Pot of Gold Cake Pops (Printer-friendly)

Chocolate cake balls coated in black candy melts, decorated with edible gold accents and festive touches.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cake

01 - 1 box (14.25 oz) chocolate cake mix with eggs, oil, and water as required by 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 details, optional

# How To Make It:

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 until texture resembles breadcrumbs.
03 - Add chocolate frosting to the cake crumbs and mix thoroughly until a cohesive dough-like consistency forms throughout.
04 - Scoop mixture using a 1.5-inch diameter measuring tool and roll into 24 uniform balls. Flatten the top of each ball slightly to create a pot-like shape.
05 - Arrange cake balls on a parchment-lined baking tray and refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm and set.
06 - Melt black candy melts according to package instructions, stirring frequently until smooth and pourable.
07 - Dip the tip of each lollipop stick approximately ½ inch into melted black candy, then insert halfway into each chilled cake ball. This acts as an adhesive base.
08 - Place assembled cake pops upright in a styrofoam block or cake pop stand and refrigerate for 10 minutes until candy coating hardens.
09 - Working with one cake pop at a time, dip each pop fully into melted black candy melts, rotating gently to ensure complete coverage. Allow excess coating to drip back into the bowl before standing upright in the support block.
10 - Before the black coating sets completely, immediately sprinkle gold sprinkles or edible gold pearls over the top of each pop to resemble coins spilling from the pot.
11 - Using a piping bag with melted black or white candy melts, pipe a decorative rim around the top edge of each pot for enhanced presentation.
12 - Attach small green fondant pieces or apply green sprinkles to select pops to represent shamrock details, if desired.
13 - Allow all cake pops to cure completely at room temperature until the coating is fully hardened before serving, approximately 20-30 minutes.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They look fancy enough to impress at parties but are surprisingly forgiving to make, even if decorating isn't your strong suit.
  • The chocolate-on-chocolate flavor is deeply satisfying without being overly complicated, and the gold sprinkles add that magical touch that makes people smile.
02 -
  • The cake mixture needs to be chilled before shaping and shaped balls need to be chilled before dipping—skipping these steps leads to cake pops falling apart in the coating, which is incredibly frustrating.
  • Work quickly when decorating with sprinkles after dipping because the coating sets fast, and sprinkles won't stick once the surface hardens.
03 -
  • Invest in a proper cake pop stand or styrofoam block rather than trying to balance them in a cup—it saves time, reduces mess, and prevents them from tipping over while the coating sets.
  • Keep your candy melts at the right temperature by using a double boiler instead of microwaving; this prevents scorching and keeps the coating smooth and glossy.
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