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. 🙂
I was viewing your website for cake balls not cake pops. Can I use Nestles semi sweet chocolate chips for a ganach coating. How can I make the ganach not too thick for dipping? How do I dip the cake balls?
Hi Elizabeth! We always recommend using pure baking chocolate for ganache, as chips contain stabilizers that don’t always melt perfectly smooth. Here’s our guide to making chocolate ganache with helpful tips. We like to use a fork, toothpick, or (our favorite) a candy dipping tool for dipping sweets. We have more tips on dipping and a link to that tool in our Oreo balls post. Let us know what you try!
Ms. Calise, I made these today and dipped them in semisweet Nestle chips mixed with a little vegetable oil. No problems yet! I also made the vanilla ones with Ghirardelli white chocolate chips as the coating and had zero issues.
This recipe is so good! The chocolate frosting is absolutely divine!!!
We absolutely love your cake pop recipes! I would like to try making them with dark chocolate cocoa next time. Should I use the dark chocolate for both the cake and frosting, or use regular cocoa for the cake and dark only for the frosting?
Hi Monty! As long as your dark chocolate cocoa powder is unsweetened natural (not Dutch process), you can use it in both! Otherwise just use it in the frosting.
how many cake pops does this recipe make
About 40 cake pops.
I made these as well as the vanilla version for a bake sale. Followed recipe exactly, except needed extra bit of milk in the frosting. Turned out perfectly. Coated half the batch in milk chocolate with toffee bits, and the other half with white chocolate and oreo crumbs. They look great, taste great, and hopefully will make some $$ for our animal shelter 🙂 Thanks so much for the detailed directions/tips! This site is my go-to for failsafe baking recipes. 🙂
So glad to hear that these turned out for you, Amy!
Oof. I really wanted to like these but they are SO OILY. If I make them again, I will cut the oil AT LEAST to 1/4 cup. 1/2 cup made them so sticky that it was almost impossible to dip despite half being in the fridge and half being in the freezer, both overnight. The taste is good but again, tons of oil in there so they’re almost slimy.
Hi Emma! How strange, did you make any changes to the recipe? Could the cake have been slightly under-baked? Thank you for giving this recipe a try!
Can I use dutch processed unsweeted cocoa powder?
Hi Brynnlea, you can use dutch-process cocoa powder in the frosting, but the cake requires natural cocoa powder (which is acidic) to react properly with the baking soda.
Thank you!
Can you make strawberry cake pops?
Hi Cathy! You can use our strawberry 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!
One question can you do chocolate cake pops with white chocolate melts? Or would the chocolate show threw? Maybe I should just do two kinds. But I’m lazy so I would only like to do one chocolate with white chocolate
Hi Susan, if the coating is thick enough, the chocolate cake pop underneath the white melts shouldn’t show through.
This Recipe Really Interests me, But my one question how many sticks of butter do i need?
Hi Kianna, you’ll need 6 Tablespoons (86g) unsalted butter, which is a little less than one stick of butter (there are typically 8 Tablespoons of butter in a stick), for the frosting. There is no butter in the cake recipe.
I love this recipe and make the chocolate cake all the time as my ‘go to’ chocolate cake. Could I use the same ingredients for the cake to make cupcakes and what would the baking time be?
Hi LT, you can use the cake to make cupcakes. Bake time will be about 18-21 minutes. Or try this chocolate cupcakes recipe instead!
Hi,
Can I use regular cooking chocolate or candy melts are better (because they are tempered)
Can I use left over pound cake I bake?
Hi Pia, you can use pure baking chocolate instead of candy melts. See recipe Notes for full details on chocolate. And yes, you could certainly try making cake pops with your leftover pound cake. We’re unsure of the exact ratio of frosting you’ll need for that cake, but you’ll want enough that the crumbs are just moistened.
I’ve never made cake pops and these turned out great! Rich in chocolate flavor- I used Dutch cocoa for both the cake and frosting. I made them about the average size you see at Starbucks and it yielded 25 cake pops, not 40. Also I think it might be helpful to note to trim the very top and sides of the cake off before crumbling. The cakes seems to have a slight crust and those pieces will not crumble down fine enough for an even consistency! Otherwise, super great and I love the make-ahead portion included.
