Learn how to make homemade chocolate cake pops completely from scratch, with no box cake mix or canned frosting. Combine rich chocolate cake with the best chocolate buttercream, and coat in melted chocolate for a treat that will make your tastebuds pop! Watch the video tutorial for all my best tips.
See my vanilla cake pops recipe, too.
I originally published this recipe in 2018 and have since added new photos and a video.
Chocolate cake + chocolate frosting + colorful sprinkles = the most adorable treat! Today we’re making chocolate cake pops because, after I shared my vanilla cake pops, I received so many requests for a chocolate version! Your wish is my command.
This recipe was a Sally’s Baking Challenge back in 2018, and readers have loved them over the years:
One reader, Sophia, commented: “Such an awesome recipe—these are basically Starbucks dupes and super yummy! I made the cake pops for a friend’s birthday but my family almost ate all of them before I could give any to her, LOL. ★★★★★”
One reader, Jen, commented: “This recipe was great! Made them for my son’s birthday party and had multiple people ask for the recipe! My son even said they were better than Starbucks! ★★★★★”
By the way, if you’ve ever eaten store-bought cake pops—these taste totally different. They’re from scratch. There’s no cake mix, there’s no canned frosting. You can actually TASTE the homemade.
I have plenty of step-by-step photos, a video tutorial, and lots of success tips today because I want you to understand every instruction before it’s your turn to make them. After all, the process isn’t difficult—you’re literally just baking a chocolate cake and making frosting and then mixing them together. But things just get a little particular when it comes to rolling, lollipop-sticking, and dunking/dipping. If you can make bread bowls, you can handle cake pops. (They’re more fun to eat too… sprinkles!)
How to Make Chocolate Cake Pops
Since we’re ditching box cake mix and canned frosting, we’ll need to take a little extra time to prep both from scratch. Here’s an overview of the process:
- Make a 1-layer chocolate cake and let cool.
- Make chocolate frosting.
- Crumble cake into frosting and mix.
- Roll the mixture into balls.
- Dip in melted chocolate.
- Top with sprinkles and let dry.
- EAT!
Quick tip: Whenever I make cake pops from scratch, I always begin the night before. I make the cake, cover it, and let it sit out at room temperature overnight. I also prepare the frosting, cover, and refrigerate. This way everything’s ready to go the next day.
Make a 1-Layer Chocolate Cake
It might seem like the switch from vanilla cake pops to chocolate cake pops is easy. Replace some flour with cocoa powder, right? And vanilla frosting with chocolate frosting? I wish! Chocolate is a complicated soul and requires a little finesse; that’s why my vanilla cake and chocolate cake recipes are so different! I baked a few single-layer chocolate cakes before stopping with this one.
Behind the Scenes: Recipe Testing
The first few began with creamed butter + sugar. My favorite chocolate cakes and cupcakes typically rely on oil for the fat because (1) moisture and (2) the flavor of butter really isn’t necessary because chocolate overpowers it anyway. My initial thought with cake pops, however, was that I needed a slightly drier cake to get the best texture for cake pops (because it will be mixed with frosting). Well this was just a huge mess from the start, because dry cake is gross.
That being said, you’ll need oil for the cake. And a few other basics like cocoa powder, sugar, flour, and eggs. Hot water is also a must. The hot liquid encourages the cocoa powder to bloom and dissolve. When I make chocolate cake, I usually reach for hot coffee (instead of hot water) because coffee accentuates the chocolate favor—but that’s not as crucial here, because we’re just crumbling the cake and mixing with chocolate frosting.
By the way, you can totally enjoy this chocolate cake on its own. If you ever need a single-layer chocolate cake—use this recipe. It’s so good. Deep and dark chocolate flavor. Super moist. Super rich. Top with chocolate buttercream, whipped cream, peanut butter frosting, or red wine chocolate ganache.
What was a little more difficult than testing the perfect single-layer chocolate cake was figuring out how much frosting I needed. Too much frosting and the cake pops are wet and greasy, while too little frosting means there isn’t enough to bind the cake crumbles. After lots of trial and error, I finally found the perfect amount… and it’s not much, because the chocolate cake is already so moist.
