bite sized balls, dunked in chocolate and served up lollipop style.

Easy Cake Pops (4-Ingredients) displayed in a clear cup filled with rice.

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These semi homemade cake pops were such an easy recipe! I made them for my niece's baby shower. They turned out really cute and everyone loved them!
Marla P.

Purchasing pre-made cake pops is EXPENSIVE! With this 4-ingredient recipe, you can make your own for a fraction of the price. Using my step-by-step directions (with photos) and helpful tips, you'll be making gorgeous cake balls before you know it. Decorating this bite-sized dessert is a fun project for kids and perfect for birthday parties, holidays and special events. For more kid-friendly baking projects check out my sprinkle filled piñata cupcakes or no spread sugar cookies!

A Fun Baking Project That Tastes Great!

Bailey standing in a white kitchen pouring a smoothie out of a blender and into a glass.

There's just something delightful about eating mini desserts on a stick. If you've ever been through the Starbuck's drive-through with anyone under the age of 16, it's likely that you have been coerced into paying an abhorrent amount of money for this 2-bite treat.

This recipe was created out of necessity. My latte addiction is expensive (read ridiculous) enough, we can't be buying $4 treats x 3 kids every time my urge to hit the drive-through strikes. The cost to make 40 of these guys at home is less than $10.

The recipe is simple. The ingredients basic. The easy step-by-step tutorial makes this a do-able project for even a beginner. That said, cake pops by nature can be a little bit finicky. Like all baking projects, there is a learning curve. Make sure to read this post in its entirety - particularly the FAQ section. There are lots of tips to help you avoid cracked cake pops or cake balls that fall from their stick. Practice makes perfect. Just remember, a broken cake pop still tastes great!

-Bailey

INGREDIENTS

4-Ingredient Cake Pops: cake, sprinkles, icing, candy wafers and optional coconut oil.

Boxed cake mix - I use a vanilla box cake mix for these cake balls to keep things simple. However, if you have some leftover cake or opt for a homemade version. You can use chocolate cake, strawberry cake or red velvet cake instead.
Frosting - there are LOTS of frosting flavors, choose one that pairs well with your cake flavor. You can use store-bought or homemade. I typically opt for convenience!
Chocolate candy melts - these keep things simple, and have the same texture and look as melted chocolate once cooled. My favorite brand is Ghirardelli, although these only come in white chocolate or dark chocolate.
Sprinkles - choose a festive blend that matches your theme or make your own!

EQUIPMENT

Cake pop sticks - I like to purchase 6" cake pop sticks and cut them shorter if needed. I have used sticks as short as 4" with no issues at all.
Floral Foam Block - wet floral foam blocks are a great method for drying cake pops in an upright position. I typically cover them with a layer of foil to prevent the foam from making a mess. You can use the same block over and over again. If you don't want to purchase foam, you can fill a cup or deep bowl with rice or beans and stick cake pops in to dry.
Sprinkles - fun sprinkles are the key to adorable cake pops. My favorite's come from Sprinkle Pop Shop (<-- not an affiliate link).

HOW TO MAKE CAKE POPS

Step 1: Easy Cake Pops - Bake cake according box directions. Cake in a round pan pictured.

Step 1: Prepare your box cake mix. Follow package directions. Allow cake to cool completely before moving to step 2.

Step 2: Easy Cake Pops. Crumble cake until it is the texture of sand.

Step 2: Crumble cake. Use clean hands or a mixer to crumble the cake until it has a sand like texture. Avoid large chunks.

Step 3: Easy Cake Pops. Add frosting to the crumbed cake.

Step 3: Add frosting. Add frosting to the crumbled cake. Stir with a wooden spoon or mix with clean hands until the mixture is fully incorporated.

Step 4: Easy Cake Pops. Roll cake and frosting mixture into 1" cake balls.

Step 4: Roll cake balls. Use a small cookie scoop to portion cake mixture evenly. Gently roll each portion into 1" balls. Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Step 5: Easy Cake Pops. Dip cake pop sticks into melted chocolate and insert halfway into cake ball.

Step 5: Insert cake pop sticks. Follow package directions to melt a very small amount of the candy melts. Dip the tip of a lollipop stick into the melted chocolate and insert about halfway into the cake ball. Refrigerate cake balls for about 30 minutes.

Step 6: Dip frozen cake pop in melted white chocolate candy wafers.

Step 6: Dip cake pops. Follow package directions to melt remaining candy wafers + coconut oil in a small bowl or mug. Dip the cake ball into the chocolate with the stick pointed up. Tap stick on the side of the cup or bowl to get rid of any excess melted chocolate.

Step 7: Easy Cake Pops. Decorate dipped cake pops with sprinkles.

Step 7: Decorate. Move quickly, while coating is still wet, add sprinkles if desired.

Step 8: Easy Cake Pops. Allow cake pops to dry upright in a wet flower foam block.

Step 8: Store. Allow decorated cake pops to dry upright in a flower foam block or a cup filled with rice or beans.

See full recipe for measurements and quantities.

PRO TIPS FOR 4-INGREDIENT CAKE POPS

Avoid large cake chunks. When crumbling your cake, make sure there are no large pieces left. These can cause your cake balls to look lumpy instead of round. The smaller your crumbs, the easier it will be to create perfectly round cake pops.
Allow cake to cool completely before adding frosting. If the cake is still warm, when you add frosting it will be a goopy mess. You won't be able to roll clean round cake balls. Wait until cake is room temperature.
Do not make your cake pop balls too large (I shoot for 1"). If they are too heavy they will fall off the stick when you dip them in the melted chocolate.
Allow melted chocolate to cool a little before dipping your cake pops. Extreme temperature differences between the cake balls and the melted chocolate can cause the chocolate coating to crack.
Don't skip on refrigerating the cake balls. This helps ensure they stay together (and on the stick) when dipped in the melted chocolate. If they start to fall off as you are decorating, pop them back into the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes.
Make a plan. The cake pops will need to be upright as they dry. I like to use a styrofoam block/wet floral foam. You can find these in the floral department of any craft store. Alternatively, you could use a cup filled with beans or rice or an empty box with small holes punched into it.

