Chocolate cake pops are the perfect way to celebrate any occasion! This easy recipe for cake pops is so chocolatey and delicious, and they are just so adorable.
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Devil’s Food Chocolate Cake Pops Recipe
There’s something to be said about the simple joys of a bite-sized cake. These chocolate cake pops really bring out the inner child in all of us!
Whether they’re decorated with rainbow sprinkles or a simple white chocolate drizzle, these homemade cake pops are sure to be the biggest hit at the party. They’re perfect for birthday parties and holidays.
Rich chocolate cake + chocolate frosting + chocolate coating = the most indulgent yet simple treat!
And, yes…these are even better than the ones from Starbucks!
Why You’ll Love this Homemade Cake Pops Recipe:
- Fun: Kids and grown-ups alike all enjoy these chocolate cake pops! Make sure to have fun by decorating them any way you’d like.
- Delicious: They’re bite-sized, chocolate-covered pieces of dense chocolate cake – it doesn’t get much more delicious (or more chocolatey) than that!
- Convenient: At a party, there’s nothing more inconvenient than having to slice a cake or pie and serve it on plates. Next time you’re having a get-together, just put out a tray of these cake pops. Everyone can grab as many as they want, whenever they want!
Be sure to try these Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cake Pops and Red Velvet Cake Truffles too.
What You’ll Need
- Cake Ingredients: you’ll need the typical cake ingredients, like flour, butter, eggs, baking soda, and more (check the recipe card for the full list.) You can also use a box of cake mix if you prefer.
- Frosting: using a tub of store-bought frosting is the easiest option, but you could also make your own chocolate frosting.
- Melting Chocolate: use a bar of melting chocolate, melting wafers, or candy melts to for the coating.
- Sticks: cake pop or lollipop sticks work best.
- Decorations (optional): add any sprinkles, hearts, extra chocolate drizzles, etc. that you want to use to decorate.
How to Make Chocolate Cake Pops
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
- Make Chocolate Cake: Combine ingredients to make the cake batter, bake the chocolate cake, then let it cool.
- Cake Pop Mixture: Crumble up the cooled cake into pieces, and mix with chocolate frosting until everything sticks together.
- Make Cake Balls: Scoop the mixture into small balls, and place in a bowl or on a sheet pan. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Assemble Cake Pops: Make each pop one at a time. Dip stick into melted chocolate, then insert into a cake ball, and dip the pop into the melted chocolate to fully coat. Let the chocolate coating set.
While you can use any unsweetened cocoa powder you prefer, I like to use natural cocoa powder here because the baking soda helps to neutralize the acidity of natural cocoa powder, letting its rich flavor shine.
A drizzle of white chocolate or your favorite rainbow/chocolate sprinkles are always great options. If you’re making these around a holiday, you could always theme your drizzle or sprinkles to that holiday! For example, red and green sprinkles are always cute on these cake pops around Christmas.
In an airtight container at room temperature, these chocolate cake pops will stay fresh for up to 5 days! If you want to extend that time by a LOT, place them in the refrigerator in that same container. There, they’ll stay fresh for up to 2 weeks. These are excellent treats to make ahead!
Remember what I said about making these ahead? Yeah – they’re perfect for freezing! In an airtight container or Ziplock bag, these chocolate treats will stay fresh for up to 6 weeks. When you’re ready to enjoy them, just let them sit in the refrigerator or on the countertop to thaw for a few hours.
These are the perfect thing to make for birthday parties, Valentine’s Day, holiday celebrations, or anytime you need something simple and fun.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- When microwaving the chocolate, do so in 30-second intervals. Chocolate can burn pretty quickly in the microwave, so make sure you’re checking on it and stirring often!
- Be sure to let the cake balls cool and set in the fridge before dipping. This makes a huge difference!
- If you’re using sprinkles, toss them on the pops right after they’ve been dipped and the chocolate is still wet. That way, they’ll hold their place on the cake pops.
- Use a cookie scoop to make sure every single cake pop is the exact same size! Trust me, they’re way more impressive to present when they’re all the same shape and size.
- Use a cake pop stand, styrofoam block, upside down egg cartoon, or even a simple cardboard box (just poke holes with a stick before you start).
- You can make cake pops with any cake flavor, frosting, and decorations combo you like. This devil’s food chocolate cake is so delicious covered in a chocolate coating, but feel free to try something else.
Can I make chocolate cake pops ahead of time?
Yes, it’s easy to make these ahead of time, and if you’re preparing for a party, I definitely recommend it. There are a few options to get these chocolate cake pops prepped.
- Make the chocolate cake, bake, and keep it stored at room temp until you’re ready to make the cake balls. This is fine to do the day before, or even a couple of days ahead of time.
- You can make the cake balls, and keep them in the fridge overnight, so they’re ready to assemble.
