Perfectly portable, sweet, and adorable, these Copycat Starbucks Birthday Cake Pops are a delightful treat to make for any celebration. Made with boxed cake mix, cream cheese, and 6 other simple, easy-to-find ingredients, these precious little cake balls are tasty enough to sell and easy enough to make with your kiddos!

Jump to Recipe

Why We Love This Recipe

While Starbucks cake pops have been around for years at this point, we’re still big fans of the concept. Honestly, who doesn’t love tender cake mashed with creamy frosting and dipped in chocolate? Nobody, that’s who!

That said, these little cake-meets-truffle treats command quite the price tag if you order them at the coffee giant — each 2-bite cake ball will run you close to $2! Rather than spending an arm and a leg buying pre-made cake pops, we’re here to encourage you to try making your own homemade version of birthday cake pops.

Aside from being pretty convincing Starbucks copycat cake balls, these homemade treats are also:

• Made With Only 8 Ingredients – They’re easy to find at most grocery stores, plus are totally customizable.
• Easy Enough To Make With Kids – Our littles always love getting their hands in on this fun project.
• Super Versatile – Change the flavor of the cake mix or chocolate coating, swap in different frosting ingredients, or decorate and shape the cake balls to fit your party theme. Read on below for tons of ideas! 

Ingredients & Substitutions

As promised, you only need a handful of ingredients to make these homemade cake pops. Here’s what to grab:

• Boxed Cake Mix – We typically always have a box of either yellow or chocolate cake mix lurking in our pantries. Feel free to use your own favorite flavor.
• Egg Whites – You’re welcome to use the kind that comes in a carton to cut back on active prep work.
• Vanilla Extract – To intensify the flavor of the boxed cake mix. You can also use equal amounts of either vanilla paste or vanilla powder or swap in half as much ground vanilla.
• Wilton Chocolate Melts – These delightful little discs come in a wide range of colors and flavors, plus they make it nearly foolproof to make perfectly tempered chocolate exteriors. If your grocery store doesn’t carry the Wilton brand, feel free to swap in any chocolate melts they do have.
• Honey – Rather than using store-bought frosting that is chock-full of weird, artificial ingredients and colors, we prefer to make our own honey-yogurt-cream cheese frosting that is to die for. Feel free to use your favorite thick liquid sweetener instead like maple syrup, date syrup, agave nectar, or brown rice syrup instead.
• Cream Cheese – We prefer using full-fat dairy, but feel free to trade in slightly lighter Neufchatel cheese if you like.
• Heavy Whipping Cream – You need a minimum of 30% milkfat for the consistency of the frosting to come out right.
• Plain Greek Yogurt – You can use either fat-free, low-fat, or full-fat greek yogurt here. In a pinch, you can swap in vanilla or honey-flavored yogurt, but make sure to dial back the honey in the frosting to keep it from becoming too cloying.
• Lollipop Sticks – Though not technically an ingredient, you’ll need lollipop sticks if you want your birthday cake balls to look like the Starbucks version.
• Baking Spray – To help your cake release from its pan. Feel free to use butter, oil, or shortening to grease your pan instead.

How To Make Birthday Cake Pops

This simple, straightforward recipe for cake pops with cake mix is easy enough to make with your kiddos. Here’s how it’s done:

Step 1: Prep. Preheat the oven and grease a cake pan with non-stick spray. 

Step 2: Make Cake Batter. Combine all the cake ingredients in a large mixing bowl and beat until combined. (Do not add the oil called for on the box.) 

Step 3: Bake Cake according to package directions. Let cool to room temperature.

Step 4: Chill Cake in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Step 5: Make Frosting. While the cake is chilling in the freezer, combine the honey, cream cheese, whipping cream, and yogurt until well combined.

Step 6: Make Cake Ball Mixture. Crumble semi-frozen cake into the mixing bowl with the frosting. Mix well to combine. 

Step 7: Shape Cake Mix Into Balls. Using a small cookie scoop (or just a regular spoon and your hands), shape the cake mix into whatever size balls you like, lining them up on a parchment-lined tray as you work.

Step 8: Melt Chocolate. Using a double boiler or the microwave, melt about ⅓ of the chocolate melts.

Step 9: Assembly Part I. Dip one end of the lollipop stick into the melted chocolate (this helps the cake pops stay on the sticks), then insert it about halfway into one of the cake balls. Repeat with remaining sticks and cake balls. Refrigerate balls with sticks for a minimum of 45 minutes or up to 2 days.

