Pot of Gold Cake Pops (Printer-Friendly)

Chocolate cake balls dipped in candy melts with gold sprinkles, perfect for festive celebrations.

# What You Need:

→ Cake

01 - 1 box (14.25 oz) chocolate cake mix with required eggs, oil, and water per package directions

→ Frosting

02 - ½ cup chocolate frosting

→ Decoration

03 - 14 oz black candy melts
04 - 2 oz gold sprinkles or edible gold pearls
05 - 24 lollipop sticks
06 - 1.75 oz white candy melts, optional for accents
07 - Green fondant or sprinkles for shamrock garnish, optional

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven and prepare chocolate cake according to package instructions. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, then allow to cool completely at room temperature.
02 - Crumble the cooled cake into fine crumbs in a large mixing bowl, breaking apart any larger pieces.
03 - Add chocolate frosting to the crumbs and mix thoroughly until a moist, dough-like consistency forms that holds together when pressed.
04 - Scoop mixture into 24 equal portions and roll each into a ball approximately 1.5 inches in diameter. Gently flatten the top of each ball to mimic a pot shape.
05 - Place shaped balls on a parchment-lined tray and refrigerate for 30 minutes until firm.
06 - Melt black candy melts in a microwave-safe bowl according to package instructions, stirring at 30-second intervals until smooth and pourable.
07 - Dip the tip of each lollipop stick into the melted candy coating, then insert it halfway into each chilled cake ball.
08 - Chill cake pops for 10 minutes to ensure sticks are firmly secured within the balls.
09 - Dip each cake pop fully into melted black candy coating, allowing excess to drip off. Stand each pop upright in a styrofoam block or cake pop stand.
10 - While the black coating is still wet, immediately sprinkle gold sprinkles or edible gold pearls over the top of each pop to resemble coins in a pot.
11 - Using additional melted black or white candy coating in a piping bag, pipe a decorative rim around the top edge of each pot.
12 - Add green fondant pieces or sprinkles to each pop for festive shamrock garnish if desired.
13 - Allow all cake pops to set completely at room temperature before removing from stand and serving.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • They're Instagram-worthy without requiring a pastry degree, which means you'll actually want to make them again.
  • The chocolate-and-gold combo tastes as good as it looks, and watching someone bite into one never gets old.
  • You can prep the cake balls days ahead, so the stress melts away faster than the black candy coating.
02 -
  • If your cake balls crack during coating, it usually means they weren't chilled long enough—30 minutes is the minimum, not a suggestion.
  • Room temperature candy melts dip more smoothly than piping-hot ones, so let them cool for a minute after melting and they'll cling to the cake without sliding right off.
03 -
  • A wooden skewer twirled gently inside each melted candy bowl keeps the coating at dipping consistency longer than anything else.
  • If you're making these for a crowd, a styrofoam block angled slightly backward prevents runny coating from pooling at the bottom—small angle, huge difference in presentation.
Go Back