STORAGE

If you want to make your cake balls ahead of time, you can store un-dipped balls in the freezer in an airtight bag for up to 3 months. Alternatively, you can store them in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

After cake pops are dipped and decorated they can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 10 days. I do not recommend freezing cake pops decorated with sprinkles as the color may run as they thaw.

VARIATIONS

This cake pop recipe is very versatile. Use what you have on hand and what your family likes. Here is some inspiration for some fun cake pop ideas.

chocolate cake pops - use chocolate cake mix and chocolate icing

strawberry cake pops - a combo of strawberry cake mix and vanilla icing coated in white chocolate is a personal favorite

funfetti cake pops - Funfetti cake mix with vanilla icing is perfect for birthday celebrations

vanilla cake pops - white cake with vanilla icing and a white chocolate coating creates the perfect canvas for festive sprinkles and creative decorating

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Why did my cake pop chocolate coating crack?

This is super frustrating, and is a part of making cake pops. The most common reason is that the temperature difference between the cold cake pop and the warm chocolate is too great. Make sure to allow the melted chocolate to sit a couple of minutes and cool before you start dipping your cake pops.

Cracking can also occur if you make your melted candy layer too thick. Dip each cake pop into the chocolate 1x - do not dip repeatedly.

Why did my cake pops fall off their stick?

This can happen for a couple different reasons.

Make sure that your cake pops are about 1 inch after being rolled - bigger cake pops are heavier and fall into the melting chocolate easily.

Adding too much frosting to your crumbled cake can create cake balls that are mushy and don't stay put when dipped in the chocolate.

Don't skip dipping the stick into the melted chocolate wafers before inserting into the cake pop. The chocolate helps act as a glue that secures the cake ball to the stick.

Melted chocolate is too thick. This can happen when it gets too hot. The texture of melted wafers also differs from brand to brand. If your chocolate is too thick, you can try adding a little coconut oil or Crisco to thin it out.

Recipe

How To Make 4-Ingredient Cake Pops

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5 from 1 review

Author: Bailey Sissom
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Yield: 40 cake balls

Print Recipe

Description

4-Ingredient Cake Pops are simple to make, requiring just 20-minutes hands on prep. Crumbled chocolate cake meets vanilla-frosting and then gets shaped into bite sized balls, dunked in chocolate and served up lollipop style.

Ingredients

Scale

Special Equipment:

cake pop sticks
wet floral foam (or cup filled with rice and/or beans) - this is to help the cake pops dry in an upright position
sprinkles

Ingredients:

1 box cake mix (any flavor or brand is fine)
⅓ cup of vanilla frosting + more if needed (use homemade or store-bought)
2 cups chocolate melting wafers
½ tablespoon coconut oil

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Instructions

Bake cake according to package directions. Allow cake to cool completely.
Crumble the cooled cake into a large mixing bowl. It should be the texture of sand. Make sure there are no large chunks.
Add ⅓ cup of frosting to the crumbled cake. Use a mixer or wooden spoon to mix the frosting and cake until fully incorporated. Test the dough by trying to roll a small cake ball between your hands. If the dough does not stick together, add additional frosting 1 tablespoon at a time. Avoid adding too much frosting as this may create mushy cake pops that fall off their sticks.
Use a small cookie scoop to portion cake mixture evenly. Gently roll each portion into a 1" ball between 2 clean hands. Place rolled balls on parchment lined baking sheet.
Follow the package directions to prepare 1 tablespoon of melted chocolate wafers. Dip the tip of a cake pop stick into the melted chocolate and insert about halfway into the cake ball. Once the sticks have all been inserted, place the cake pops into the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
Follow package directions and melt 2 cups of candy wafers + ½ tablespoon of coconut oil in a small bowl or mug (you should be able to dip the cake pop without the top hitting the bottom). Allow melted chocolate to cool for 3-4 minutes before step 7 to help avoid cracked cake pops.
Take the cake pops from refrigerator and quickly dunk them into the melted chocolate. Remove and gently tap the stick on the side of the bowl to let excess coating drip off.
While coating is still wet, add sprinkles. Place cake pops upright to dry

Notes

Avoid large cake chunks. When crumbling your cake, make sure there are no large pieces left. These can cause your cake balls to look lumpy instead of round. The smaller your crumbs, the easier it will be to create perfectly round cake pops.
Allow cake to cool completely before adding frosting. If the cake is still warm, when you add frosting it will be a goopy mess. You won't be able to roll clean round cake balls.
Do not make your cake pop balls too large (I shoot for 1"). If they are too heavy they will fall off the stick when you dip them in the melted chocolate.
Allow melted chocolate to cool a little before dipping your cake pops. Extreme temperature differences can cause the chocolate coating to crack. Your cake pops will be cold from the freezer.
Don't skip on freezing the cake balls. This helps ensure they stay together (and on the stick) when dipped in the melted chocolate. If they start to fall off as you are decorating, pop them back into the freezer for 5-10 minutes.
Make a plan. The cake pops will need to be upright as they dry. I like to use a styrofoam block. You can find these in the floral department of any craft store. Alternatively, you could use a cup filled with beans or rice or an empty box with small holes punched into it.

Prep Time: 60 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Oven
Cuisine: American