Melting Ice Cream Cone Cake Pops
Adorable and so, so flavorful, these fun cake pops are not only easy to make but addicting to eat! With a variety of textures, a bold vanilla flavor, and no need for perfect candy dipping skills, these are my favorite cake pops to make!
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These cake pops were one of my favorite bakes this summer. It all started with a melting ice cream smash cake for my niece’s first birthday. I knew I’d need a tiny ice cream cone for her tiny little 4” smash cake, but I just could not find any.
Then inspiration struck: just cut a normal cone.
I preferred that immensely to ordering special fancy cones online that may or may not arrive broken.
And that’s when I got the idea to make cake pops instead of a cake or cupcakes for all the guests. Because if one little melting ice cream cone cake pop is cute, then a whole tray full is for adorable.
And wow. Was I so, so happy I made extras. These were so, so good! The textures from the cone and candy melts and sprinkles contrasted perfectly with the soft cake filling. And even though I’m a chocolate girl through and through, the flavors altogether were so good. These are honestly my favorite cake pop I’ve made all year.
Why this recipe works
The vanilla cake is one of my favorites. You can use any vanilla cake you like, but I knew this one has a very fluffy, almost cake-box-like texture that is ideal for a cake pop. You want something flavorful but not overly sweet, since you’ll be adding both frosting and candy coating, so this cake was perfect for that. This is a lemon-free version of my lemonade cake, and the cupcake version can be found here.
You can add the sprinkles to the batter (like I did) or when you mix in the frosting. I had extra confetti cake batter, so I had not choice but to bake the sprinkles right into the cake. Which worked just fine but isn’t standard and could run the risk of a grayish filling if over mixed. Usually, you bake a vanilla cake and add the sprinkles with the frosting. Both options are just as easy and give that perfect confetti cake flavor. I use extra vanilla in my vanilla buttercream, meaning a more flavorful result. It makes it the perfect accompaniment to the confetti cake because it’s just classic.
Finally, the design. This design was far easier than I expected. I just cut the waffle cones in half (otherwise you have a giant cake pop), dipped those in candy to glue the cake on, then dipped the whole thing in candy and let it dry messily, adding sprinkles while it was still wet. That’s it! You don’t want these to look perfect, since the goal is “melting ice cream.”
And not only are these adorable, they taste amazing. The crunch from the cone contrasts with the subtle crunch from the candy coating and sprinkles, and it all comes together with the soft, flavorful taste of the cake filling. They really are my favorite cake pops.
Key ingredients
Cake flour. You can make your own. For this recipe, you’d want to use 4 1/2 tablespoons (1/4 cup plus 1/2 tablespoon) cornstarch and add that to 1 3/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons flour. Sift and whisk twice before using in the cake. If that’s too complicated, simply make 3 cups of cake flour and use only 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons. Each cup of cake flour is made by adding 2 tablespoons cornstarch to a 1 cup measuring cup then filling it the rest of the way with all purpose flour (so 7/8 cup or 14 tablespoons flour).
Baking powder. Be sure it’s fresh—not open for longer than 6 months (regardless of the expiration date on the box).
Salt. Sea salt is ideal.
Butter. European butter is best for this recipe, as it has less water.
Sugar/brown sugar. I usually use both, because the color comes out yellow and the brown sugar keeps the cake more moist and flavorful.
Eggs. Use fresh, large, room temperature eggs.
Oil. Just a tiny bit of oil (avocado, grape seed, or canola) helps keep this cake moist.
Vanilla. Use pure extract, not imitation.
Whole milk. Whole milk will make a better cake.
Vanilla buttercream. You only need a cup, so you can make a reduced recipe (1/4 would be about right) or use the extras for something else. You can also use any frosting recipe you like—like marshmallow!
Sprinkles. Jimmies are the most classic tasting here, but you can use any sprinkles you like as long as they’re not too thick or large.
Candy melts. I used pink, but you can use any color you’d like! I actually toned the color down by adding some white, but it’s entirely up to your preference.
Waffle cones. I used full sized cones and just cut them with a serrated knife. You don’t need a perfect cut, as you’ll be dipping them in candy melts.