Crumble the cake into the bowl of frosting, and yes, you’ll feel very weird doing this. You just made this beautiful chocolate cake and will now break it up into a bowl of frosting. Because that’s what cake pops are—cake crumbs and frosting.
Once the two are mixed together, it’s time to roll the mixture into balls. This part is EASY. I found the chocolate cake pops much easier to roll into balls than my vanilla version. This mixture is just sooo smooth! Your hands will get a little sticky, but just roll with it. 😉
Tips for Homemade Chocolate Cake Pops
Success Tip #1: Make Smaller Cake Pops: If you roll the cake pops too large, they’ll wobble off the lollipop stick because they’re too heavy. You need 1 Tablespoon of the cake pop mixture per ball (about 20g). No more, no less. You’ll end up with 40 of them. Quite a lot—but these freeze beautifully! And you can gift them to anyone and everyone. Who doesn’t love a homemade cake pop?
These cake balls need to chill in the refrigerator before we pop ’em on a lollipop stick. Why? They’re much too delicate right now; they’ll completely fall apart. Which reminds me… you do NOT have to make these as pops. You can make them truffle-style by simply rolling them and coating in chocolate (just like how we make Oreo balls). Either way you enjoy them, chill the cake balls before coating. I just place them on a lined baking sheet and refrigerate them for a couple hours.
- Speaking of chocolate, you can dunk the cake balls into melted chocolate (white or semi-sweet), which is what I prefer for best taste, but that’s pretty expensive. And you need a good amount for all 40 cake pops. Instead, you can use candy melts/candy coating, and I give both options in the recipe below, along with notes for each choice.
Success Tip #2: To ensure the cake ball stays secure on the lollipop stick, dip one end of the stick into the melted chocolate coating first (just about 1/2 inch down), and then insert the coated end into the center of the cake ball. This helps the cake ball adhere to the lollipop stick.
Success Tip #3: A 2-cup glass liquid measuring cup is the perfect depth for dipping the cake pops. If I’m using melted chocolate, like I did in these photos, I melt it in a double boiler then spoon a little at a time into the measuring cup. I don’t like dipping right into the whole pot of melted chocolate. Let the melted chocolate cool down for about 5 minutes before you dip the cold cake balls into it. (Otherwise the coating might crack as it dries.)
Success Tip #4: The best way to allow the coating to dry and set—without ruining the perfectly round cake pops—is to place them right-side-up in a large styrofoam block or even a box. I used a box, as pictured below, for this batch. I just poked little holes into it. Easy and cheap.
If you’re topping with sprinkles (always recommended!), add them now before the chocolate sets. Cake pops dry/set within an hour or so. Enjoy!
Chocolate Cake Pops
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 26 minutes
- Total Time: 7 hours
- Yield: 40 cake pops
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Chocolate cake pops from scratch—made with homemade chocolate cake and chocolate frosting, dunked in melted chocolate and topped with sprinkles! Follow my thorough instructions, tips, and video tutorial for best results.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 6 Tablespoons (32g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder (1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (120ml) canola, vegetable, or melted coconut oil
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (120ml) hot water
Chocolate Frosting
- 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (90g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 cup (41g) unsweetened natural or Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 2–3 teaspoons heavy cream or milk
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Coating
- 24 ounces (680g) candy melts (or semi-sweet chocolate bars)*
- sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 9-inch pan (round or square) or 9-inch springform pan.
- Make the cake: Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside. Whisk the oil, eggs, and vanilla together in a medium bowl. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, add the hot water, and whisk everything together until combined. Make sure there are no pockets of dry ingredients hiding.
- Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 25–27 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack.
- Make the frosting: With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. This isn’t a lot of butter and it will get stuck on the sides of the bowl, so you may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to really help get it creamed. Add confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons of heavy cream/milk, and vanilla extract, and beat on low speed until incorporated. Increase to high speed and beat for 3 minutes until it really comes together. Add another teaspoon of milk/cream if it looks a little too thick.
- Crumble the cooled cake into the bowl on top of the frosting. Make sure there are no large lumps. Turn the mixer on low speed and beat the frosting and cake crumbles together until combined.
