These pumpkin cake pops are filled with soft pumpkin spiced cake and coated with a crunchy chocolate coating. They're the perfect treat for fall, thanksgiving, or a Cinderella themed birthday party. The recipe is easily adjustable to any leftover or ruined cake you may have.
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Why you will LOVE this recipe:
- Texture: They're soft, buttery, and taste like pumpkin spice inside. Almost like a cake truffle.
- Make it out of leftovers: if you have some leftover cake or a recipe went wrong, make cake pops and it'll be absolutely delicious!
- Easy & fun: They're a great activity to make with family.
Key ingredients
Full steps and ingredients in recipe card below. But read through these for all the tips you will need for success!
Cake: You can use any cake for this recipe, keep in mind the flavour will depend on what cake you use. I used my one bowl, easy, pumpkin cake recipe. You can go ahead and used boxed cake mix, leftover cake, or cake that experienced a baking mishap (but still tastes good).
Frosting: Frosting helps it come together and adds moisture, especially important if you're using dry cake. I piped the vines onto the cake pops with frosting.
Candy melts: Melted candy melts coat the cake pops and create a sweet, crunchy coating. I don't recommend using melted chocolate because without the lengthy process of tempering, it will melt all over the place.
Refined coconut oil or vegetable shortening: This helps thin the chocolate coating out so it doesn't create an overly thick coating and so the pumpkin shape remains visible. Use refined coconut oil instead of virgin coconut oil so that it doesn't taste like coconut.
Lollipop sticks: Use lollipop or bamboo sticks to hold the cake pops.
Step by step
Step 1 - Add baked pumpkin cake into a large bowl and mash with your hands or a potato masher. Add frosting a half cup at a time, until you get a soft, rollable consistency. I used all of the frosting from my pumpkin cake recipe for extra soft cake pops (set aside ¼ cup frosting for the green vines). Mix well to combine.
Step 2 - Roll the cake mixture into balls about 1.5” (3.8cm) in diameter. If the mixture is too soft to shape, pop them in the freezer for 10 minutes so they firm up. Using a chopstick or lollipop stick, roll over the shaped cake pops in segments to make them look like pumpkins. Set them on a plate in a single layer and pop into the freezer for 15 minutes.
Step 3 - In the meantime, melt the black candy melts in a clean bowl. You can melt them in the microwave in 10 second increments, stirring in between each increment. Take them out as soon as they’re smooth - don’t overheat or it will thicken and lump up. If you don’t have a microwave, place the bowl on top of a pot with boiling water and melt.
Step 4 - Take the cake pops out of the freezer. One by one, dip a stick into the candy melts so that the candy melts go about an inch of the way up. Insert the stick immediately into the cake pop so that it goes halfway through the middle.
Step 5 - Repeat with the rest of the cake pops. Freeze for another 15 minutes to set.
Step 6 - In the meantime, melt the orange candy melts in a clean bowl. Add 1-3 teaspoons of coconut oil or vegetable shortening to help thin out the candy melts. This makes the mixture thinner and easier to dip into. Transfer into a glass to make it easier to dip.
Step 7 - Dip the cake pops into the orange candy melts all the way to the stem of the pumpkin, covering all of the cake. Let the excess gently drip off, you can spin the stick slightly (being careful so the cake pop doesn’t fall apart).
Step 8 - Set dipped cake pop onto a parchment lined sheet to set.
Step 9 - Once all of the cake pops are dipped, add green food colouring to the green frosting. Transfer to a piping bag and cut a very small bit of the end of the piping bag off. If you don’t have a piping bag, use a disposable ziploc bag. Pipe green swirls connected to the stem for vines.
Step 10 - Serve the cake pops or keep in the fridge to serve later. Let the cake pops come to room temperature before eating for the softest filling.
Tips for success
- Create deep grooves into the shaped cake pops to resemble a pumpkin shape. The deeper the grooves, the more visible the pumpkin shape will be.
- Coat the end of the sticks well with melted candy melts and insert halfway into the cake pop. The candy melts help the stick stay inside the cake pop.
