Description
Vanilla cake pops with homemade vanilla buttercream- no cake mix or canned frosting!
Ingredients
- 1 and 2/3 cups (209g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (115g; 1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk (or buttermilk)
Frosting
- 7 Tablespoons (100g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 and 3/4 cups (210g) confectioners’ sugar
- 2–3 teaspoons heavy cream or milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Coating
- 40 ounces candy melts or coating (or pure white chocolate)*
- sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius). Grease a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray.
- To make the cake, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Place aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together for about 2 minutes with a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract on high speed until combined. Scrape down the bowl’s bottom and sides as needed.
- Add the dry ingredients and milk to the wet ingredients while the mixer is running on low speed. Whisk the batter by hand to ensure that there are no large lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be a little thick. Pour the batter into the prepared pan in an even layer. 30–36 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top of the oven begins to brown too quickly, place a piece of aluminum foil on top.
- Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan, which should be placed on a wire rack.
- To make the frosting, beat the butter on medium speed with a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until creamy, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on low, add the confectioners’ sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla extract. Increase the speed to high and beat for 3 minutes.
- Crumble the cooled cake over the frosting in the bowl. Make certain that there are no large lumps. Mix the frosting and cake crumbles together on low speed until combined.
- Roll 1 tablespoon of moist cake mixture into a ball. Place the balls on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate for 2 hours or freeze for 1 hour before serving. If necessary, re-roll the chilled balls to smooth them out. Put them back in the fridge because you’ll only be working with a couple at a time.
- In a 2-cup liquid measuring cup (ideal for dunking! ), melt the coating. You can use a double boiler or a microwave to do this.
- Coat the cake balls: Take out only 2-3 cake balls at a time from the refrigerator. Dip a lollipop stick in the coating for about 1/2 inch, then insert it into the center of the cake ball. Push it only halfway through the cake ball. Dip the cake ball until it is completely covered in the coating. Make sure the coating completely covers the cake ball’s base where it meets the lollipop stick. Tap the stick gently against the edge of the measuring cup to remove any excess coating. Sprinkle the top and place it upright in a styrofoam block or box (as explained above). Repeat with the remaining cake balls, taking only a few out of the refrigerator at a time. When dipping the cake balls, they must be very cold!
- Within an hour, the coating will have hardened. Cake pops can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Notes
Instructions for Making Ahead: I always make the cake a day ahead of time. Keep covered and at room temperature. Undipped cake balls can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 6 weeks. Allow to thaw in the refrigerator before proceeding to step 9. Once the coating has fully set, the finished cake pops can be frozen for up to 6 weeks. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Candy coating/candy melts, almond bark, or pure white chocolate can be used for the coating. If you’re using almond bark or pure white chocolate, chop it up first. To thin it out and make it easier to use as a coating, melt it with 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil. Semi-sweet, bittersweet, or milk chocolate are all suitable options. To thin out, coarsely chop and melt with 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil. Warm up in a double boiler.
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 205kcal
- Sugar: 26g
- Sodium: 263mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 46g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 31mg
Keywords: Cake pops recipe, easy cake pops recipe, party food recipe