- Measure 1 scant Tablespoon (20g) of moist cake mixture and roll into a ball. Place cake balls on a lined baking sheet. Refrigerate for 2 hours or freeze for 1 hour.
- Melt the coating in a 2-cup liquid measuring cup (best for dunking!). Microwave in 20-second increments, stirring after every 20 seconds until completely melted and smooth. (Or you can use a double boiler and pour a little at a time into the liquid measuring cup.) Let the coating cool down for a few minutes before you begin dipping. If it’s too hot when you dip, the coating will crack.
- Coat the cake balls: Remove only 2–3 cake balls from the refrigerator at a time. (Keep the rest cold!) Dip one end of a lollipop stick about 1/2 inch into the coating, then insert into the center of the cake ball. Push it about halfway to 3/4 of the way through the cake ball. Dip the cake ball into the coating until it is completely covered. Make sure the coating covers the base of the cake ball where it meets the lollipop stick. Very gently tap the stick against the edge of the measuring cup to allow excess coating to drip off. Decorate the top with sprinkles and place upright into a styrofoam block or box (as explained in the blog post above). Repeat with remaining cake balls, only working with a few out of the refrigerator at a time. The cake balls must be very cold when dipping!
- Coating will set within an hour. Store cake pops in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: I always make the cake 1 day ahead of time. Cover and keep at room temperature. You can store the undipped cake balls in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or freeze them for up to 6 weeks. Allow to thaw in the refrigerator then continue with step 7. You can also freeze the finished cake pops for up to 6 weeks once the coating has fully set. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9-inch Round Pan, 9-inch Square Pan, or 9-inch Springform Pan | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Baking Sheet | Silicone Baking Mat or Parchment Paper | Glass Measuring Cup | Double Boiler | Lollipop Sticks
- Chocolate: You can use candy coating/candy melts, almond bark, or semi-sweet chocolate (or white chocolate). If using almond bark or chocolate, chop it up before melting. Melt it with 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil to thin out so it’s easier to use as a coating. Keep warm over a double boiler. You can also temper pure chocolate for the coating. My full tempering tutorial is in Sally’s Candy Addiction if you have a copy.
- Cake Balls: Want to skip the lollipop stick? Go for it. Just dip the cake balls in melted or tempered chocolate to make delicious chocolate cake truffles. Whenever I dip truffles, I always use this spiral dipping tool. Drop the truffle in the chocolate and lift it out with the dipping tool. Quickly flip it upside down onto a lined baking sheet. You can see exactly how I do this in this post (scroll down for video): dark chocolate coconut rum truffles. Go to the 1-minute mark. That’s how I dip and neatly release truffles. So easy!
See Your Chocolate Cake Pops!
Many readers tried this recipe as part of a baking challenge! Feel free to email or share your recipe photos with us on social media. 🙂
My daughter loves cake pops so I’m very to make these! Your recipes never disappoint! Whenever I bake anything, everyone knows they come from your site! What brand chocolate melts do you use? Whenever I attempt to make cake pops or anything else dipped, the melts are always thick…never smooth and thin like I always see on your recipes.
Hi Elizabeth, we like to use Ghirardelli brand melting wafers. Hope you enjoy the cake pops!
This is so helpful! Any tips for if I am making cake balls, not on a stick? Is there a tool or something you would suggest using to keep the chocolate smooth and not puddle when I lay it down to dry/cool on parchment paper?
Hi Kathryn, yes! You can dip them with a candy dipping tool (like this one: https://amzn.to/3PyMAcL), similar to how we dip Oreo balls and chocolate truffles.
This recipe is absolutely perfect. Taste and texture is amazing. Any tips on what to set the cake pops in while the candy coating sets?
Hi Angela! We usually use a box with little holes poked it, as you can see in the video tutorial above. 🙂
I am making only 10-12 cake pops. What cake size and how much frosting is required for the same ? Thanks
Hi Meg! We’re unsure of the best way to scale this recipe down without testing it. We would search for a small batch chocolate cake pops recipe to be sure 🙂
So far this recipe is very easy! If I am refrigerating my cake balls overnight, do I need to cover them? Or they can simply stay on the baking tray without being covered?