Step 10: Assembly Part II. Melt remaining chocolate, being careful not to scorch it. Dip the chilled vanilla or chocolate cake pops into the chocolate, swirling it around to coat all sides. Gently shake the pops to remove excess chocolate, then place them back on the parchment-lined sheet to firm up. 

Step 11: Serve & Enjoy!

Optional Variations

While we love our chocolate and vanilla cake pops with cream cheese, there is plenty of room for you to make your own creative mark on this recipe. Here are a few variations to consider:

• Different Flavors of Cake Mix – Swap in your favorite boxed mix for red velvet, carrot cake, or even funfetti cake balls.
• Fun New Designs & Decorations – You can shape them like eggs for Easter (or turn them horizontally to make footballs for Super Bowl), hearts for Valentine’s Day, or stack them up like snowmen for Christmas. Dip them in different colors of chocolate melts to keep you on theme, then use sprinkles and decorating icing to turn them into whatever you want (e.g. basketballs, softballs/baseballs, pumpkins, cauldrons, or anything else you can think of).
• Gluten-Free Cake Pops – Use your favorite gluten-free cake mix to make them celiac-friendly.

Serving Suggestions

These vanilla and chocolate cake balls are perfect for:

• Birthday celebrations at school or the office (no slicing required!),
• Bake sales,
• Holiday parties,
• Game day & tailgates, or
• Anytime you want a sweet treat.

Expert Tips

Use a cookie scoop or a tablespoon to make evenly-sized pops.

When using a cookie scoop or tablespoon to make evenly sized cake pops, here are some expert tips to keep in mind:

• Scooping: Ensure that you use the same amount of cake mixture for each cake pop to achieve uniform size. Whether using a cookie scoop or a tablespoon, try to scoop the same amount of mixture each time, leveling off the scoop or tablespoon for consistency.
• Gentle Packing: When scooping the cake mixture, avoid pressing or packing it too tightly. Gently scoop the mixture without compressing it too much, as this can result in dense or dry cake pops.
• Leveling: Use the edge of a flat utensil, like a knife or spatula, to level off the excess cake mixture from the scoop or tablespoon. This helps to create even portions and ensures the cake pops will be symmetrical.
• Rolling Technique: Once you’ve scooped the cake mixture, roll it gently between your palms to shape it into a smooth ball. Apply light pressure to maintain the round shape without compacting the cake too much.
• Chilling: After shaping the cake pops, refrigerate them for a while before dipping them in coating or adding decorations. Chilling helps the cake pops firm up, making them easier to handle and less likely to crumble.

Don’t scorch the chocolate melts.

To avoid scorching chocolate melts, consider the following tips:

• Low Heat: Use low heat or a gentle heat setting when melting chocolate. Chocolate is sensitive to heat and can scorch easily, so it’s crucial to melt it slowly and gently. Use a double boiler or a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water.
• Constant Stirring: Stir the chocolate continuously as it melts. This helps distribute the heat evenly and prevents hot spots that could lead to scorching. Use a heatproof spatula or spoon to stir the chocolate in a gentle, smooth motion.
• Gradual Melting: Chop the chocolate into small, even pieces before melting. This increases the surface area and promotes faster and more even melting. Add the chocolate to the heat gradually, allowing one batch to melt before adding more.
• Remove from Heat Early: Remove the chocolate from the heat just before it has completely melted. The residual heat will continue melting the remaining pieces without risking overheating or scorching the chocolate. Stir until smooth and fully melted.
• Avoid Moisture: Keep water and steam away from the melting chocolate, as even a small amount can cause the chocolate to seize and become grainy. Make sure your utensils and bowls are dry, as any moisture can affect the texture of the chocolate.

FAQs

More Easy Dessert Recipes

• Chocolate-Covered Oreo Delights: A Tempting Twist on a Classic Cookie
• Tropical Paradise in Every Bite: Pineapple Coconut Lime Popsicles Recipe
• Refreshing Strawberry Lemon Popsicles
• Fruity Pebble Donuts
• Halloween Cake Pops

If y’all tried this sumptuous recipe for Starbucks Copycat Birthday Cake Pops, holler and let us know how it turned out for you by giving us a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and commenting below. You can also always feel free to tag us (@creamcheeseandlemonsqueeze) in your social media posts so we can cheer you on.

Alright, y’all. Thanks so much for stopping by! For even more down-home Mississippi Coast cooking inspiration, be sure to follow us on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and TikTok. You can also get all of our newest content delivered straight to your inbox by signing up for our weekly newsletter. We can’t wait to see you again soon!

XO,

Anna & Ashley