There are few things more satisfying than biting into a perfect cake pop.
A bite-sized treat on a stick that is utterly delicious, yet not quite big enough to leave any lasting tell-tale signs on your hips.
For me, the perfect cake pop is a perfectly round vanilla sponge ball, coated in whatever sugary treat takes your fancy. (Personally, I find those sponge/buttercream pops just too rich and heavy).
The sponge should be light and fluffy, but not too light or it will simply fall of the stick. Here’s my personal recipe to get the perfect cake pop batter EVERY time!
Cake Pop Batter Ingredients
- Eggs (1 per 12 cake pops required)
- Self-raising flour
- Margarine (I use Stork) – at room temperature
- Caster Sugar
- Vanilla extract
How To Make Cake Pop Batter
You will see that I didn’t specify any measurements above. Don’t panic!
Most recipes call for a certain quantity of eggs, but no two eggs are ever the same size and therefore your batter will change each time. Too thick. Too runny. Not good.
Here’s what you do…
- Firstly, weigh your eggs in their shells – and remember this weight.
- Now measure out your flour, caster sugar and margarine to the same weight as your eggs. All 4 ingredients will now weigh the same.
Sidenote: This works especially well if you buy fresh farm eggs which come in all crazy sizes!
If you have a food mixer, perfect! If not, roll up your sleeves and get ready to work 
- In your mixing bowl, add your margarine and beat for just a minute until softened.
- Add your caster sugar and beat on high until light and fluffy. Remember to scrape the sides so all the margarine is blended.
- Crack your eggs into a small bowl or mug. Whisk lightly with a fork to break up and slowly add to your margarine/sugar mix.
- Scrape the sides with a spatula to ensure an even mix.
- Once all the egg is incorporated, increase the speed and mix for a further 1 minute.
- Add the flour a tbsp at a time. (Any faster, you will have a dust cloud. Trust me )
- Add the vanilla extract. I suggest approx. 1/2 teaspoon for every egg.
- Mix briefly to blend.
- Spoon heaped teaspoons of cake pop batter into your pre-heated, lightly oiled cake pop maker
- Cook for 4 minutes
- Decorate
- Enjoy!
Now, somebody pop the kettle on and make some tea. I’ll be around as soon as this next batch is finished!
~ Natalie
Oh these look AMAZING. My kids are completely obsessed with cake pops…my oldest, who is 4.5, is especially obsessed. Yesterday he asked me for a cake pop maker in his room. He told me he’s going to ask Santa for one, and he’s going to make us all cake pops every day. Okay, then…I won’t complain about that. LOL! I might have to try these…I’m sure I’d win Best Mom Ever award if I was successful.
Oh Carrie, your son sounds adorable! But if you haven’t got a cake pop maker yet, you should definitely get one! They are so easy to make – and my recipe gives you perfect results. Your kiddos would have great fun decorating them!
There is a cake pop MAKER!!! How did I not know this! Hahaha! These look amazing!
Thanks for linking up with this weeks #MMWBH! xx
Ha ha, yes! Cake pop maker = best kitchen gadget EVER!
Totally pinning this one!
Autumn, thank you SO much. I appreciate that!
These seems to be delicious!!
Would you happen to know how many cake pops you can make with each (additional) egg?
Thanks!
Also…do you also have a chocolate flavored version? If yes, would you be willing to share?
I do – and I’d be delighted to share!
I’m just going to work out the quantities for your previous question – and I’ll do a chocolate variety for you!
BRB
Farienne, thank you for your question!
Ya know, since this recipe is so simple, when I make cake pop batter, I normally just keep on ‘popping’ until the batter runs out. Can you believe I’ve never counted them!
BUT… you’ve just given me the perfect excuse to go make some cake pops. Gimme an hour – I’m just heading to the kitchen and I’ll be right back
1 egg is enough to 12 cake pops
2 eggs is enough to make 24
3 eggs in enough to make 36 cake pops
Hi my cake pops burn on the bottom help
Hi Lorraine,
Do you oil your cake pop machine before you add your cake pop batter? I use a pastry brush and very lightly paint top and bottom with a swish of oil. Spoon in a teaspoon of cake pop mixture so it’s almost level with the top, and cook for 4 minutes maximum. I switch the power off whilst I then take them out quickly. How do you do yours?
I bought a cake pop machine and tried many times to make them but for some reason the top of my balls always shribble up. How can I get them round?
