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. 🙂
Hi Sally! I don’t have a 9×9 pan, but I have a cupcake pan. Could I bake the cake as cupcakes? If so, how would I change the baking time?
Hi Kerry! That shouldn’t be a problem at all. The bake time will be shorter. Use a toothpick to test for doneness.
I just made these last night and i absolutely love your cake recipe! My cake pops came out so tasty. Thank you for all these wonderful recipes you create!!!
Hi Sally
We are all peanut butter lovers in my family so I’d like to make peanut butter cake pops .. would I be able to substitute the chocolate frosting for your peanut butter frosting?
Yes, absolutely! That sounds delicious!
These are THE BEST cake pops I’ve ever made! A little extra work to do them from scratch, but 100% worth the effort! Delicious!!! Thanks so much!
Hi Sally! These look amazing. I’m hoping to make them for a holiday party I’m attending soon and going to make them in fun Christmas shapes. Do you think I could substitute the frosting in this recipe for your chocolate cream cheese frosting? Thanks:)
Hi Maddie! Sounds so cute! The chocolate cream cheese frosting is too thin for cake pops. I recommend following this recipe. 🙂
I made these for a party and they came out great! Just one thing I noticed was my chocolate coating was probably a bit thicker than it should be. I used semi sweet chocolate chips, any idea how I can get the coating to be thinner and more fluid than it was? Would adding some olive oil or butter help?
Hi Lakshmi! I recommend using baking chocolate; it’s ideal for coating. I don’t recommend butter to thin out– olive or canola oil is best.
Hi sally!
How do you melt your chocolate in the double boiler without it getting thick and crumbly?
Hi Amanda! Constantly stirring helps. Make sure you’re using pure chocolate like the chocolate baking bars from the baking aisle (Bakers, Ghirardelli, Lindt)
Hi Sally, I was wondering if you also have a red velvet and strawberry version for cakepops.
Hi Maria, you can use our red velvet cake and strawberry cake recipes 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!
My 11 year old daughter made cake pops tonight following your recipe and they are absolutely amazing. She made everything all by herself so great job on the easy to follow instructions. For the coating, she used Ghirardelli 60% chocolate chips melted in the microwave and she added a little coconut oil. The coating is thick and most of the pops aren’t as smooth as your pictures, but they are smooth enough and they taste crazy good!
We are newcomers to your site but I think you have two new regulars. I have already found a lot of recipes that I want to try.
Hi Penny! I’m so happy that your daughter made these and that you both loved them! Let me know what she bakes next! 🙂
I love these!!! I swear I make them at least once a month, my friends love them and I love baking for them so it’s a beautiful balance. Thank you so much for this recipe!! It’s fun to make, fun to eat (in every step)!
Hi Sally,
I really love the 9 inch single layer cake. I never got to making the pops since the cake was so delish. I am wondering if I can make your single layer cake recipe in a small cake by using two 4x 2 inch pans. I am not sure of the baking times. Could you help me out with that.
Thanks
Hi Sania! You definitely can, but I’m not sure of the bake time. Use a toothpick to test for doneness. Hope you love the little layer cake!
I finished these chocolate cake pops last night. My girls immediately inquired about them upon waking this morning. Both girls LOVED them and my six year old declared them, “ way, way, way better than Starbucks!” They came out so perfectly and now I need to make the vanilla version so I can try some. I am one of those weird people who doesn’t like chocolate (gasp!). Thank you for another great recipe Sally.
I shared these with my co-workers and they were really impressed that I had made them myself! I found that the pops got more moist as they sat in the fridge for a day or two. They were delicious when I first made them on Sunday, but they almost tasted like truffles yesterday! Definitely a hit, I’ll have to try the vanilla recipe next.
If you are freezing the cake pops, what is the best way to wrap/seal them before putting in the freezer?
Jerri, I freeze the shaped cake balls before coating/placing on the lollipop stick. I find this to be the best way to freeze them. I place them all in a large Tupperware to freeze.
Made the chocolate pops for my fellow teachers. I can hardly wait to give them to them tomorrow! They look so great. I put them in bags that covered the pop and some of the stick them tied them up with various Valentine ribbons. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Sally, I made your chocolate cake pops yesterday and they were so moist and delicious!
Everyone I shared these with enjoyed them very much! I tempered the chocolate and only used
20 ozs! I was surprised at that amount. There was plenty of chocolate coating on each cake ball
This recipe is a sure home run ! Thanks Sally
Any reason on why the chocolate on my cake pops kept cracking? I used chocolate wafers.
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.
Hi Sally. I have to tell you I’ve been following your blog for a couple of years now (after my daughter requested a funfetti cake for her birthday). Since making that cake, which was wonderful, I’ve made many recipes from your blog, and all were delicious. Last weekend I made the vanilla cake pops which came out great, but I have a question about the chocolate cake pops which I’m going to make this weekend. Do you temper your chocolate? And if not, does the chocolate snap when bitten into? I plan on using milk chocolate requested by my daughter. Thanks for your help and your detailed recipes. The details and pictures help a lot!
Hi Paula! I didn’t for these but you can temper pure chocolate for the coating. My full tempering tutorial is in Sally’s Candy Addiction if you have a copy!
Hi Sally. Your cake pops look gorgeous! I am planning to do the pops but don’t have natural cocoa powder. Can I use a Dutch processed instead ? And substitute baking sofa for baking powder? Thanks
Hi Oksana! You’ll need natural cocoa and baking soda for the cake recipe. If you test anything out with dutch-process and baking powder, let me know!
I am considering using these as wedding favors for my wedding, but I am wondering how long they can be kept out. Should they generally be stored in the fridge? If so, how long do you think they can be safely left out?
Fridge is best. But I’ve kept them out for a couple days and they’re just fine.
Hi Sally — if we plan on freezing these for storage, is it okay to freeze them with the sprinkles on? As much as I’d love to devour 40 cake pops at once, I don’t think I’ll be able to!
Hey Anna! I freeze/thaw these with sprinkles on them all the time. They’re just fine!
Can you use almond bark for dipping?
Sure can!
Can we make these with the red wine ganache instead of frosting? 🙂
Sadly, the ganache is a little too wet for the cake pops.
How do you get the chocolate so smooth! Mine always come out lumpy
I like to use Baker’s or Ghirardelli chocolate bars. They melt super smooth!
Hi Sally, I’m excited to try your cake pops but I have a question before I begin. Whenever I’ve made cake pops in the past I cannot seem to get a nice round even “pop” and they just aren’t pretty. Do you have tips on making such beautiful round pops? Do you actually measure each dollop of cake “dough” before rolling? Thank you!
Hi Cyndie! Yes, I use my Tablespoon to measure out each pop. This “dough” is very easy to work with. It’s smooth (assuming you didn’t overtake the cake!). You’ll be pleasantly surprised!
Hi Sally, do you think I could form these into a football shape instead of a ball? I’m looking for a Super Bowl themed dessert!
Oh YES! What a fun suggestion! Not sure how sturdy they will be on a lollipop stick, but they will work as football shaped cake truffles for sure.
Sure can! They may not be as moist since this is a *somewhat* dryer cake to use in cake pops. 🙂