Hi Steph! We would cover them overnight or store in a sealable container.
Hi,
I’m wondering if you think there is a way to use your peanut butter frosting on these instead of the chocolate frosting listed here?
Hi Autumn, you certainly can! Since you are trying this with a different frosting, the ratio will likely be slightly different. Go by feel — you’ll want *just enough* to barely moisten those cake crumbs.
Hi Sally and team!
I recently had a restaurant dessert that was memorable…a small molded chocolate layer cake with a decadent schmear of raspberry jam in the middle, covered with a thick milk chocolate ganache that seemed almost fluffy.
Here is my question:
How can the cake pop incorporate raspberry flavor like the jam? Can some of the frosting be substituted with jam? I am thinking the fruit itself would be too wet. I don’t want the expense of Chambourd.
It’s for a bridal shower at the end of this month.
Thanks for your consideration!
Respectfully,
Elaine
Hi Elaine, We have never tried this ourselves. You can try using some raspberry buttercream instead of the chocolate buttercream. You can follow our recipe for strawberry buttercream but use freeze dried raspberries instead of strawberries (and just use enough in the cake pop recipe until you reach the correct consistency). We prefer using freeze dried berries instead of jam because jam contains a lot of sugar and not as much berry flavor and also thins out the frosting. Let us know if you give it a try!
Hi! Could I use semi-sweet chocolate chips, or would it be best to use candy melts or chocolate bar? Thank you!
Hi Addie, chocolate chips are not the best for melting, so we recommend using candy melts or high quality chocolate bars.
Hi Sally, I love this recipe! I’ve used it for cake pops at a grad party and a couple other times. I’m pretty sure I’ve used it for a layered chocolate cake as well but I can’t remember if I just tripled the recipe for 3 x 9″ pans. Do you think tripling the recipe as written works, or do I need to make adjustments? I know you have a chocolate cake recipe too, but I really like this one. Note to self – write it down this time.
Hi Joy, we haven’t tried multiplying this recipe. We often recommend making separate batches for cake recipes, but you may be able to get away with multiplying here since it’s a small cake to begin with.
Hi Sally,
I just want to ask that right after dipping the cake balls in chocolate, do I put them back to the fridge to let them set or just to leave them out while setting? I just try to avoid any chocolate sweating. Thank you for your help.
Hi Liz, We let them set at room temperature. Enjoy!
Such an awesome recipe – these are basically Starbucks dupes and super yummy! I made the cake pops for a friend’s birthday but my family almost ate all of them before I could give any to her, lol. Pretty time-consuming process but worth it 🙂
Hi! I’m very excited to make your recipe! Just wanted to know though, when you prepare the cake and the frosting the night before, does the frosting needs to be at room temperature the next day before you crumble the cake on it? Thank you!
Hi Romy, we’d recommend bringing the frosting back to room temperature so that it’s a bit easier to mix with the cooled cake. Hope you enjoy it!
Hello! Super excited to try these! Can I use hot coffee instead of hot water?
Hi Crystal, yes, you can use hot coffee in place of the hot water. Enjoy!
Can I make a double batch of this recipe in a single bowl and bake it in two pans or should I make two separate batches? By the way, I love your recipes!
Thanks Rachel! You probably could, but it may be safer to just make 2 separate batches. Just in case things aren’t accidentally over or under-mixed with the extra volume of batter.
Is the frosting supposed to be super bitter?
Hi Dana, it should not be bitter—did you use a dark cocoa powder in the frosting by chance?
I’m assuming i can use the candy coating (pure white chocolate?) from your other recipe for these too? i didn’t see a reason why not, but wanted to check. i want to be able to colour the candy coating to match the theme
Hi Jane, absolutely!
Would it be okay to use an 8×8 pan instead of 9×9? If so, what would the bake time be? Thank you!
Should be fine, Erica! Bake time will be similar, but keep an eye on it in the oven and use a toothpick to test for doneness.
Do these have to be refrigerated? I would like to make for my Mom and mail then too her.