Hi Jenny, what recipe do you use for your cake pop batter? Also, do you make sure your cake pop maker is pre-heated and lightly oiled before use? Follow my cake pop batter recipe above – filling each hole almost level – and you will have perfect cake pops every time!
how much of the ingreediants do we need? 1 egg or 10 eggs, 1g or 10000kg
Hi Sasha, the recipe explains… since every egg weighs differently this recipe doesn’t call for a particular quantity of eggs, rather, it is based on the WEIGHT of the eggs.
Firstly, weigh your eggs in their shells – and remember this weight.
Now measure out your flour, caster sugar and margarine to the same weight as your eggs. All 4 ingredients will now weigh the same.
As a guide, for every one egg used, you will get approximately 12 cake pops.
Have fun!
Oh wow, do I ever feel stupid now … I’ve been making cakes for half a century, my Good Housekeeping recipe book that was a wedding present has annotations beside the cake recipes saying whether the eggs should be large or medium, I know one egg weighs about 2 ounces, but I never put it all altogether and thought to weigh the eggs and base the weights of all the other ingredients on that. Thank You. Oh, and my first attempt at cake pops, using a silicone mould, had perfect results.
Isn’t this recipe great! Now, whenever I make any type of cake from a cookbook, I always look at the proportions and adjust slightly. UK eggs are so varied in size, it’s no wonder I’ve had so many kitchen mishaps over the years. Congrats on getting perfect cake pops! I have a chocolate recipe on here too that delivers the same great results
Hi just got cake pop maker will be trying your recipe do you know if it works as well with gluten free flour.Thanks
Hi Michelle, I’ve never made gluten-free cake pops – but if you try, please come back and share. I’d love to know how they turn out!
HI! I am kailyn. This is a good looking batter you came up with! I was wondering, how would you make the icing type stuff for it? It’s like plastecine only better tasting.
Ty
~Kailyn
Hi Kailyn, for the cake pops in the picture above, I coated them in melted chocolate and dipped in sprinkles. You could also make up some fondant icing and dip into that… it will dry to a lovely sheen. Otherwise, you can get candy melts, but I’m not a fan of those. They are pretty colours, but rather tasteless.
does anyone know how long you cook the cake pops for in the mtal tim in the oven rather than the electric pop cake maker ??
Hi,
I have tried your recipe and for the first time got perfect round sponges! I’ve had issues coating them though. Any tips on getting the pops to stay on the sticks? They seem to get too heavy and fall of when I dip them in chocolate.
Thanks
Hi Steph, I am so pleased to hear you got perfect cake pops with this batter recipe
And yes, I can share some coating tips, too!
First of all, dip your cake pop stick in a little of your coating mix before pushing into sponge ball. You may need to use the stick to dab a little around the spot if you need more. Push your stick at least half way in. Next, allow your cake pop to rest in the fridge for a few minutes to allow the stick to fully set. I find it really useful to use an empty egg box to stand the cake pops in with sticks pointing upwards.
When you are ready to coat your cake pop, remove the chilled pops from the fridge and one at a time, hold it over the molten chocolate or coating. Do not swirl the cake pop in the coating. It is too thick and heavy and pulls the sponge off the stick. Instead, use a spoon to scoop some mix and coat it over the sponge. You can dip the very tip in if you need to, but it’s not normally necessary. Once you have a generous coating, keep the stick in the downwards position, and slowly turn / twirl it round so the excess drips off. This helps to get an even coverage too. The chilled pop also helps it set quickly.
If you use a 12-egg carton as your pop stand, you can then use the cardboard uprights inside the carton to now hold your pops in an upright position.
Just before the coating sets, you can dip into sprinkles.
Hope this helps!
Hi Natalie,
Just wanted to say thanks for the coating tips. It worked much better- not as smooth as I wanted but for a first attempt not bad! The batter is also great for cupcakes! Steph.
Hi Steph, thanks for the feedback!
If you are using candy melts to coat your cake pops, I do sometimes find them to be thick and gloopy. You can add a small amount of vegetable oil to your melted mix to help thin the consistency and get a smoother coverage.
PS. This batter works great for ALL cakes! Perfect for making a large round sponge cake too
Have you seen my chocolate cake pop recipe also?
Hi Natalie,
Not quite sure how I arrived on your page ( I found it by accident!) but I am so glad I did! I got up and made a batch immediately and not only were the cake pops perfect, your coating methods were amazing. I had the same problem of the pop falling off but your techniques worked a treat and my family loved them. Thank you so much for sharing!!
