Easy Cake Pops for Valentine’s Day (With Cake Mix)
These easy Valentine’s Day cake pops are a sweet, celebration-worthy treat you can hold in one hand and share with everyone. They’re soft and tender inside, with a smooth white chocolate coating and a pretty pink finish.
Add heart sprinkles, a little drizzle, or a tiny “XO” and they instantly feel romantic and giftable. Scroll down for the ingredients and step-by-step.
Why You’ll Love These Valentine Cake Pops
- Simple and reliable thanks to a boxed cake mix base
- Soft, sweet center with a smooth chocolate coating
- Cute for parties and easy to wrap for gifting
- Fun to customize with color and toppings
Ingredients to make these cake pops
To make this recipe, you’ll need:
- 1 cake mix (9×13 inch) – any flavor you like. I recommend a naturally moist cake mix, like red velvet or chocolate. You can also bake your own cake or use a leftover one – for this recipe, you’ll want approximately 3-4 cups of crumbled cake
- 1 tub (15.6 oz) of Betty Crocker ready frosting – pick the flavor you like and that will compliment your cake well
- 20 lollipop sticks
- 12 oz white chocolate chips (or melting white chocolate)
- pink or red food coloring (as needed)
- heart-shaped chocolates or icing for decoration
- 2 tbsp sprinkles of your choice
- optional: writing icing
How to make cake pops – easy step by step
1. Bake the cake
First, bake the cake according to the package instructions or using your favorite recipe. Allow it to cool completely.
2. Crumble the cake
Once the cake cools, trim off any dry edges of the cake to make sure the final cake pops aren’t dry. Then, crumble the cake very finely in a large bowl. You can do it by hand or using a food processor.
3. Mix the frosting in
Slowly mix in the frosting to the crumbled cake. Start with less frosting (about 1/4 cup) and gradually add more if needed. Mix until fully combined, ensuring there are no dry spots. You can use your hands to help you feel the texture better as you mix it. Aim for a dough-like consistency that holds together well. Too much frosting can make the mixture too wet and difficult to shape.
4. Form the cake pops
Using your hands or a cookie scoop, roll the mixture into small balls, about 1-inch in diameter. You should have about 20 balls. For a special touch, take some of the mixture and shape them into hearts instead of round balls. Place the heart-shaped and round cake balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Once formed, refrigerate them for about 30 minutes to firm up (this will make it easier to dip them in chocolate without falling apart).
5. Add the lollipop sticks
Melt a small amount of white chocolate (about 1 oz) in the microwave. Dip the end of each lollipop stick into the melted chocolate and then insert it into the center of each cake ball. This step helps to secure the stick. Place them back on the parchment paper and refrigerate again for 30-60 minutes.
6. Prepare dipping chocolate
In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the remaining white chocolate (11 oz) until smooth. Do this in 30-second intervals, stirring in between to prevent burning. You can also add a bit of coconut oil (about 1 tablespoon per cup of chocolate) for a smoother chocolate consistency.
7. Color the chocolate
Divide the melted white chocolate into two bowls. Leave one bowl as is for white chocolate and add pink food coloring (or the food coloring of your choice) to the second bowl, mixing until you reach your desired shade.
8. Dip the cake pops
Dip a part of the cake pops into the bowl of melted white chocolate, ensuring they are fully coated. For the rest of the cake pops, dip them into the pink chocolate until fully coated. After dipping, gently tap the stick against the side of the bowl to remove excess chocolate – this will make the cake pops look smoother.
9. Decorate
Decorate the cake pops with heart shaped chocolates and sprinkles while the chocolate hasn’t fully set yet so it sticks better. If you want to write anything on your cake pops with writing icing, wait until the chocolate sets first.
9. Leave to set and enjoy
Leave the cake pops on a cake pop stand to set. If you don’t have a cake pop stand, you can use a block of Styrofoam or even a cardboard box with holes cut out to hold the sticks while the chocolate sets. This way your cake pops won’t fall over and ruin your decorations.
Once decorated, your cake pops are ready to be enjoyed straight away!
Tips for Smooth, Pretty Cake Pops
- Cool the cake completely before crumbling so the mixture is easy to roll.
- Start with less frosting and add gradually until the mixture holds together.
- Chill twice (after rolling, and after inserting sticks) for easier dipping.
- Thin the coating if needed with a little coconut oil so it coats smoothly.
- Decorate right away so sprinkles and hearts stick before the coating sets.
Make Ahead and Storage
- Roll the cake balls and refrigerate for up to 2 days before dipping and decorating.
- Once decorated, store cake pops in an airtight container in the fridge.
These are such a fun Valentine treat because they’re cute, shareable, and easy to customize. Pick your colors, add a little sparkle, and you’ve got a sweet bite that feels special without being fussy.
Easy Cake Pops for Valentine’s Day (With Cake Mix)
Ingredients
- 1 box cake mix, plus ingredients needed on the box for a 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) cake
- 1 tub ready-made frosting 15.6 oz (442 g)
- 20 lollipop sticks
- 12 oz 340 g white chocolate chips or melting white chocolate, divided
- Pink or red food coloring as needed
- Heart-shaped chocolates or icing for decoration
- 2 tbsp sprinkles for decoration
- Optional: writing icing
- Optional: coconut oil to thin the chocolate start with 1 tbsp per 1 cup melted chocolate
Instructions
- Bake the cake. Bake according to the package directions. Let it cool completely.
- Crumble the cake. Trim off any dry edges, then crumble the cake very finely into a large bowl.
- Mix in frosting. Add frosting gradually, starting with about 1/4 cup, mixing until you get a dough-like texture that holds together with no dry spots.
- Roll into shapes. Roll into 1-inch balls (you should get about 20). Shape a few into hearts if you’d like. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Add sticks. Melt about 1 oz (28 g) of the white chocolate. Dip the tip of each stick into the melted chocolate, then insert into the center of each cake ball. Refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes.
- Melt dipping chocolate. Melt the remaining 11 oz (312 g) white chocolate in 30-second intervals, stirring between. Add a little coconut oil if needed to make it smoother.
- Color the chocolate. Divide into two bowls. Leave one white and tint the other pink (or your chosen color).
- Dip. Dip some pops in white chocolate and the rest in pink. Tap the stick gently on the bowl edge to remove excess coating.
- Decorate. Add heart decorations and sprinkles while the coating is still wet. If using writing icing, wait until the coating sets first.
- Set and serve. Place upright in a cake pop stand, Styrofoam block, or a box with holes until set. Enjoy.
Notes
- Too wet to roll? Use less frosting next time, or chill the mixture briefly before rolling.
- Chocolate too thick? Stir in a small amount of coconut oil to help it dip smoothly.
- Best finish: Crumble the cake very finely and chill before dipping.
Storage
You can roll the cake balls and refrigerate for up to 2 days before dipping and decorating. Store finished cake pops in an airtight container in the fridge.
