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Made with leftover cake and frosting, this cake pop recipe is an easy no-bake treat you can make for a fraction of the cost of the Starbucks classic.
Starbucks cake pops are popular for a good reason! A small bite of cake on a stick covered in melted chocolate and sprinkles is one of the best ways to satisfy your sweet tooth. But if your monthly takeout budget is reaching its limits, try these easy homemade cake pops instead!
Not only are these no-bake cake pops easy to make using leftover cake, but they’re cheaper than the Starbucks classic and don’t require any special equipment. Simply form the leftover vanilla and chocolate cake mix into balls, dip them in melted chocolate, and enjoy!
Why this recipe works
The classic Starbucks treat inspired this cake pop recipe. After recreating 12 of their delicious coffee drinks, I knew I needed a dessert to pair with each sip!
- It’s an easy no-bake dessert. No-bake cake pops are made with leftover cake, so there’s no need to spend hours baking or spend money on a cake pop maker.
- They are fun to customize. Think of this recipe as a blank canvas. You can easily switch up the flavors using your favorite kind of cake, frosting, and decorations.
- No cake pop maker needed! This is a simple cake pop recipe made without a cake pop maker. The cake pops are rolled and decorated by hand and are ready to eat in less than 1 hour.
- It’s cheaper than Starbucks. You’ll never have to waste your money on a Starbucks cake pop once you learn to make your own!
I love making Starbucks-inspired copycat recipes at home, like this homemade frappuccino, pink drink, and spinach feta wrap. It’s the best way to indulge in my favorite snacks and get my caffeine fix without emptying my wallet!
This is the best recipe to turn to when you need to find a way to use the leftover cake in your fridge or freezer. The rest of the ingredients are super simple and easy to customize. This is what you need:
- Leftover chocolate cake. Use my death by chocolate cake recipe for the most decadent chocolate flavors.
- Leftover vanilla cake. My classic vanilla cake recipe is moist and fluffy, and easy to make with pantry staples.
- Vanilla frosting. Any vanilla frosting will do, whether it’s store-bought or homemade.
- White chocolate chips. You can also try melting my sugar free white chocolate to coat the cake pops.
- Dark chocolate chips. Just like the white chocolate, dark chocolate chips are melted and used to coat the cake pops.
Chocolate substitute
Feel free to swap out the chocolate chips for candy melts.
- Pink food coloring. This is mixed into the melted white chocolate for a pop of pink.
- Sprinkles. For decoration!
How to make Starbucks copycat cake pops
These easy cake pops come together in no time. Here’s how it’s done:
Step 1 – Make the batter
Combine the crumbled chocolate and vanilla cake in a large bowl.
Add the vanilla frosting, then mix until well combined.
Step 2 – Shape the cake balls
Roll 1 to 2 tablespoons of batter at a time into balls. Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, then let them chill in the fridge.
Step 3 – Melt the chocolate
Melt the white and dark chocolate chips in separate bowls in the microwave. Once they’re smooth, stir a few drops of pink food coloring into the melted white chocolate.
Step 4 – Dunk in chocolate
Dip the chilled cake balls into the melted white and dark chocolate so they’re coated evenly. Shake off any excess, then place them back on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
Step 5 – Decorate, then set
Add a few sprinkles on top of the cake balls while the chocolate is still wet. Let them set and firm up in the fridge, then enjoy!
- Use an electric mixer to mix the cakes and frosting together with ease.
- You can chill the cake balls in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes instead of the fridge if you’re short on time.
- While you do need pre-baked cakes to make this recipe, you can easily bake them months in advance and keep them in the freezer for later.
- Pierce the rolled cake balls with lollipop sticks for easy dunking and eating!
Flavor variations
Have some fun and switch up the flavors in this recipe by customizing the type of cake, frosting, or decorations:
- Keto cake pops. You can make keto cake pops using my keto vanilla cake, keto chocolate cake, and keto frosting.
- Vegan cake pops. Make this recipe with my vegan birthday cake and vegan chocolate cake mixed with dairy free vanilla frosting. Dip them into melted vegan chocolate chips, then enjoy.
- More cake flavors. Swap the vanilla and/or chocolate cake for spice cake, snickerdoodle cake, pumpkin cake, biscoff cake, rainbow cake, or hot chocolate cake to customize the cake pop flavors.
- More frosting flavors. Use vanilla buttercream, chocolate buttercream, cream cheese frosting, or healthy frosting.
- Decoration ideas. Swap the pink food coloring for any color you love, customize the sprinkles for the holiday or celebration, or use crushed nuts or seeds as a healthier alternative to sprinkles.
Storage instructions
To store: The chocolate-coated cake pops can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for about 1 week.
To freeze: They also freeze well for up to 2 months.
Recommended tools to make this recipe
- Baking sheet. I find letting the cake pops firm up on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper makes it a mess free dessert!
- Metal skewers. To dip the cake pops into the melted chocolate.
- Cake pop sticks. While any lollypop sticks work, I like the simplicity of the actual cake sticks.
- Cake pop stand. Serving these at a party or event? Why not have an impressive stand to showcase them off?
More bite-sized dessert recipes
Frequently asked questions
Starbucks cake pops are made out of cake, while other recipes are made using a no-bake dough made from a boxed cake mix. My version keeps it simple with dough made from leftover cake and frosting.
To make gluten free cake pops, you need gluten free cake! You can use gluten free chocolate and vanilla cake or make this recipe with my gluten free carrot cake.
To prevent the cake pops from falling off the stick, ensure the cake balls are firm and chilled before dipping in the coating. Also, you can dip the stick in the melted chocolate before adding the cake ball for extra strength.
The best way to melt chocolate for coating cake pops is to microwave them in a microwave-safe bowl at 50% power in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until they are fully melted and smooth. You can also melt them in a double boiler on the stove.
Cake Pop Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups chocolate cake
- 2 cups vanilla cake
- 1 cup vanilla frosting
- 1 cup chocolate frosting
- 1 cup white chocolate
- 1 cup dark chocolate
- 1 drop pink food coloring
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add the crumbled chocolate cake and in another bowl, the vanilla cake. Add the chocolate frosting to the chocolate cake and the vanilla frosting to the vanilla cake and mix until well combined.
- Roll the cake mixture into balls, about 1-2 tablespoons each. Place the balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- In separate microwave-safe bowls, melt the white and dark chocolate in the microwave at 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until smooth. Add a few drops of pink food coloring to the melted white chocolate and stir until well combined.
- Dip the chilled cake balls into the melted chocolate, using a spoon to coat them evenly. Tap off any excess chocolate and place them back on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Decorate the cake pops with sprinkles while the chocolate is still wet. Allow the chocolate to set completely.