Hello Arifa,
Yay! I am thrilled you got perfect cake pops! Thank you for coming back and sharing with me, I appreciate that
Did you take any photos? If so, please feel free to share them on my Facebook Wall – I’d love to see them! http://facebook.com/OneBusyWAHM
Enjoy your cake pops!
Planning to make lots of these for my son’s birthday party, but the mould I ordered hasn’t turned up yet! Am I right in thinking I could put the same recipe into paper cupcake cases and put it in the oven? If so, do you know how long for? Thanks!
Oh no! I hope your cake pop maker turns up in time!
But yes, you can use this recipe for fairy cakes, muffins or large sponge cakes, too. It works perfectly for all! I never made a note of how long they take to cook in cases, I normally leave them for 15 mins then check every couple of minutes until the top feels firm and no longer soggy
Fab; I’ll try it tonight. There’s always a chance the mould will arrive in the morning (the party’s on Sunday). Any idea what temperature?
So sorry for my delay in replying to you. I use an electric fan-assisted oven and cook mine at 180*. I also pre-heat my over to this temperature before cooking.
Im hoping to make a batch of these cake pops tomorrow- I only want to make 12 cake pops , does this mean I measure everything to the weight of 1 egg?
P.s I also have the sweet treats cake pop maker
Please reply ASAP
Hi Fatima,
Yes, weigh your egg in its shell, then all other ingredients (self-raising flour, Stork margarine and caster sugar) should each weigh the same. Add vanilla extract or other essence to your preferred taste. Enjoy!
Hi I made the batter of the cake pops and realized I have a cake pop tray not a cake pop maker… how long should I bake it for and what sjould the temperature be??
Hello Zain!
I’ve not used the cake pop tray before, but using my recipe for cake pop batter, I would suggest trying first at 180*C (fan-assisted electric oven)for 15 mins and then add an extra minute or two. The first batch is always the trickiest, but once you’ve mastered the timing, they will be perfect every time after.
How do I stop a ridge forming around the middle of my finished cake pop when cooked in a cake pop maker please? Di
Hello Di, depending on your cake pop maker, sometimes this ridge forms when some of the cake pop batter seeps out between the upper and lower pans whilst cooking.
The easiest way I have found to remove this ridge on cake pops is to wait until they have cooled and then lightly trim around with some kitchen scissors or scrape gently with a sharp knife. If you have a pastry brush, that is handy for removing any crumbs before adding a coating.
Straight outta the oven – I had to try one, OH MY! Gorgeous.
Last time I cheated with a packet mix, NEVER AGAIN.
Thanks a bundle – gonna be the hit at my party tonight. Bring on the Eurovision!
Hello Ro, thank you SO MUCH for coming back and sharing your cake pop success! I’m delighted they turned out perfectly for you. Enjoy the Eurovision
Hi, thanks so much for this recipe – have just bought a cake pop mould to cook them in the oven and really struggled to find any recipies online that aren’t ‘buy a madeira cake, crumble it up, add to icing and roll into balls’ for which my thought was yuck!
My mum always made sponge cakes by weighing the eggs and adding the same weight of other ingredients so I’ll try this.
Hi Gill, good luck – be sure to come back and let me know how you get on
Ive had this cake pop maker before and had some fun times with it. I did notice that it makes cake pops a little dry/ tough on the outer layer (I think because of direct heat?). I have since switched to using a cake pop silicone mould. It takes a little longer to make but it makes fluffier pops! So worth the extra effort! 😀
looking forward to making these for my daughters communion, loads of practice first
Hi Jenny,
I’m sure they will be just PERFECT!
Hi Natalie
I have a Cake Pop Maker and am certainly going to try your recipe. I don’t seem to find your chocolate recipe though, please could you forward it to me.
Also, do you have a nice recipe for glaze icing that could work? What would you recommend?
Regards
Sue
Hello Sue,
Here is a link to my chocolate cake pop recipe: http://onebusywahm.com/how-to-make-chocolate-cake-pop-batter/ (I’ve sent this to you via email also in case you don’t see it here).
Similar to my original cake pop recipe, there are no specific weights quoted as this will be determined by your eggs.
They turn out perfectly every time – I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
Hi there Natalie,
Just want to say a big thank you for this recipe (and the chocolate one which I will certainly try). I am sure it is the reason my very first batch of cake pops turned out as they should: lovely round mini cake balls! I had read a few horror stories I started to regret buying the machine but it made sense that the right batter would make a big difference. I am so pleased!