Hi Tricia, They would be fine at room temperature for a few hours at a party or for serving purposes (or even up to one day as long as it’s not too hot), but it’s best to keep them in the fridge for longer.
This recipe was great! Made them for my son’s birthday party and had multiple people ask for the recipe! My son even said they were better than starbucks! Thank you for the recipe!
I notice there is an asterisk outside the parentheses around the words “or pure chocolate” in the coating ingredients list. I don’t see another asterisk anywhere further down explaining that. I was hoping to use semisweet chocolate instead of candy melts and wonder if that might’ve been something the asterisk explained.
Hi Gale, the asterisk indicates a corresponding note in the Recipe Notes section. This section appears right after the written recipe. Semi-sweet chocolate works well here!
These are delicious. My son was having a Halloween party and wanted cake pops. I made them according to the recipe and they were great, but then we found out my son needed to move to a gluten free diet so I remade them all substituting a gluten free 1:1 all purpose flour. I had never made anything gluten free and was unsure how they would taste but they were still delicious and the hit of the party. I also made your white cake cake pops gluten free and they were sooo good. Youre website is my go to for baking recipes. Thank you!
That’s a Great idea and I’m sure glad I could be the one to make these delicious cake pops. Thank You so very much.
Hi, whenever I make these cakepops they turn out awesome. Only problem is that they keep cracking and leaking oil. What do I do? Should I reduce the oil? I’ve also made the vanilla recipe many times I have no problem with them and they don’t crack.
Hi Elyannah, if the cake pops are cracking, the melted chocolate could have been too hot and the cake pops too cold. Let the melted chocolate sit for 5 minutes before dunking. That usually helps! No need to reduce the oil in the cake, as that would dry out the cake pops quite a bit.
Don’t make these cake pops – just make this cake, it’s so delicious! My daughter was making cake pops using this recipe for her friends birthday and while the cake was cooking I took a small piece of the cake to try…then I tried some more…and before I knew it I had a whole slice!
It’s absolutely phenomenal! The cakes pops were great too…..
Hi Aisha, next time, try this triple chocolate cake recipe! It’s out of this world!
I used this recipe to make espresso latte cake pops! Replaced hot water for hot espresso shots. Love this ! The yummiest recipe have found!! Thank you
These were a hit at the church potluck and with my wife! Quick question: I compared the scaled down buttercream featured here with your main chocolate buttercream recipe and noticed that they both call for the same amount of cocoa powder, 1/2 cup. Any particular reason why?
I love all your recipes and this one was no exception. I made these for a baby shower for the anticipated arrival of our first grandson. My husband and I sampled them and they tasted delicious!!
I do have one question. What did I do wrong if a few of the cake pops have cracks in the chocolate?
Hi Liz, we’re so glad the cake pops were a hit for the baby shower! if there were cracks on a few of them, the melted chocolate could have been too hot and the cake pops too cold. Let the melted chocolate sit for 5 minutes before dunking. That usually helps!
Loved this recipe sooo much! Do you have a banana cake pop recipe?
Hi Gurl, You can use our banana cake recipe for cake pops. We’re unsure of the exact ratio of frosting to cake, but you need enough to just moisten the cake crumbs. Have fun experimenting!
Been meaning to try making cake pops for ages, but never got around to doing it until yesterday. Tried this recipe and it came out wonderful. My kids loved it and can’t get enough of it!!! Thank you! Will definitely be trying more of your recipes in the future!
Any idea how much frosting this recipe yields? I made your white chocolate frosting and used it on cupcakes but there is quite a bit left over…I thought I might try out some cake pops with the extra frosting…Thanks!
Hi Melissa, Since you are trying this with a different frosting, the ratio will likely be slightly different. Go by feel — you’ll want *just enough* to barely moisten those cake crumbs. Have fun experimenting!
I made these for a Fourth of July party and they were a huge hit! When forming the cake balls, they looked more like cake “blobs.” So I chilled them for about 45 minutes, then was able to roll them into nicely-rounded balls. I dipped them in white chocolate, and then decorated them with various red, white, and blue sprinkles. They are especially tasty right from the refrigerator when they are chilled, but still fine at room temperature.