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Homemade Starbucks-style birthday cake pops on a festive plate

Starbucks Copycat Birthday Cake Pops

These Starbucks Copycat Birthday Cake Pops are sweet, bite-sized treats made from moist vanilla cake and candy coating, perfect for any celebration.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 24 pieces
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 150
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Cake
  • 1 box 13.25 oz box of any store-bought vanilla cake mix Feel free to substitute with a gluten-free variety.
  • ⅓ cup neutral oil (vegetable, avocado, canola, etc.)
  • 1 cup milk or water
  • 4 large eggs
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter (softened)
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • a pinch of salt
  • 1 tsp milk (add more if needed)
For the Coating
  • 12 oz candy melts Choose a color of your choice.
  • to taste white nonpareils or sprinkles For decoration.

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Preheat your oven to 325-350°F (162-175°C) based on your cake box instructions.
  2. In a large bowl, combine all cake ingredients and mix until well combined.
  3. Pour the batter into a greased or lined baking pan and bake in the preheated oven. Check with a toothpick for doneness, removing when it comes out clean.
  4. Once baked, crumble the cake while it’s still hot in a stand mixing bowl until no large pieces remain.
  5. Mix all buttercream ingredients in a small bowl until fairly smooth.
  6. Combine the buttercream with the crumbled cake until fully incorporated.
  7. Roll the mixture into balls about 1¼ inches in diameter and place in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Dipping and Decorating
  1. Melt a small amount of pink candy melts in the microwave until smooth.
  2. Dip lollipop sticks into melted candy and insert halfway into each cake ball, then chill for another 15 minutes.
  3. Melt the remaining candy melts and dip each cake pop until fully submerged.
  4. Tap off any excess candy coating and quickly decorate with sprinkles before it hardens.
  5. Let the pops dry upright in a Styrofoam block until fully set.

Notes

Store leftover cake pops in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze for about a month. Thaw in the fridge before enjoying.