Equipment needed:
- Whisk
- Mixing bowl
- Fat Daddio’s cake pan 12″x3″ round or 9″x13″ rectangular
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment
- Airtight container or Saran Wrap (for cooling dough)
- Rolling pin (with 5/8-inch guides)
- Round cake pop maker — bite-pop size
- Stick Jig Tool (optional, for centered placement)
- Spatula
- Microwavable bowl (for chocolate)
- Laser thermometer
- Cake pop sticks
- Hand massager (for quick-drip technique)
- Food warming mat (to maintain coating temperature while dipping)
- Flat Surface/Baking Sheet
- Tipless Piping Bags
Cake Pop – Vanilla Bean
Description
Makes approximately 23 to 28 cake pops
Ingredients – Cake Dough Base
Ingredients – Dipping & Decoration
Bake & Rest
- Preheat your oven according to the box directions.
- Prepare the cake batter by combining the Betty Crocker White Cake Mix, water, eggs, sour cream, vegetable oil, and emulsion or vanilla.
- Bake according to package directions for larger surface area pans.
- Resting: Upon removing the cake from the oven, let it rest in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes to allow excess steam to escape. Then cover the cake tightly with aluminum foil and let it rest for 1 to 2 hours, until it has cooled completely to room temperature.
- Once the cake has cooled completely to room temperature, break it into pieces and place them into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Mix on low speed for 2 to 5 minutes until the dough fully comes together into a smooth, pliable, Play-Doh-like consistency. Stop as soon as the dough binds to prevent a rubbery texture.
- Knead the dough for a few moments to ensure a smooth, uniform consistency.
- Roll the dough flat using 5/8-inch guides to ensure consistent thickness throughout.
- Cut out individual portions using your cutter.
- Melt the Stover & Company Sweet Shop Melts and Stover Deluxe Melts together
- Place the bowl of melted coating directly onto your food warming mat set to hold at the target temperature.
- Check the coating with a laser thermometer to confirm it stays steadily within 92°F–98°F.
- Dip the tip of a treat stick into the melted coating, then insert it into the rolled-out cake cutout (almost to the top).
- Fully dip the cake pop into the coating. Apply the hand massager to your wrist for a quick-drip vibration to smoothly shed excess coating.
- Lay the pops flat on a flat surface so toppings do not slide off while setting.
- While the candy coating is still wet, apply the granulated sugar or nonpareils.
- Allow the coating to set completely before packaging or serving.
CRITICAL: Do not overbake your cake. A larger surface area bakes faster—remove it as soon as a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Mix the Dough
If needed, finish kneading briefly by hand.
Portion & Shape
I like to use the Bite Pop size round cake pop cutter from our website.
Insert Cake Pop Sticks & Dip
If tinting, stir in 1 drop of pink liposoluble food color for light pink, or leave plain Ultra White for a dye-free offering.
I use the stick jig tool for precise, centered placement.
Decorate & Set
Pro Tip: Why Sour Cream & Deluxe Melts?
- The Fat Ratio Sweet Spot: After testing only sour cream, higher sour cream, lower sour cream, and only oil, ⅓ cup sour cream + 2 tbsp vegetable oil is the winner. Oil alone makes dough greasy and soft, while pure sour cream can get too dense. This hybrid creates a rich, pliable dough that holds its shape—no frosting needed!
- Deluxe Melts Advantage: Blending 10%–20% Deluxe Melts into your Sweet Shop Ultra White coating thins the melted chocolate naturally, achieving an effortless, ultra-smooth shell at 92°F–98°F without needing added paramount crystals or oil.
- Vanilla Flavor Enhancement: Using vanilla bean paste or vanilla emulsion instead of standard extract gives the cake dough a rich flavor profile and visible vanilla specks that won’t bake out in the oven.
- Dye-Free Marketing Option: Leaving the Ultra White coating uncolored allows you to highlight a clean, dye-free option on your menu while keeping the soft pink tint available as a 1-drop customization.
Baking, Cake Pops, Vanilla, Cake pop
Feel free to use any of our amazing cake-pop makers!
If you like to experiment with more cake-pop recipes, click here to see all my free recipes!