How to make melting ice cream cone cake pops
Make the cake
1. Sift and whisk flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. 2-3 minutes on medium high.
3. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat on medium 30-60 seconds after each addition.
4. Beat in oil and vanilla. Beat on medium 30 seconds.
5. Alternate adding flour and milk on low. Beat on low just until combined. Don’t worry about some lumps.
6. Bake. Bake 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with just some moist crumbs.
Assemble
7. While the cake cools, make the buttercream. You can also make the buttercream ahead of time.
8. Crumble completely cooled cake. Be sure it’s not chunky—you want it all as evenly small as possible so you get a round cake ball.
9. Stir in buttercream and sprinkles. Stirring in the sprinkles at this point keeps them larger and more noticeable, but you could also fold them in with the last addition of flour when making the cake.
10. Shape and chill cake balls. You’ll shape them into rough balls, chill, then re-shape them into perfect spheres after they’ve chilled.
11. Dip top of cone into melted candy melts. This helps create “glue” to adhere the cake ball to the cone. Attach the dipped cone to the cake ball immediately. Refrigerate until solid.
12. Dip cake ball into candy melts. Keep the tray with the glued cones/cake balls in the fridge and just dip a couple at a time.
13. Decorate immediately with sprinkles. Set the dipped cone on parchment and let the excess candy pool around it as you decorate it while still wet.
Let cool and enjoy!
Tips and FAQ’s for this recipe
Split up your work!
This may sound like an intense recipe, but it’s really just a handful of steps with a good deal of cooling and chilling involved. To make things easier, I suggest making your cake and buttercream the day before you’ll dip them. You could also roll the cake balls and chill them overnight, as long as you cover them well (with plastic wrap or in an airtight container). That way, there’s less to do in one single day. Also, feel free to make these a day or two before you need them! They keep well for 3-5 days at room temperature.
Can I use a different cake recipe?
Yes! Most recipes call for boxed cake, but I just can’t bring myself to make that when I have such an easy homemade cake that I love so much. You could use any yellow cake that you love or even lemon cake. My bakery style cake is actually my favorite vanilla cake, but it’s much more moist and a little old-fashioned-y dense, so it may not be as suited to cake truffles as this fluffier cake.
Can I use a different frosting?
Yes! I’ve made these with marshmallow frosting and it’s so very delicious. Like, I almost wrote the recipe for that version instead because it’s such a winning combination with the confetti cake. You could also use chocolate, but be prepared for a brownish gray color.
How do I get the filling round?
You don’t need these perfectly round since you’ll be attaching a cone and drying them upside down. However, if you want a perfectly round filling (or plan to dry them right side up instead), the key is to shape it twice. I’ve found that with a softer cake like this, it’s difficult to get it perfectly round when you first mix in the frosting. But if you chill it then roll it again, it gets almost perfectly round. Just avoid freezing it, as that not only makes it difficult to do the final shaping but also makes it difficult to dip, not always making friends with the coating layer.
Can I dry these right side up?
Yes! You’d need an ice cream cone stand or something similar (you could poke large holes in an overturned cardboard box). I just wanted the cake pops to match the melting cone on my niece’s cake. And, this method is SUPER easy. And, it’s a look of its own. But if you want right side up cones, feel free to do that! You will want to get fairly round cake balls (see note above) and be prepared for candy to drip down the cone.
Make your own cake flour!
I often make my own, because it’s so easy. One cup of cake flour is just 2 tablespoons cornstarch plus 7/8 cup all-purpose flour. Our, in simpler terms, 2 tablespoons cornstarch scooped into a 1 cup measuring cup then you scoop enough all-purpose flour over that to equal 1 cup (be sure to level it off with the back of a knife). Or, for a more mathematically accurate option for this exact recipe: use 4 1/2 tablespoons (1/4 cup plus 1/2 tablespoon) cornstarch and add that to 1 3/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons flour. Sift and whisk twice before using in the cake.
What kind of sprinkles should I use?