I have never made cake pops before, but my 9 yo daughter wanted to make some for her school bake sale, so we tried this recipe. It was a success!
It’s a project we did over three days, but they turned out really well and are delicious. The proportion of cake to icing was good.
We used 300g of couverture chocolate, and it was enough to cover all of the cake pops.
I was wondering if you could chill thse overnight
Hi Monica! At what stage? 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. See recipe notes for more make-ahead instructions.
I am wanting to use leftover chocolate cupcakes. for 12 cupcakes, how much frosting do I need to mix in? thanks!
Hi Jenna, the ratio of cake to frosting really depends on the exact frosting and cake you’ll be using — you’ll want *just enough* to barely moisten those cake crumbs. Have fun experimenting!
I was wondering if I could substitute the 1/2 cup hot water for coffee?
Hi Brinkly, yes, you definitely can.
Hi, once the cake pops are ready, how long can they be out of the fridge? I’m thinking if they are for a party or aa a favor not sure whether they can be out for display or not.
Hi Gabriela, they’ll 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 store them in the fridge for longer.
I have a lot of chocolate frosting left over from another cake and would like to use it to make these. I don’t want to use too much frosting and make it greasy. Roughly how much frosting does this recipe yield so I can match it?
Hi Steph, the ratio of cake to frosting really depends on the exact frosting and cake you’ll be using — you’ll want *just enough* to barely moisten those cake crumbs. Have fun experimenting!
If the frosting is made and refrigerated the night before making the cake pops, how long does it need to be set out before it can be mixed with the cake? Or can you use it right out of the fridge without warming the frosting first?
Hi Allyson, you’ll want to let the frosting warm up a bit first. Exact timing will depend on the temperature of your kitchen, but you’ll want it warm enough that you can easily mix it together with the crumbled cake.
HI! I noticed your Chocolate Cake pops call for 32 oz of candy melts but your Vanilla Cake Pops call for 40 oz of candy melts. Is there a reason for that or was that a typo? Thanks!
Hi Lindsey, I recently scaled down the amount of coating needed for 40 cake pops and it looks like the regular version did not refresh. It is 32 ounces.
I loved this recipe so I cooked it right away.
Sorry for my very Canadian question, but for the 32 oz of chocolate/candy melt, are we talking volume or weight? (I assumed volume because you didn’t indicate the equivalent in grams, but now I am in doubt!) Thanks for all these great recipes by the way, you make me look like I know what I am doing! And that is priceless!
No worries at all! That is the weight. You want 32 ounces of candy melts, chocolate baking bars, or chocolate coating.
hey instead of the frosting could u use chocolate ganache
I’m wanting to make a batch of these and your vanilla cake pops as well, but don’t need 80 cake pops- do you think it would work to half these recipes? I have a 6 inch cake pan I could use for the cake part.
Hi Julie, You should be able to cut this in half and use a 6 inch pan. Enjoy!
Can I use half and half in place of heavy cream or milk?
Hi Jessica! Half and half would work fine in the frosting.
Hi Sally. I have to make a 13”x9” cake, 3 layers of cake total
I am not sure how to adjust the quantities. I do have your measurement conversions but I am still not sure. Would you please help me with this?
Hi Karine, for a 9×13 chocolate cake, we recommend using the triple chocolate cake recipe. See recipe notes there for making as a sheet cake.
Thank you Sally. Yes I spoon leveled everything
The cake was sooooo good and cakepops are delicious
I also made the vanilla ones. WOW!
Hi Sally,
Your recipe says 1 cup of flour – 120g
But for me 1 cup – 165g
Can you please specify what to use
Hi Karine! Are you spoon and leveling your flour? You can read more about measuring baking ingredients in this post.
The instructions were great and it was relatively simple to make. However, I was disappointed in the cake pops. They taste good, but nothing like what I get at Whole Foods. In my opinion, the cake isn’t moist enough and the frosting isn’t enough to give them a fudgey taste.