Party-Perfect: Starbucks Copycat Birthday Cake Pops
These Birthday Cake Pops are a delicious and adorable treat that’s perfect for parties and celebrations. Learn how to make these Starbucks copycat cake pops with our easy-to-follow recipe
Ingredients
Scale
Cake:
- 1 box (13.25 oz) vanilla cake mix
- ⅓ cup neutral oil (vegetable, avocado, canola, etc.)
- 1 cup milk or water
- 4 large eggs
Vanilla Buttercream:
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon milk (add more if needed)
Coating:
- 12 oz candy melts
- White nonpareils or sprinkles
Instructions
- Bake the Cake: Preheat oven to 325-350℉ (162-175℃) according to the cake mix box instructions. Combine all cake ingredients in a large bowl. Pour batter into a greased and lined pan and transfer into the oven. Stick a toothpick in the center of the cake to see if it comes out clean 2-4 minutes PRIOR to the end of bake time. DO NOT OVER BAKE.
- Crumble the Cake: Transfer the baked cake into a large stand mixing bowl immediately while it’s still hot. Crumble the cake on low speed using a paddle attachment until no large pieces remain. You can also use a handheld mixer or crumble slightly cooled cake by hand.
- Make the Buttercream: In a small mixing bowl, combine all buttercream ingredients. Stir well until fairly smooth. Add all the buttercream to the crumbled cake and mix until fully incorporated.
- Shape the Cake Pops: Roll cake pops approximately 1¼-inch (3cm) in diameter or 30g each. Chill cake pops in the freezer for 15 minutes, then bring them back to room temperature for 10 minutes as you melt your candy melts.
- Insert Lollipop Sticks: Melt a small amount of pink candy melts in the microwave according to package instructions. Dip the tip of each lollipop stick into the candy melt, then gently insert the dipped tip into the cake balls halfway in. Repeat for all cake balls, then chill again in the freezer for 15 minutes.
- Dip in Candy Melts: Take cake pops out of the freezer and bring them back to room temperature for 10 minutes. Melt the remaining candy melts until the desired thin consistency. Dip each cake pop into the melted candy melt, making sure it’s submerged all the way to the stick.
- Tap and Decorate: Holding the stick with one hand, use your other hand to gently tap the cake pop until all excess candy melt has dripped off. Decorate with sprinkles or nonpareils quickly. Place finished cake pops into a styrofoam block to keep them upright as they dry. Repeat until all cake pops are dipped and sprinkled.