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Cake pops are exactly what they sound like – a cross between a cake and a lollipop! These pink treats are perfect for birthday parties. Though made popular by the chain of coffee shops, these Starbucks Cake Pops can easily be recreated at home.
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5 from 6 votes

Easy Starbucks Cake Pop Copycat Recipe

Cake pops are exactly what they sound like – a cross between a cake and a lollipop! These pink treats are perfect for birthday parties. Though made popular by the chain of coffee shops, these Starbucks Cake Pops can easily be recreated at home.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Freezing Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 45 minutes
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Starbucks Cake Pops
Servings: 30 cake pops
Author: Izzy

Ingredients

Vanilla Cake

  • 1 box vanilla cake mix
  • other ingredients called for on the box including water/oil/eggs

Frosting

  • 7 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
  • 1 ¾ cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 2-3 teaspoons heavy cream or milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Coating

  • 36 ounces pink candy melts (I use Wilton brand, you can also use white chocolate with red food coloring)
  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
  • white sprinkles

Instructions

Make the Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a cake pan or baking dish.
  • Prepare the cake batter according to the instructions on the package. Then pour it to the cake pan.
  • Bake according to the instructions (30-35 minutes) or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (If the top browns too fast, you can cover the pan with aluminum foil.)
  • Let the cake cool to room temperature on a wire rack.

Make the Frosting

  • Add softened butter into a large bowl, and beat the butter with a handheld mixer on medium speed until creamy (about 2 minutes).
  • While the mixer is running, add 1/2 cup of confectioner's sugar. Mix until combined. Add heavy cream, vanila, cand the rest of confectioners’ sugar, a little a time.
  • Increase the speed to high and beat for 3 more minutes.

Make Cake Balls

  • Cut the brown edges off the cake, and add the cake into a large bowl. Crumble the cake using your hands. Make sure there are no large lumps. (Don’t make it too crumbly or it won’t hold together.)
  • Add the frosting into the cake. Mix until everything’s combined. (Start with 1/2 of the frosting, gradually add more until you reach the perfect consistency.)
  • Use an ice cream scoop and scoop out a full scoop of cake mixture (about 1 and a half tablespoons). Squeeze the mixture and roll it into a ball. Then place it onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Repeat until all the cake mixture has been formed into balls.
  • In a small microwave safe bowl, melt a few candy melts (2 - 4 ounces). Begin by heating for 30 seconds and then stirring. Repeat until all candy melts are melted.
  • Dip the tip of the cake pop sticks into the melted candy melts. Then insert each stick into a call ball about half-way.
  • Freeze for about 30 minutes.

Coat the Cake Balls

  • Right before they are ready to be taken out of the freezer, melt the rest of the candy melts.
  • Once melted, add vegetable oil. Mix well and pour it into a deep glass.
  • Dip the cake ball into the coating until it’s completely covered. Gently tap the stick against the edge of the glass to allow excess coating to drop off.
  • Decorate the top of the ball with white sprinkles and place upright into a box. Repeat with the remaining cake balls.
  • Allow the coating to set for about 1 hour. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

  • You can store cake pops in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
  • Make sure to cut off the crispy edges of the cake to prevent the cake pops from falling apart.  
  • Add frosting GRADUALLY until you reach the perfect consistency: If you add too much at once, the cake balls can be too moist to hold the shape.
  • Use a Styrofoam or cardboard box to hold the cake pops while you wait for the coating to set. 

Nutrition

Calories: 166kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 135mg | Potassium: 12mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 87IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 1mg