These strawberry cake pops are an absolute treat! They start with a strawberry cake mix that gets baked, crumbled, and then transformed with the addition of cream cheese and freeze-dried strawberries. Once formed into pops, they’re dipped in luscious white chocolate!
Whether you’re making them for a party, a gift, or just a fun treat at home, these cake pops will impress everyone. The combination of the tangy freeze-dried strawberries with the creamy richness of white chocolate is simply irresistible. Plus, they’re so much fun to make and even more fun to eat! Check out my strawberry cheesecake and strawberry coconut cake too!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Incredible Taste: These cake pops with icing are a strawberry lover’s dream! The combination of sweet cake, tangy freeze-dried strawberries, and creamy white chocolate is just pure magic.
- Fun to Make: There’s something so satisfying about rolling the cake balls and dipping them in chocolate. Bonus: it’s a great excuse to get a little messy in the kitchen. Check out my carrot cake truffles too!
- Perfectly Simple: Starting with a cake mix makes this recipe approachable, but the added ingredients make it feel homemade and extra special.
Baking Tips
- Using a kitchen scale is a total game-changer for baking. It makes measuring ingredients super precise, so your recipe comes out perfect every single time. Plus, fewer measuring cups means less cleanup — and who doesn’t love that? Invest in one, and you’ll wonder how you ever baked without it!
- I absolutely love baking with fine kosher salt—it gives the perfect balance of flavor. Table salt, on the other hand, can be a bit too harsh, so if you're using it, be sure to cut the amount in half to avoid over-salting your treats.
- Always check your oven temperature! Ovens can be sneaky, sometimes running hotter or cooler than what the dial says, and that can really affect how your baked goods turn out. For the most consistent results, I recommend using an oven thermometer to make sure your temps are spot-on every time
Ingredients
What you'll need for strawberry cake pops!
- Strawberry Cake Mix: Use a high-quality mix to ensure the best flavor.
- Freeze-Dried Strawberries: These add an intense, concentrated strawberry flavor without extra moisture. I use them in my strawberry chocolate brownies and chocolate chip strawberry cookies too!
- Cream Cheese: Opt for full-fat, brick-style cream cheese for a creamy and stable mixture. I like using cream cheese instead of buttercream for less sweet and more tang!
- White Chocolate: Choose a high-quality white chocolate for smooth, rich dipping. You can also use chocolate melting wafers if you're more comfortable using those! Check out my white chocolate mousse cake!
See recipe card below for quantities.
Instructions
Let's make strawberry cake pops!
- Bake the strawberry cake mix according to the box instructions. Allow the cake to cool completely. Once the cake has cooled, break it into crumbs in a large bowl.
- Pulverize freeze-dried strawberries in a food processor or blender and measure out ¼ cup of the powder. In a bowl, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, freeze-dried strawberry powder, and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined.
- Add the cream cheese mixture to the crumbs and mix until fully combined.
- The mixture should stick together when squeezed; if not, add an additional tablespoon of cream cheese.
- Roll the mixture into balls about 1 inch in diameter. Place the balls on a parchment-lined tray and refrigerate until firm.
- Dip the tip of a cake pop stick into the melted chocolate, then insert it halfway into a cake ball. Repeat with the remaining cake balls. Allow the chocolate to harden. Once the sticks are secure, dip each cake pop into the melted white chocolate, swirling and lightly tapping the stick on the edge of the bowl to remove excess chocolate for a thin coating.
Hint: Drizzle with more white chocolate and sprinkle with extra freeze dried strawberry powder for a pretty finishing touch!
Pro Tips
- Cool Completely: Make sure the cake is fully cooled before breaking it into crumbs to avoid excess moisture.
- Test the Mixture: After adding the cream cheese mixture, squeeze the mixture together to ensure it holds its shape. Adjust as needed.
- Dip for Stability: Dip the end of the lollipop stick into melted chocolate before inserting it into the cake ball for extra security. Chill the cake pops until cold in the refrigerator, this ensures the balls wont fall off the stick when dipping.
