Vanilla Cake Pops
Servings: 48 cake pops
Vanilla cake mixed with vanilla frosting and coated in white almond bark and sprinkles. Served up on a lollipop stick. The perfect single-serving dessert for parties!
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Equipment
- electric mixer
- small saucepan
- large, shallow mixing bowl
- coffee mug
- 1 ½ Tablespoon-sized cookie scoop recommended
- 48 6" treat sticks
- 48 treat bags and ties optional
- foam block for cake pop stand optional, but highly recommended
Ingredients
Vanilla Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (250 grams)
- 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar (397 grams)
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla
- ⅛ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup milk (227 grams)
- 4 Tablespoons butter cut into pats
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil (67 grams)
Frosting
- ½ cup butter, softened (1 stick)
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 Tablespoon milk (adjust as needed for consistency)
- sprinkles optional
Coating
- 20 ounces almond bark, divided
- 2 ½ Tablespoons shortening, divided (30 grams)
- sprinkles
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease bottom of 9"x13" pan with magic cake release. Alternatively, grease and flour bottom of pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, salt and baking powder.
- In bowl of an electric mixer, beat eggs and sugar on high speed until thick and light gold, about 5 minutes.
- Add flour mixture a bit at a time and mix on low speed.
- In small saucepan over medium heat, bring milk to a simmer. Remove from heat. Add butter and oil. Stir until melted. Add vanilla and almond extract. Stir.
- With mixer running on lowest speed, drizzle hot milk mixture into batter until all is incorporated.
- Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 325°F for 45-48 minutes or until top is golden and toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.
- Allow to cool at least 1 hour before cutting cake into large pieces and removing to a large, shallow mixing bowl.
- Allow cake to cool completely before mixing with frosting.
Frosting:
- In electric mixer, beat butter until pale golden and fluffy.
- Add powdered sugar and stir in on low speed. Add vanilla and milk. Mix.
- Beat frosting on medium-high speed for at least 2-3 minutes. If needed, add a bit more milk.
Cake Pop Filling
- Once cake has cooled completely, break up pieces using 2 knives or your hands to the texture of coarse crumbs. Remove any hard pieces.
- Add frosting, half at a time, mixing with electric mixer after each addition. Filling should be about the texture of play-doh.
- Using a 1 1/2-Tablespoon sized cookie scoop, portion out filling. (Each portion should weight about 30 grams.) Using your hands, roll into a ball. Place on wax-paper-lined baking sheet or container.
- Place cake balls in fridge until cool and firm, about 1 hour. Or rest overnight.
Coating
- Place small amount of almond bark (about ½ an ounce to 1 ounce) in a small, microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 10 second intervals until melted.
- Dip about ¼-½" of end of pop stick in melted almond bark. Insert stick into flat end (bottom) of cake ball, being careful not to pierce through the top.
- Place pop-side up in cake-pop stand. Repeat until all sticks and cake balls are paired.
- Place 10 ounces almond bark and heaping Tablespoon shortening (15 grams) in a small, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave according to package directions, stopping frequently to stir when almond bark starts to melt. The heat from the melted portions will continue to warm and melt the solid portions. Do NOT overheat! Stir thoroughly to mix melted shortening and almond bark.
- Pour almond bark into coffee mug.
- Dip each cake pop into melted almond bark, submerging fully. Hold cake pop upside down over coffee mug until stream of almond bark thins out. Slowly rotate cake pop and turn right-side up.
- Sprinkle ½ teaspoon sprinkles over each pop while coating is still warm. Rotate pop to keep coating from dripping until the coating is close to hardening and losing its sheen.
- Place cake pop back in cake-pop stand. Repeat with remaining cake pops.
- If cake pops become too warm, place them back in the fridge to chill. If almond bark cools, reheat in microwave until warm and runny.
Packaging
- Once almond bark has hardened, cover each cake pop with treat bag and tie bottom to close.
- Store in fridge for up to 7 days. Remove from fridge 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
- To get your eggs to room temperature: submerge in hot tap water for 5 minutes.
- Almond bark may also be sold under the name vanilla-flavored candy coating, candy melts, melting wafers.
- Don't have almond flavoring? You can leave it out for a vanilla only cake.
- To bake half recipe: Pour batter into prepared 9" round cake pan. Bake 325°F for 26-30 minutes.
- For an easy swap, use a cake mix instead of this from scratch recipe. I do not recommend swapping for store-bough frosting, however.
- See above for how to make a Homemade Cake Pop Stand (in body of article).