what’s more fun than cake? Cake pops! These moist, chocolatey cake pops are the perfect bite-sized treats for parties all year long. Soft and fudgy on the inside with a hard, crunchy outer shell and a dash of sea salt, these cake pops are a delight for all the senses.

Time

Bake time: Approx 35 minutes, depending on cake mix
Prep time: 1 hour
Set time: 1 hour
Servings: 28 cake pops

INGREDIENTS

cake ingredients:
1 Box of chocolate cake mix  (your preference) & package ingredients
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
¾ c. powdered sugar
½ c. cocoa powder (dutch or natural process)
3 tsp. milk
½ tsp. vanilla extract

candy shell ingredients:
4 chuao sweet & salty chocolate bars (12 oz. total – see notes), chopped
12 oz. pink candy melts (optional – see notes)
½ tbsp. vegetable or coconut oil
1 bottle white nonpareils

THINGS YOU’LL NEED

Stand mixer with paddle attachment (optional – see notes)
Wax paper-lined baking sheet
Styrofoam block
Melon baller or cookie scoop (optional)
28 lollipop sticks (we like reusable ones)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Bake the cake per instructions on the box.
2. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes. Then, carefully flip the cake onto a cooling rack and let it cool completely.
3. While the cake is cooling, make your "frosting." add softened butter to the bowl of your stand mixer (fitted with the paddle attachment), and cream until smooth.
4. Add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, milk, and vanilla extract, and mix until smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Set frosting aside.
5. Once the cake is cool, use a knife to cut away the hard outer layer of the cake so only the soft, inside portion remains.
6. Then, crumble the cake into the frosting bowl with your hands, breaking up the cake to make it as fine as possible.
7. With the paddle attachment (or with your hands if you do not have a stand mixer), mix the frosting and cake together on low speed until it comes together.
8. Using a melon baller (or hands), roll the chocolate mixture into 1 tbsp.-sized cake balls, placing each cake ball on a wax paper-lined baking sheet. Complete until all chocolate mixture is used up. Set aside.
9. Place ¼ c. of the chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Add ½ tbsp. vegetable or coconut oil to thin it out.
10. Melt chocolate in the microwave in 10-second intervals until melted, stirring in between.
11. Attach cake pop sticks by dipping the end of a stick into the melted chocolate (you want the top half inch of the stick coated in chocolate) and inserting it halfway into the cake ball, keeping the cake balls on the wax paper-lined baking sheet. Repeat until all cake balls have a stick inserted.
12. Place the baking sheet with cake pops in the freezer and freeze for about 15 minutes (or until firm) to lock in the stick. Once the cake pops are firm, remove them from the freezer.
13. Place the rest of the chopped chocolate in a large microwave-safe bowl and melt, using the same 10-second interval method as before. If using candy melts, melt those in a separate bowl, according to package instructions. 
14. Dip each cake ball into the melted chocolate or pink candy coating until completely covered (be gentle so they don’t fall off the stick). Gently tap the stick against the side of the bowl at an angle to allow excess chocolate to drip off.
15. Immediately after dipping in the chocolate or candy melt, sprinkle the nonpareils on the wet coating (with a bowl below to catch excess candy).
16. Insert each cake pop into a Styrofoam block to set for 1 hour at room temperature.
17. Enjoy!

STORAGE

Store coated cake pops at room temperature for up to 5 days, or in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 week. You can store un-dipped cake pops in the freezer for up to 6 months.

NOTES

1. We gave half of our cake pops a chocolate shell using our sweet & salty chocolate bars and the other half a pink candy shell using wilton pink ez melts. If you prefer to make only chocolate shell cake pops, just double the amount of chocolate coating in the recipe (increase from 12 to 24 oz.) and skip the pink candy melts!
2. Be careful when melting the chocolate. If it is not tempered properly, it can be ruined. Find our tips for perfectly melted chocolate here.
3. If you don’t have a stand mixer (or want a quicker recipe), no problem! you can substitute the homemade frosting with store-bought chocolate frosting.