- Melting White Chocolate: White chocolate burns much quicker than dark and milk. Make sure to add vegetable oil for thinning it out and make sure you melt it in a tall glass or liquid measuring cup, not a shallow bowl for easy dipping.
Variations
Twists on strawberry cake pops!
- Different Chocolate: Try milk, dark, or ruby chocolate for a unique twist.
- Sprinkles: Add colorful sprinkles on top before the chocolate sets for a festive look.
- Cake Bites: Skip the sticks and serve as adorable bite-sized strawberry cake truffles.
- From scratch: You can use your favorite strawberry cake recipe and make the cake pop cake recipe from scratch!
How to store cake pops:
Room Temperature: Store the strawberry cake pops at room temperature for one day.
Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Freezer: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 months, thaw in the refrigerator.
FAQ
Can I use chocolate instead of candy melts?
Yes! I used white chocolate for this recipe and the turned out great, the key is the vegetable oil to thin out the chocolate for the perfect consistency.
Can I use something else other than foam for holding the cake pops?
You can use a cardboard box! Poke small holes in the box, be careful!
More Sweet Treats
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
📖 Recipe
Easy Strawberry Cake Pops
These strawberry cake pops are an absolute treat! They start with a strawberry cake mix that gets baked, crumbled, and then transformed with the addition of cream cheese and freeze-dried strawberries. Once formed into pops, they’re dipped in luscious white chocolate!
Equipment
- 9X13inch baking pan
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Lollipop sticks
- Foam or a cardboard box with small holes if you'd like perfectly round pops and no foot on the bottom for sticking the sticks in
Ingredients
Strawberry Cake
- 1 box (15.25 oz) (432 grams) strawberry cake mix
- Ingredients needed for the mix
Mixture for after baking
- 7 oz (196 grams) room temperature cream cheese full fat, brick style
- heaping ¼ cup (28 grams) freeze dried strawberry powder
- ¼ cup (32 grams) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Coating
- 1 ½ cups (12 oz, 340 grams) white chocolate chips can also use melting wafers
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Instructions
Strawberry Cake
- Bake the strawberry cake mix according to the box instructions. Allow the cake to cool completely.
Cream Cheese Mixture
- Pulverize freeze-dried strawberries in a food processor or blender and measure out ¼ cup of the powder.
- In a bowl, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, freeze-dried strawberry powder, and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined. Set aside.
Form the Cake Balls
- Once the cake has cooled, break it into crumbs in a large bowl. Add the cream cheese mixture to the crumbs and mix until fully combined.
- The mixture should stick together when squeezed; if not, add an additional tablespoon of cream cheese.
- Roll the mixture into balls about 1 inch in diameter. Place the balls on a parchment-lined tray and refrigerate until firm.
Prepare the Cake Pop Sticks and Coat
- Melt white chocolate and oil in a microwave safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval. Be careful, as white chocolate can burn easily. Add a little more vegetable oil if needed for a thinner consistency.
- Dip the tip of a cake pop stick into the melted chocolate, then insert it halfway into a cake ball. Repeat with the remaining cake balls. Allow the chocolate to harden.
- Once the sticks are secure, dip each cake pop into the melted white chocolate, swirling and lightly tapping the stick on the edge of the bowl to remove excess chocolate for a thin coating. If the chocolate isn't running off of the cake pop nicely, add 1 teaspoon more oil and stir until a thinner consistency.
- Place the dipped cake pops ball side down on parchment paper (if you prefer a "foot") or stick the sticks into a foam block or a box with holes for a perfectly round shape.
- For Cake Bites: Skip the sticks and simply dip the cake balls into the white chocolate. Use a fork to remove the balls from the chocolate, tapping off the excess, and place them on a parchment-lined tray.
Notes
How to store cake pops:
Room Temperature: Store at room temperature for one day.
Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. You can place a piece of paper towel in the container to absorb moisture.
Freezer: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 months, thaw in the refrigerator.
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below and tag @stir.taste.smile on social.
Nicole says
I made these for Mother’s Day and they made my family happy!
Amanda Valsamis says
I love hearing that! Thank you so much 🙂