- Since the chocolate coating needs to set, it’s best to fully assemble the pops at least a few hours before serving.
- As mentioned earlier, you can fully make the pops and store them at room temp, in the fridge, or even in the freezer!
Why do my cake pops fall off the stick?
If the cake balls are falling off the stick, that means they are simply too heavy. There are a few things you should do to prevent this.
- Don’t make the cake balls any larger than 1 to 1 ½ inches.
- Dip the stick in the melted chocolate before inserting into the cake to help it stick.
- Fully coat the cake pops, but let any excess chocolate drip off so they don’t get too heavy.
Can I use boxed cake mix to make cake pops?
If you want to speed up this process and make it even easier, you can start with a boxed cake mix. This just means all your dry ingredients are ready to go, so you can get straight to mixing and baking.
A typical box of cake mix will make about half of this recipe, so use only half a tub of frosting (instead of the full tub). You can use two boxes if you want a full 36-40 cake pops.
These chocolate cake pops are so cute and fun, they’re bound to liven up any party! But don’t worry, you don’t need to be hosting a party to enjoy these chocolate treats. Sometimes, I make a batch just because!
If you make this recipe be sure to leave us a comment or rating. Enjoy!
Chocolate Cake Pops Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 42 grams
- ⅓ cup boiling or very hot water 76 grams
- ⅔ cup milk 151 grams
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 240 grams
- ½ teaspoon baking soda 3 grams
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter 227 grams (2 sticks)
- 1½ cups granulated sugar 300 grams
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 4 grams
- 3 large eggs 150 grams
For Filling and assembly
- 16 ounces pre-made chocolate frosting 453 grams (1 tub), such as Betty Crocker
- 10 ounces melting chocolate 284 grams (1 bag), Ghirardelli recommended
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- Cookie Portion Scoop (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 9×13 baking pan with butter, then sprinkle a light dusting of cocoa powder over the butter. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the cocoa powder and the boiling water. If the mixture is too thick, add in 1 tablespoon of hot water until it looks like creamy chocolate frosting. Once well combined, allow the mixture to cool for about 2-3 minutes. Once cooled, whisk in the milk until smooth and creamy, then set aside. (The mixture should be similar to very chocolate hot cocoa, or dark chocolate milk. Be sure to whisk until all of the cocoa powder is dissolved.)½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, ⅓ cup boiling or very hot water, ⅔ cup milk
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.2 cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- In a large bowl, with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar, mixing until it is blended together and looks creamy. Continue mixing and add in the vanilla and the eggs.1 cup unsalted butter, 1½ cups granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 3 large eggs
- Add the cocoa mixture to the sugar mixture, mixing on medium speed until it is all well combined together. Add in the flour mixture in batches, while mixing on low to medium speed. Once the batter is smooth and creamy, pour it into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
- Bake for about 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean or the top of the cake springs back when touched. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
- Once the cake has cooled, break it into pieces until it is a fine crumble. Stir in the frosting, mixing until the crumble forms into a small ball and sticks together.16 ounces pre-made chocolate frosting
- Scoop into 1½ inch balls and roll into a round shape. Place the shaped balls into a large bowl and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
- In a medium microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate. Place the pop stick into the chocolate, just covering the top of the stick before inserting into the cake pop this helps hold the cake pop on the stick when you are dipping). Dip the entire ball of cake into the chocolate, until it is completely covered. Tap the middle of the stick onto the edge of the bowl so the excess chocolate drips back into the bowl. Allow the chocolate to set.10 ounces melting chocolate
Notes
- You can purchase a cake pop stand, similar to the one in the photos, for under $20. You can also use a block of styrofoam to hold the sticks, or place them top down on a piece of parchment paper. I have used styrofoam blocks and wrapped them in paper or tissue paper for a pretty presentation.
- I place the balls in the refrigerator to help them hold their shape while dipping into the warm chocolate, and the coolness of the cake quickens the setting of the chocolate.
- This recipe makes 36-40 pops. I use an entire tub of pre-made frosting, which is 16 ounces (just under 2 cups of frosting). If you want to make a speedier batch of cake pops with a box cake mix, only use HALF of the tub of frosting.
- Cake mix cakes are half of this recipe. You can also choose different flavors of frosting, and colors to dip. There are so many options!
- When microwaving the chocolate, do so in 30-second intervals. Chocolate can burn pretty quickly in the microwave, so make sure you’re checking on it and stirring often!
- If you’re using sprinkles, toss them on the pops right after they’ve been dipped and the chocolate is still wet. That way, they’ll hold their place on the cake pops.
- Use a cookie portion scoop to make sure every single cake pop is the exact same size! Trust me, they’re way more impressive to present when they’re all the same shape and size.
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