- Chill frequently. You want the cake pop to always be chilled so that it keeps its shape and doesn't fall off.
- Don't overheat the candy melts. As soon as they melt, stop heating or they will thicken and curdle.
- Keep the candy melts warm. The candy melts that you're dipping into will get start to get cold and thicken as you dip cold cake pops into it. Reheat in the microwave or on top of a pot of boiling water as needed to remain dippable consistency.
Make ahead and storage
They're the perfect make ahead treat. The coating keeps the cake middle moist and fresh.
Undipped cake pops can be kept refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
The dipped cake pops can be stored in an airtight container (refrigerated) for up to 3 days. Or freeze in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
Recipe FAQs
Candy melts don't need to be tempered in order to set solid at room temperature. They taste like white chocolate. I don't recommend regular chocolate because the cake pop won't hold onto the stick.
The candy melts will cool down as you dip the cake pops. You may need to reheat the candy melts in the microwave or in a pot of hot water so that it becomes more dippable. A bit more refined coconut oil or vegetable shortening helps to thin out the candy melts as well.
Make sure to coat the lollipop sticks well with candy melts before inserting into the cake pops. This helps ensure they hold onto the cake pops. Make sure the cake pops are very well chilled (pop them back into the freezer) so that it all sets and holds together.
Related fall recipes:
Check out my best pumpkin desserts for more easy pumpkin recipe ideas.
Did you make this recipe? I'd love for you to rate this recipe and hear what you think in the comments below! Share your creation on Instagram and tag @flouringkitchen. Follow me on Pinterest to save and for more recipe ideas.
📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Cake Pops
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pumpkin cake with frosting or use 9” by 12” cake and frosting recipe of choice
- ¼ cup reserved frosting for the vines
- green food colouring as needed
- 6 oz black candy melts or brown
- 24 oz orange candy melts
- 1-3 tablespoons refined coconut oil or vegetable shortening, optional
Instructions
- Add cake into a large bowl and mash with your hands or a potato masher. Add frosting a half cup at a time, until you get a soft, rollable consistency. I used all of the frosting from my pumpkin cake recipe for extra soft cake pops (set aside ¼ cup frosting for the green vines). Mix well to combine.1 pumpkin cake with frosting
- Roll the cake mixture into balls about 1.5” (3.8cm) in diameter. If the mixture is too soft to shape, pop them in the freezer for 10 minutes so they firm up. Using a chopstick or lollipop stick, roll over the shaped cake pops in segments to make them look like pumpkins. Set them on a plate in a single layer and pop into the freezer for 15 minutes.
- In the meantime, melt the black candy melts in a clean bowl. You can melt them in the microwave in 10 second increments, stirring in between each increment. Take them out as soon as they’re smooth - don’t overheat or it will thicken and lump up. If you don’t have a microwave, place the bowl on top of a pot with boiling water and melt.6 oz black candy melts
- Take the cake pops out of the freezer. One by one, dip a stick into the candy melts so that the candy melts go about an inch of the way up. Insert the stick immediately into the cake pop so that it goes halfway through the middle.
- Repeat with the rest of the cake pops. Freeze for another 15 minutes to set.
- In the meantime, melt the orange candy melts in a clean bowl. Add 1-3 teaspoons of coconut oil or vegetable shortening to help thin out the candy melts. This makes the mixture thinner and easier to dip into. Transfer into a glass to make it easier to dip.24 oz orange candy melts, 1-3 tablespoons refined coconut oil
- Dip the cake pops into the orange candy melts all the way to the stem of the pumpkin, covering all of the cake. Let the excess gently drip off, you can spin the stick slightly (being careful so the cake pop doesn’t fall apart).
- Set dipped cake pop onto a parchment lined sheet to set.
- Once all of the cake pops are dipped, add green food colouring to the green frosting. Transfer to a piping bag and cut a very small bit of the end of the piping bag off. If you don’t have a piping bag, use a disposable ziploc bag. Pipe green swirls connected to the stem for vines.green food colouring, ¼ cup reserved frosting
- Serve the cake pops or keep in the fridge to serve later. Let the cake pops come to room temperature before eating for the softest filling.
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