Hi Kitty,
Thank you so much for coming back here and sharing your cake pop success! I’m thrilled they turned out perfectly for you.
These look really good! My question is, can i use butter instead of margarine? Would it alter the result? Thank you.
Hi Silvana,
No, you can use butter too, but make sure it is really, really soft before you start to beat your mix. Don’t be tempted to start with it too hard, otherwise the cake pops won’t turn out as good
I am loving your cake pops recipe as I hate the mashed up version. I am about to try out my Lakeland moulds tomorrow morning in an attempt to make 50 penguin chocolate cake pops for my students and staff at my school. I will be following your recipe. I have just painstakingly made 55 pairs of wings and feet…. we can’t get the recommended sprinkles over here.
I know you say eggs vary in weight, but generally what sized eggs do you buy at the supermarket? I have bought large sized eggs.
To keep the cakes moist, I am also going to fill mine with buttercream eeeek which I have seen somewhere else.
Thank you and hopefully you get this very soon as I am typically running on LMDC (last minute dot com) time. I’ve been sick and now it’s the last week of term.
Hey Salma, thanks for stopping by!
The eggs I use for my cake pops really do vary by what is available. Mostly I get the ‘medium’ sized eggs as they are often cheaper than large. Sometimes, I get the mixed weight boxes and they can vary from really small to HUGE!
It really doesn’t matter what size eggs you buy. Follow my cake pop recipe and use the same weight as your eggs (weighed in their shells) for your other ingredients and they will turn out perfectly!
I’ve never tried filling with buttercream, so do let me know how they turn out. I’d love you to post a picture to my Facebook wall when you are finished – http://fb.com/OneBusyWAHM
Good luck and have have FUN!
OoMyGoodness!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This recipe is DeLiCious!!!!!!!!!!!! It is ridiculously simple and quick. I made a batch with 1 egg and the family ate then so quickly I had to another batch right away. I didn’t use caster sugar, just regular granulated sugar, but it was yummy none the less.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with us.
Hello Isa,
Thank you SO much for taking the time to come back here and share your cake pop success. I am thrilled your family loved them!
Can I share another delicious secret with you? When the cake pops are hot and fresh out of the cake pop maker, roll them around in a bowl of granulated sugar. INSTANT CAKE POP DOUGHNUTS! OMG! Delicious
Hi my cake pops are brown in the bottom and white on the top can anyone tell me what I am doing wrong thanks
Hi Dawn, are you using an electric cake pop maker (like mine) to make your cake pops and following my recipe? They should turn out perfect!
If so, my guess would be that you are taking too long perhaps to spoon the mixture into the wells, and that your cake pops are cooking for too long. Let me know how you’re doing them!
I KIND OF DONT HAVE ANYTHING TO WEIGH MY INGREDIENTS WITH!!! what do I do???!!!
You really do need to weight your ingredients. You can get a set of scales very cheap nowadays, or maybe borrow a set from a neighbour?
Hey Nataliie. I also found your site by chance, Glad I did. The fact of weighing the eggs and then other ingredients to the same measure makes a whole lot of difference. Just a note to say that I used coconut sugar (not for special health reasons, but it’s all I had.. I ran out of “normal” sugar). The pops were slightly darker in colour but the taste was just as great. The kids didn’t know the difference and gobbled them up. Really, an electric cake-pop maker is a kitchen must if you have kids around. Thanks for sharing.
Hello Linda, thank you for popping by and sharing your comments. I am so thrilled your cake pops turned out great. I’ve never used coconut sugar before, but I’m sure my other readers will find this very useful!
As for my cake pop batter (by weight), this makes the perfect batter for regular sponge cakes too. So light and fluffy! Try making a 3 or 4 egg mix and splitting it between two cake pans. The lightest, fluffiest cake you’ll ever have!
Hello this may sound a silly question but with the egg do you weigh it with the shell on or is it after you have cracked it
Hi Linda, not a silly question at all.
Yes – you weight the eggs with the shell ON! Sounds crazy, but this method really works!
Hi!
Your recipe and method is perfect, thank you so much for sharing. I will make all my cakes like this from now on!
Just wondering if you, or one of your readers, can help with this question. I have to make three batches in my cake pop machine for a morning event. This means I will need to make them the night before. They’re delicious when cooked but overnight they lose their fluffiness even though they are in an airtight container. Do you know how I keep them light and fluffy overnight or do I just need to get up super early on the day and bake them fresh?
Thanks so much for any tips.