Description

These Starbucks Copycat Birthday Cake Pops are a delightful treat featuring moist vanilla cake mixed with vanilla buttercream, shaped into bite-sized balls, and coated in a smooth candy melt shell with festive sprinkles. Perfect for celebrations or gifting, these cake pops mimic the popular Starbucks version with a homemade touch.

Ingredients

Scale

Cake

1 box (13.25 oz) store-bought 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 and Decoration

12 oz candy melts (color of choice)
White nonpareils or sprinkles

Instructions

Preheat and Bake Cake: Preheat your oven to 325-350℉ (162-175℃) following the cake mix box instructions based on your pan size. Mix the cake ingredients — cake mix, oil, milk or water, and eggs — until smooth. Pour the batter into a greased or lined pan and bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, checking 2-4 minutes before the recommended bake time to avoid overbaking.
Prepare Crumbled Cake: Once baked, transfer the hot cake immediately into a large mixing bowl. Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment on low speed, crumble the cake until no large pieces remain. Alternatively, crumble by hand if preferred.
Make Buttercream and Combine: In a small bowl, mix softened butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, milk, and a pinch of salt until fairly smooth with small lumps being normal. Pour the buttercream into the crumbled cake and blend thoroughly until fully incorporated.
Form Cake Pops: Roll the mixture into approximately 1¼-inch (3 cm) balls, about 30 grams each. Place the cake balls on a tray and freeze for 15 minutes, then allow them to come back to room temperature for about 10 minutes in preparation for dipping.
Insert Sticks: Melt a small amount of candy melts in the microwave using 15-30 second intervals, stirring until smooth and thin. Dip the tip of each lollipop stick into the melted candy, then insert halfway into each cake ball. Place them back into the freezer for 15 minutes to set.
Dip Cake Pops: Remove cake pops from the freezer, let them come to room temperature for 10 minutes. Melt the remaining candy melts to desired thin consistency. Fully dip each cake pop into the melted candy coating, submerging up to the stick to secure adhesion.
Dry and Decorate: Hold the stick and gently tap off excess coating to create an even layer. Avoid dunking again to prevent the cake pop from detaching. Quickly decorate with white nonpareils or sprinkles while the coating is wet. Insert finished pops into a styrofoam block upright to dry completely.

Notes

To prevent cake pops from falling off sticks, make sure to dip sticks in melted candy before inserting into the cake balls.
Chilling the cake balls between steps helps maintain shape and improves dipping.
Use a gentle tapping motion to remove excess coating for an even and smooth finish.
If the coating is too thick, add a small amount of shortening or oil to thin it out.
Store cake pops in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for longer freshness.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: birthday cake pops, Starbucks copycat, cake pops recipe, vanilla cake pops, candy coating, party treats