Graduation Cake Pops Gold (Printable)

Celebrate with colorful cake pops in school hues, dipped in candy melts and topped with shimmering gold sprinkles.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cake

01 - 1 box vanilla or chocolate cake mix with required ingredients (eggs, oil, water as listed on package)

→ Frosting

02 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
03 - 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
04 - 1 tablespoon whole milk
05 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
06 - Pinch of salt

→ Coating and Decoration

07 - 16 ounces candy melts in two school colors
08 - 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening or coconut oil
09 - Gold sprinkles or edible gold glitter
10 - 24 lollipop sticks
11 - Styrofoam block for drying

# Directions:

01 - Prepare cake mix according to package instructions. Allow 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 smooth and fluffy.
03 - Crumble cooled cake into a large mixing bowl. Mix in frosting gradually, 1/2 to 3/4 cup at a time, until mixture holds together without being overly wet.
04 - Roll mixture into 24 evenly-sized balls, approximately 1 tablespoon each. Arrange on parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or freeze for 30 minutes.
05 - Melt small amount of candy melts. Dip end of each lollipop stick into melted candy, then insert halfway into each cake ball to secure.
06 - Melt candy melts in separate bowls according to package instructions. Stir in shortening for smoother finish if desired. Dip each cake pop into chosen school color, gently tapping off excess coating.
07 - While candy coating remains wet, apply gold sprinkles or edible gold glitter. Place upright in Styrofoam block to set completely.
08 - Allow candy coating to harden completely before serving or packaging. Handle with care to preserve gold decoration.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • They can be made days in advance, which means you're actually relaxed when guests arrive instead of frosting something at the last minute.
  • Watching people's faces light up when they see cake pops in their school colors never gets old, especially when the gold hits the light just right.
02 -
  • Warm cake and frosting together create a greasy mixture that won't hold its shape, so patience with cooling is actually the secret ingredient here.
  • If your candy melts are too thick, adding even one tablespoon of shortening transforms everything from a chunky mess to a professional-looking finish.
03 -
  • Keep candy melts at the right temperature by melting in short bursts and stirring between—overheated melts get thick and chalky, which ruins the whole visual effect.
  • If you want a second color on the same pop without dipping twice, use a small spoon to drizzle the second color over the first coating while it's still wet for an elegant striped or accent effect.
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