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A plate with multiple pumpkin cake pops and one off to the side.
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Pumpkin Cake Pops

Make these Pumpkin Cake Pops for your next Halloween or Thanksgiving gathering. They are perfectly spiced and super cute!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Freeze Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 32 Pops
Calories 96kcal
Author John Kanell

Equipment

  • Mixer

Ingredients

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature (113g)
  • 4 ounces cream cheese room temperature (113g)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1½ cups powdered sugar sifted (180g)

For the Assembly:

  • 1 bag orange colored candy melts (12-ounces)
  • 2 to 4 tablespoons vegetable shortening melted
  • Lollipop sticks
  • Candy eyes

Instructions

For the Cake:

  • Bake according to instructions. You'll need one nine inch cake layer.

For the Frosting:

  • In a large mixing bowl, beat butter, cream cheese, vanilla, and salt until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on low, slowly add the powdered sugar. Once added, scrape down the bowl. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 1 minute or until fluffy. Remove all of the frostings but 1 cup.
  • Crumble the cooled cake into the bowl with the 1 cup of frosting. Mix on low speed just until the mixer resembles wet sand and hold together when squeezed.
  • Scoop the cake mixture into 1-inch balls and place on a wax or parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Freeze for 20 minutes or until firm to the touch.
  • Press a lollipop stick around the sides of the frozen cake balls to create several grooves. Return the cake balls to the freezer for another 20 minutes or until firm.

For the Assembly:

  • While cake balls are freezing, divide the remaining frosting into small bowls and color with gel food coloring. Transfer to piping bags attached with decorative tips.
  • Melt the candy coating according to the package instructions. Add the melted vegetable shortening to the melted coating until it’s a pourable consistency. Place in a drinking glass.
  • Working with a few cake balls at a time, leaving the remaining in the freezer or fridge, insert a lollipop stick into each cake ball about halfway. Dip the cake ball into the candy coating until fully covered. Tap on the side of the glass to remove the excess coating and place the cake balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet with the lollipop sticking straight up.
  • Once the coating is set, decorate with colored frosting and candy eyes.

Video

Notes

  • When melting the candy melts, heating it in bursts will prevent the mixture from burning.
  • Let the pumpkin cake cool completely before you begin to crumble it. If the cake is too warm, it’ll keep the cream cheese frosting that binds warm, making it difficult for the cake pops to stay together.
  • As the cake and cream cheese mixture are moist when warm, it’s much easier to roll perfectly round and even cake balls if the mixture is chilled.
  • The more finely you can make the cake crumbs, the more even they will roll and hold their shape.
  • If you cannot find orange candy melts, melt white candy melts or white chocolate and add orange food coloring a few drops at a time.
  • I prefer using vanilla extract over artificial for the best flavor.
  • If you’re having trouble keeping the cake pops upright, you can try sticking them into styrofoam or a jar filled with dried beans.
  • If your lollipop sticks aren’t staying in the cake balls, dip the sticks into the melted candy melts before inserting them into the cake balls.
  • To make these cute cake pops, I added candy eyes and faces to them with frosting. However, you can simply top them with sprinkles if you prefer. Add the sprinkles while the coating hasn’t fully set.

Nutrition

Serving: 1pop | Calories: 96kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 16mg | Potassium: 6mg | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 136IU | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg