Gluten-Free Confetti Cake Pops Recipe
These Gluten-Free Confetti Cake Pops are a delightful, colorful treat perfect for any celebration. Made with King Arthur’s gluten-free confetti cake mix, they are coated in creamy white chocolate and decorated with gluten-free sprinkles. The recipe combines a moist and fluffy cake with a smooth buttercream frosting to form cake balls that are then dipped and decorated to create fun, portable pop-style desserts. Ideal for those avoiding gluten but still looking for a festive and sweet treat.
- Author: Natalie
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 28 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 40 cake pops 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Cake
- 1/2 cup (99g) vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup (227g) milk, at room temperature
- 1 package King Arthur Gluten-Free Confetti Cake Mix
Frosting
- 1 1/2 cups (170g) confectioners’ sugar
- 8 tablespoons (113g) unsalted butter, softened
- pinch of table salt
- 1 teaspoon King Arthur Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
Coating and Decoration
- about 1 pound (454g) white chocolate, chopped; or white candy melts
- gluten-free sprinkles
- 40 lollipop sticks
- Prepare the cake: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly grease the bottom (not the sides) of a 9” x 13” cake pan to prevent sticking while maintaining good cake texture.
- Mix wet ingredients: In a large bowl or your stand mixer’s bowl, beat the vegetable oil, eggs, and milk together until the mixture is frothy, which helps aerate the batter for a lighter cake.
- Add cake mix: Incorporate the gluten-free confetti cake mix into the wet ingredients, beating on medium speed until the batter becomes thick, smooth, and lighter in color, roughly 1 minute; scrape the bowl as necessary to ensure even mixing.
- Bake the cake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 26 to 28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, indicating doneness.
- Cool the cake: Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool completely before proceeding, to prevent melting the frosting later.
- Make the frosting: Beat the confectioners’ sugar, softened butter, salt, vanilla extract, and heavy cream in a large bowl or stand mixer until the mixture is smooth and fluffy, creating a creamy buttercream.
- Crumble the cake: In a large bowl, crumble the cooled cake into fine crumbs using your hands or a mixer, preparing it to combine with the frosting seamlessly.
- Combine cake and frosting: Add about two-thirds of the frosting (approximately 200g) to the cake crumbs and stir thoroughly. If needed, add more frosting until the mixture holds together when squeezed without crumbling or sticking excessively, ensuring good consistency for shaping.
- Form cake balls: Roll heaping tablespoons of the cake-frosting mixture into firm balls and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, preparing them for chilling.
- Chill the cake balls: Cover the cake balls and refrigerate for about 2 hours or overnight to firm them up, making them easier to dip and decorate.
- Melt the coating: Melt the white chocolate in a deep, heat-safe bowl or glass measuring cup using a double boiler setup over simmering water or in short 20- to 30-second microwave increments, stirring to avoid burning.
- Insert sticks: Dip a lollipop stick into the melted chocolate and insert it about three-fourths of the way into each cake ball to secure the stick. Repeat with all sticks and cake balls.
- Set the sticks: Refrigerate the cake pops until the chocolate around the sticks is set, approximately 10 to 15 minutes, to ensure stability during dipping.
- Dip the cake pops: Remove 10 to 15 cake balls from the refrigerator at a time and dip each completely into the melted chocolate, letting excess chocolate drip off before placing on parchment to harden.
- Add sprinkles: Immediately decorate the dipped cake pops with gluten-free sprinkles before the chocolate coating starts to set, so the decorations adhere well.
- Repeat dipping and decorating: Continue dipping and decorating the remaining cake pops in batches as needed to manage the chocolate’s temperature and coating quality.
- Let set completely: Allow the cake pops to set fully at room temperature before serving to ensure the coating is firm and ready to handle.
- Store properly: Keep coated and decorated cake pops in an airtight container; they can be stored at room temperature for a couple of days, refrigerated up to a week, or frozen for up to three months. Defrost completely before serving.
Notes
- Make sure the eggs and milk are at room temperature to help the batter mix evenly and rise properly.
- Do not grease the sides of the cake pan to help the cake rise evenly.
- Be cautious not to add too much frosting when mixing the cake crumbs as too much will make the cake pops dense and heavy.
- Use high-quality white chocolate or candy melts specifically designed for dipping to ensure a smooth coating.
- Store cake pops at room temperature in an airtight container for best texture and flavor up to 2 days.
- Keep the melted chocolate warm but not hot to prevent hardening or clumping during dipping.
Keywords: gluten free cake pops, confetti cake pops, white chocolate cake pops, gluten free dessert, party treats, cake balls