Graduation Cake Pops Gold (Printable version)

Delightful cake pops adorned in school colors with sparkling gold accents, ideal for special celebrations.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cake

01 - 1 box vanilla or chocolate cake mix
02 - Eggs as listed on cake mix package
03 - Oil as listed on cake mix package
04 - Water as listed on cake mix package

→ Frosting

05 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
07 - 1 tablespoon milk
08 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
09 - Pinch of salt

→ Coating and Decoration

10 - 16 ounces candy melts in two school colors
11 - 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening or coconut oil, optional
12 - Gold sprinkles or edible gold glitter
13 - 24 lollipop sticks
14 - Styrofoam block for drying

# How to Make:

01 - Prepare the cake mix according to package instructions. Allow the baked cake to cool completely before proceeding.
02 - Beat softened butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, then milk, vanilla extract, and salt. Continue beating until the frosting reaches a smooth and fluffy consistency.
03 - Crumble the completely cooled cake into a large bowl. Mix in 1/2 to 3/4 cup of frosting gradually until the mixture holds together without becoming overly wet.
04 - Roll the mixture into 24 evenly sized balls, approximately 1 tablespoon each. Arrange on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or freeze for 30 minutes.
05 - Melt a small amount of candy melts. Dip the end of each lollipop stick into the melted candy, then insert halfway into each chilled cake ball to secure the sticks.
06 - Melt candy melts in separate bowls according to package instructions. Stir in vegetable shortening if desired for smoother consistency. Dip each cake pop into your chosen school color, gently tapping away excess coating.
07 - While the candy coating remains wet, apply gold sprinkles or edible gold glitter. Place each decorated pop upright in the Styrofoam block to set.
08 - Allow the candy coating to harden completely before serving or packaging the cake pops.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They look impossibly fancy but come together faster than you'd think, turning a simple cake mix into something your classmates will actually remember.
  • You can customize the colors to match your school or group, making each pop feel like it was made just for that moment.
  • Everyone gets exactly one perfect bite—no cutting, no plating drama, just pure celebration.
02 -
  • The frozen cake ball is absolutely essential—room temperature ones collapse the second they hit warm candy melts, and you'll end up with a messy coating situation.
  • If your coating feels thick or clumpy, shortening is your secret weapon; coconut oil works too but adds a slight flavor, so stick with vegetable shortening if you want pure school-color pops.
  • Gold sprinkles applied to wet coating stay put; applied to dry coating become decorative confetti on your floor instead of your dessert.
03 -
  • A dip of melted candy at the stick's base before inserting it into the cold cake ball is the difference between pops that stay on sticks and pops that spin loose mid-dip.
  • If you don't have a Styrofoam block, an empty egg carton works perfectly for holding pops upright while they dry, and looks charming if you use a cute one.
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