Chocolate cake pops made from soft chocolate cake mixed with creamy frosting and dipped in smooth melted chocolate. Rich, fun, and perfect for any celebration.
Chocolate cake pops are a fun, bite-size treat made from moist chocolate cake mixed with a creamy frosting, then dipped in smooth melted chocolate.
They’re rich, soft inside, perfectly coated outside, and just as cute as the ones you see in bakeries or coffee shops.
This homemade version gives you cake pops that taste richer, dip smoother, and stay soft for days — perfect for parties, birthdays, or anytime you want a chocolate treat that actually holds its shape.
Wy you'll love this recipe
- Soft + fudgy center with the perfect chocolate flavor
- Smooth coating that sets beautifully without cracking
- Foolproof texture that never falls off the stick
Ingredients you need
- Flour: Cake flour or all-purpose.
- Cocoa: Natural unsweetened.
- Leavening: Baking powder (or half baking soda).
- Oil: Neutral vegetable oil.
- Sugar: Granulated or mixed white/brown.
- Eggs: Room temperature.
- Milk: Buttermilk or regular milk/yogurt.
- Coffee: Hot espresso for deeper chocolate flavor (or water).
- Vanilla + salt: Essential for taste.
- Cream cheese: Or mascarpone for frosting.
- Powdered sugar: For a smooth frosting.
- Chocolate: Semi-sweet or candy melts for dipping.
Tips for this recipe
- Crumble the cake very finely so the mixture binds well and forms smooth cake balls.
- Scoop evenly using a small ice cream scoop for identical sizes.
- Roll twice with a chill in between to get firm, perfectly round balls.
- Chill before dipping so the coating sets cleanly — but never freeze, or the chocolate will crack and sweat.
How to Make Chocolate Cake Pops
Crumble the chocolate cake into fine crumbs in a large bowl.
Mix in the chocolate frosting until the mixture is soft, compact, and slightly sticky.
Scoop and roll the mixture into smooth cake balls using your hands.
Chill the cake balls on a parchment-lined tray for about 20 minutes.
Melt the chocolate (or candy melts) in the microwave or a double boiler until smooth.
Dip the tip of each stick in chocolate and insert it into a cake ball. Chill briefly to set.
Dip each cake pop fully into the melted chocolate and tap off excess for a smooth coating.
Decorate immediately with sprinkles or sugar pearls, then let them set upright at room temperature.
Recipe Variations
- Chocolate fudge cake pops – Use a richer chocolate cake for a denser, truffle-like texture.
- Vanilla cake pops – Swap the chocolate base for vanilla cake and white chocolate coating.
- Biscoff cake pops – Add Biscoff spread to the frosting and coat with white chocolate.
- Strawberry cake pops – Use strawberry cake and a pink coating for a fruity version.
- Nutty cake pops – Add finely chopped hazelnuts or almonds to the mixture.
Recipe Questions
Why are my cake pops cracking?
Usually the temperature contrast—make sure the cake balls aren’t too cold when dipping.
Why won’t the sticks stay in?
Add enough frosting for binding and let the sticks set in the fridge after dipping the tips in chocolate.
Why is the chocolate coating uneven?
Thin the coating with a tiny bit of oil and tap gently to remove excess chocolate.
Can I freeze cake pops?
Yes—freeze uncoated cake balls, then dip in chocolate after thawing slightly.
Why do my cake pops sweat?
Avoid the freezer before dipping; condensation forms when they’re too cold.
More cake pops and balls
I hope you’ll love this recipe! Rate it ★★★★★ and leave a quick comment — it always helps. Happy baking!
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Chocolate Cake Pops
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 20 cake pops
Description
Make these chocolate cake pops from scratch using a moist chocolate cake and a simple chocolate frosting. Perfect for birthdays, parties, and using up leftover cake — this recipe makes about 20 cake pops.
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 75 g (⅔ cup) Cake flour
- 27 g (¼ cup) Cocoa powder – unsweetened
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 54 g (¼ cup) Vegetable oil – sunflower
- 100 g (½ cup) Sugar – granulated
- 1 Egg – room temperature
- ½ tsp Vanilla extract
- 64 g (¼ cup) Milk
- 57 g (⅔ cup) Black coffee – cooled
Chocolate Frosting
- 90 g (⅓ cup) Cream cheese – or mascarpone
- 1 tbsp Cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp Powdered sugar
- ½ tsp Vanilla extract
Chocolate Coating
- 200 g (7 oz) Chocolate – semi-sweet or bittersweet
- Sprinkles
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
- Preheat oven to 329°F / 165°C and line a 6–8 inch cake pan.
- Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt together.
- In another bowl, mix milk + cooled coffee.
- In a mixing bowl, beat oil + sugar for 3 minutes.
- Add egg + vanilla, beat 3 minutes.
- Add dry ingredients and milk/coffee alternately, mixing gently until smooth.
- Pour into the pan and bake 20–25 min until a toothpick comes out with crumbs.
- Cool completely.
Chocolate Frosting
- Mix cream cheese, cocoa, powdered sugar, and vanilla until creamy.
Make the Cake Pops
- Crumble the cooled cake very finely with your hands.
- Add frosting and mix until compact and slightly sticky.
- Shape into balls and roll until smooth.
- Chill 20 minutes.
Chocolate Coating
- Melt chocolate until smooth.
- Dip the stick tip in chocolate, then insert into each cake ball.
- Chill 20 minutes to set.
- Reheat chocolate and place in a deep bowl.
- Dip cake pops fully, tap off excess, and decorate with sprinkles.
- Let them set upright or upside down on parchment.
Notes
Storage: Keep cake pops in an airtight container at room temperature for 2–3 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Tips:
- Use a kitchen scale for perfect texture.
- Crumble the cake very finely for smooth cake balls.
- Add frosting little by little so the mixture doesn’t get too wet.
- Chill the balls before dipping for a cleaner coating.
- Use deep bowls to dip easily without breaking the sticks.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Cake pop, cake
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pop
- Calories: 140
- Sugar: 11.5 g
- Sodium: 49.3 mg
- Fat: 7.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 18.1 g
- Protein: 2.3 g
- Cholesterol: 13.9 mg
Elise
Thank you Fadela for the recipe, the kids and I enjoyed them, they're really delicious and very easy to make.
Elise