Perfect Graduation Cap Cake Pops
Elegant and easy-to-make graduation cap cake pops featuring a moist cake center coated in glossy black chocolate with delicate diploma details. Perfect for celebrations and gifting.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 24 cake pops 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 box of chocolate cake mix (or your favorite homemade recipe)
- 1 cup (240 ml) water
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups (180 g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) heavy cream or milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 12 oz (340 g) black candy melts or black chocolate coating
- 12 oz (340 g) white candy melts
- Edible gold or silver food paint or edible markers
- Thin black licorice strings or black fondant strips
- Small white fondant pieces or white royal icing
- Wooden or paper lollipop sticks
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Prepare cake mix according to package or homemade recipe instructions by mixing water, oil, eggs, and vanilla with dry mix. Pour batter into greased 9×13 inch pan and bake 30-35 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely on wire rack (~1 hour).
- Crumble cooled cake finely into a large mixing bowl, avoiding big chunks.
- Beat softened butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar alternating with cream and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth and fluffy. Adjust consistency with more cream or powdered sugar as needed.
- Add frosting gradually to cake crumbs, mixing gently until mixture holds together like cookie dough (about 3/4 cup frosting).
- Scoop about 1 1/2 tablespoons of mixture and roll into smooth balls. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Chill in fridge at least 1 hour or freezer 15 minutes to firm.
- Melt black candy melts in microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring until smooth. Repeat with white candy melts separately.
- Dip one end of each lollipop stick about 1 inch into melted black candy, then insert into center of each cake ball to secure. Chill 30 minutes.
- Dip each cake pop into melted black candy melts, covering completely. Tap off excess and rotate to smooth coating. Place stick upright in styrofoam block to dry (~30 minutes).
- Form flat square mortarboard caps on top of each cake pop using black fondant or candy melts. Attach while coating is tacky or with melted candy.
- Roll small strips of white fondant or pipe white royal icing into tiny scroll shapes. Tie with thin edible ribbon or paint band with edible gold paint. Attach next to cap with melted candy.
- Create tassels using thin black licorice or fondant strips hanging off the cap. Add final details with edible markers or paint.
- Allow all decorations to dry and harden fully before serving or packaging (~1 hour).
Notes
Chill cake balls before dipping to prevent crumbling. Use low heat and stir often when melting candy melts to avoid burning. Add a splash of vegetable oil to candy melts if too thick. Use a deep, narrow container for dipping cake pops. Let each decoration layer dry before adding the next. Keep hands cool and lightly dusted with powdered sugar when rolling cake balls to prevent sticking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cake pop
- Calories: 160180
- Sugar: 18
- Sodium: 150
- Fat: 8
- Saturated Fat: 4
- Carbohydrates: 24
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 2
Keywords: graduation cake pops, cake pops recipe, graduation party dessert, chocolate cake pops, elegant cake pops, diploma cake pops