How are Starbucks cake pops made? (What is in Starbucks cake pops + more information)

In the Starbucks bakery section, cake pops are among the most popular items. So, how are Starbucks cake pops made?

Starbucks cake pops are made of vanilla cake and candy coating. My ten-year-old daughter loves cake pops not only because of their taste but also because of cute they are and I love getting her these treats once in a while. When I realized her love for cake pops, I decided to investigate the ingredients used, to determine how often or rarely could I get her the cake pops. In this article, I have shared everything I discovered about the Starbucks cake pops and how you can prepare them at home, so keep reading to learn more.

What is in a Starbucks cake pop?

Starbucks cake pops are made of cake and candy coating. The ingredients used in the cake part are; sugar, soybean oil, powdered sugar, unbleached enriched flour, eggs, egg whites, modified food starch, baking powder, butter, palm oil, nonfat milk, invert syrup, gum blend, natural flavours, oil blend, corn syrup, salt and emulsifiers.

The ingredients in the white coating used are; palm kernel and palm oil, nonfat milk powder, vanilla extract, sugar, whey powder, soy lecithin and natural flavour. The dark coating used is made of; fractioned palm kernel oil, sugar, cocoa powder processed with alkali, nonfat milk powder, vanilla and soy lecithin.

Starbucks warns against allergens like eggs, wheat, milk and soy.

What is the equipment required to make Starbucks cake pops?

To make cake pops you’ll need an oven, stand mixer, large mixing bowls, freezer, cake pan, lollipop sticks, cookie dough scoop and baking sheets.

How can I make Starbucks cake pops at home (recipe and directions?)

To make Starbucks cake pops at home you’ll need the following ingredients;

• ½ cup of butter
• 1 ¼ cup of sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 ¼ cup of flour
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• white nonpareil sprinkles
• ¾ cup of milk
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 ¾ baking powder.

For frosting, you’ll need;

• ¼ cup of butter
• ½ teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon of milk
• 2 cups of powdered sugar.

For coating, you’ll need;

• Candy melts.

To make the Starbucks cake pops follow the following directions;

Begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and then in a large mixing bowl, mix baking powder, flour and salt and combine until well incorporated and set aside. Then, in the stand mixer’s bowl add the sugar and butter, mix until fluffy and with the mixer still running, carefully add the eggs followed by vanilla extract and continue mixing.

Then, still in the stand mixer’s bowl, add the dry ingredients and milk in alternating order. Like so; a third of the flour mixture – half the milk – another third of the flour mixture – the remaining milk – the rest of the flour mixture. Combine thoroughly until you get a smooth batter.

When you achieve a smooth batter consistency, proceed to prepare the cake pan with cooking spray to avoid the cake sticking onto the pan. Then, into the pan, pour in your batter, bake for 18 to 20 minutes and once the top slightly turns golden, take out the cake from the oven and let it set aside to cool. Alternatively, place the cake in the freezer for even faster cooling.

As the cake cools, begin to prepare the frosting by adding ¼ cup of butter into the stand mixer’s bowl and mixing in 1 tablespoon of milk, ½ teaspoon of pure vanilla extract and 1 cup of powdered sugar. Mix thoroughly and then add in another cup of powdered sugar and mix further until you have a smooth frosting.

Take out the cake from the freezer and crumble it perfectly with a fork or with your hands, into a mixing bowl. Make sure there are no big chunks of cake in the mixture and then into the mixing bowl, add 3 tablespoons of the frosting. Mix the cake crumbles and frosting with your hands until you get a soft dough-like mixture.

Then, with parchment paper, prepare the baking sheet and with a cookie dough scoop, scoop the cake and frosting dough and place the cake balls on the baking sheet.

Proceed to place the candy in a microwave for 30 seconds, checking it after every 10 seconds to ensure it is melting evenly, to prepare the cake pops coating. Once perfectly melted, take it out of the oven and begin dipping one end of the lollipop sticks into the melted candy and sticking those ends into the cake balls, carefully. Make sure the lollipop stick gets to the centre of the cake pops. After all cake pops have lollipop sticks perfectly stuck in them, place the baking sheet full of the cake pops into the freezer and allow them to set for 15 minutes.

Once the lollipop sticks have been set dip each cake pop into the melted candy to fully coat it, allow the excess to drip off and then sprinkle the nonpareil sprinkles on the cake pops. Prop the lollipop stick carefully in a glass full of rice and let the cake pops fully set. Avoid touching them as they set. Once perfectly set, enjoy your cake pops!

This recipe takes about 45 minutes and will produce 15 cake pops.

FAQ SECTION.

Is the Starbucks cake pops gluten-free?

Starbucks cake pops aren’t gluten-free as they contain wheat.

Are Starbucks cake pops keto?

Starbucks cake pops aren’t keto-approved as they have high sugar and carbs content with low fat and protein content.

How unhealthy is a Starbucks cake pop?

One Starbucks cake pop (41g) has a whopping 160 calories, 22g of carbs and 17g of sugar.

Where does Starbucks get their cake pops from?

SRO has been the Starbucks cake pops supplier since September 2010.

Are Starbucks cake pops vegan?

Starbucks cake pops aren’t vegan as they have eggs, egg white and milk powder.

What do Starbucks cake pops taste like?

Starbucks cake pops are sweet, delicious and sugary with a vanilla flavour.