This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I personally use and love.
Have you ever made cake pops that look perfect… until they fall right off the stick? 😩🍰
Yeah—been there.
If you’ve struggled with cake pops cracking, sliding, or refusing to stay put, you’re not doing anything “wrong.” Most people just aren’t taught the small but important details that actually make cake pops work.
In this post, I’m sharing 3 simple tips that will help your cake pops stay on the stick and come out smooth and secure every time—whether you’re baking for fun or for your business.
No more guessing. No more frustration.
Let’s fix your cake pops 👏🏽✨
#1
Cake Recipe
Having a good cake recipe can make or break the quality of your cake pop. It's not so much the recipe as a whole but about the type of fat you use. Use Real Butter in your recipe! Replace the oil, margarine, or shortening, for real butter. This will give your cake structure! Your cake will be more firm and hold together better! Especially if you are making shaped cake pops, or cut-outs. Use room temperature or chilled cake for the crumbs.
*If you need a Great Vanilla Cake Recipe, check out mine!
#2
Use a Stable Mix-In
You'll also want your Mix-In to be firm and stable. This includes using Buttercream with Real Butter. Buttercreams made with real butter will further provide structure to the cake pop, especially when chilled and will bind the cake crumbs together with full support! You can also use ganache since the chocolate provide excellent support, or cream cheese since it is firm, thick, and provides excellent flavor. In this post, I used Cream Cheese for its ability to provide excellent support without adding too much moisture to the dough, delicious taste that compliments all cake pop flavors, and for its convenience.
*If you need a Great Buttercream Recipe, check out mine!
When adding your Mix-In of choice, add a little bit at a time, just til the dough comes together and there's no small crumbs left. I would usually make my cake pops from cake scraps, so I do not have a concrete recipe for the amount of Mix-In I use compared to the amount of Cake. I measure by look and feel.
Your Cake Pop Dough should resemble Cookie Dough by look and feel. Try rolling a small portion in your hand, if it sticks together and rolls smooth and seamlessly, it is ready! If it easily breaks apart, or does not easily come together, add more Cream Cheese. If the Dough does not hold its shape and feels too squishy and soft, then you may need to add more cake crumbs! This is the tricky part, cause if you use all of your cake crumbs in the beginning, adding too much Mix-In could delay the cake pop making process and you will have to make more cake. So GO SLOW!
This step is optional. I had to make these cake pops confetti flavored so I added sprinkles! But not necessary. Your cake pops are ready for the stick at this point! But this step can also add to the structure of the cake pop. Adding firm pieces like sprinkles or Oreo crumbs will provide more support for the cake pop on the stick!
#3
Portion Cake Pops Correctly
The Final Step for making cake pops that won't fall off the stick is portioning!
You want your cake pops to be the perfect size for dipping. I measure mine by grams to get the most accurate measurement for each. I stick to no more than 45-50g on a standard stick. The weight of the cake pop, plus the chocolate and decorations can make the cake pop fall. You may be able to make a bigger cake pop if you have a thicker or wider stick, but adding more than 50g of dough will cause the cake pop to immediately fall before, during, or after dipping.
Follow these Tips to make your cake pop making process flawless!
🌟 BONUS TIP #1 ✨
After inserting the dipped cake pop stick into the cake pop, let the chocolate completely harden before dipping. This will prevent the cake pop from sliding off the stick while being dipped. Also, if your cake pop dough is too dry, it will slide off the stick. Add more Mix-In!
🌟 BONUS TIP #2 ✨
When melting your chocolate, use coconut oil to thin it out so it doesn't pack too much weight on the cake pop by giving it a thick coating. Melt chocolate slowly over a double boiler, microwave, or using a melting pot for temperature control! Temper your chocolate and DO NOT OVER HEAT! Over heating your chocolate could ruin the cake pops. It will make the chocolate clump and not spread smooth. It could also get the cake pop stuck in the chocolate and fall off the stick! Alternatively, you can use Candy Melts or Almond Bark, but use the same caution to not overheat!
🌟 BONUS TIP #3✨
The reason your cake pops crack after dipping can be caused by the rapid temperature changes. Dip Cake Pops at room temperature and avoid dipping chilled or frozen cake pops.
HAPPY CAKING! 🧁🍭
Check out this Chocolate Melting Pot, Cake Pop Accessories, & More!
On My Amazon StoreFront!
💫 Here's more tutorials you will love! 💜