Any kind! I prefer jimmies, because they’re the most classic confetti cake sprinkle. However, you can use any kind you like. Nonpareils are another good option, but be careful not to mix too much or the color could bleed. I don’t recommend super large sprinkles or those jumbo nonpareils, as they are just uncomfortable to bite into with such a lovely bite of cake truffle.
How to I keep the candy coating from turning grainy?
Keep it warm! I don’t own a microwave, so I had not choice but to melt my candy on a double boiler (a saucepan filled with 2 inches water, brought to a boil, then turned down to low). I just kept the bowl on the double boiler at low, stirring it every so often so it stayed in a melted state.
My tools
Here are my must-have tools I use for making these truffles. Affiliate links provided.
Mesh sieve (because sifting is KEY for a fluffy cake)
All-rubber spatula (this makes scraping the bowl easier so the batter and frosting doesn’t get all over a wooden handle!)
Melting Ice Cream Cone Cake Pops
- prep time: 30-35 minutes
- bake time: 35-40 minutes
- chill time: 2-3 hours
- total time: 4 hours, 15 minutes
servings: 36-48 cake pops (depending on size)
Ingredients:
for the vanilla butter cake
- 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (244g) cake flour, spooned then leveled
- 2 teaspoons (8g) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (3g) sea salt
- ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, room temperature*
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (150g) light brown sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons (27g) avocado or vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon (13g) vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240g) whole milk, room temperature
to assemble
- 1 cup vanilla buttercream (or your favorite frosting–marshmallow works well here, too!)
- ½ cup (about 150g) sprinkles (like rainbow jimmies), plus more for decorating
- 12 ounces (340g) candy melts (any color–I used pink)
- 36-48 waffle cones
Instructions:
make the cake
- Preheat oven to 325F/165C (350F/175C if at high elevation). Lightly grease and flour a 9x13 baking pan (or use baking spray).
- In a medium mixing bowl, use a large fine mesh sieve to sift then whisk together cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer), beat the butter on high until fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and brown sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape the bowl as necessary, at least once.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing on medium until light and fluffy (about 30 seconds) and scraping the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla and oil and mix on medium until well blended.
- Add half of the flour and mix on low until just barely blended. Add the milk and mix on low until just barely blended. Add the remaining flour and mix on low until just barely blended. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Mix on low another 3-5 seconds, just to mix it all. Don't’ worry if there are a few streaks of flour.
- Pour into your prepared baking pan and spread evenly. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the top begins to turn golden and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Check early, as baking times can vary by oven and climate.
- Let cake cool in the pan completely.
assemble
- While the cake cools, make your buttercream (if not made ahead).
- Once the cake is cool, use your hands or a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Try to get it all crumbled up well so you don’t have any large chunks–those will make it hard to make a round cake truffle. Add the buttercream and sprinkles and mix on low or stir gently until fully combined. It shouldn’t come together like bread dough, but it should be evenly mixed. If you squeeze some together in your hand, it should stay. If it’s falling apart, add 1-2 more tablespoons buttercream.
- Use a small cookie scoop to get about 1 ½ tablespoons cake. You can make them slightly larger or smaller, but this will impact how many cake pops total you get. Roll between your palms to create as round a ball as you can get. Don’t worry if they’re not perfectly round. Place on a parchment lined, rimmed baking sheet. Refrigerate at least 1 hour, until firm.
- While the cake balls chill, use a serrated knife to carefully saw the top half of your waffle cones, until the opening is the right size for the cake ball to sit on top of. You want the cake to be a little larger than the opening, like a classic scoop of ice cream on a cone.
- Melt candy coating in the microwave according to directions (or use a double boiler). Be very careful not to overheat it, as it will be ruined. You can keep it warm while you dip the cake pops by placing the bowl over a saucepan with 1” simmering water over lowest heat setting.
- Line a baking pan with parchment and place your decorating sprinkles in a shallow bowl so you’re ready to decorate.
- First, dip the tip of the waffle cone (the cut edge) into the candy melts. You only need to dip about ¼” or so. This will act as glue to adhere the cake ball to it. Immediately place a cake ball on the still-warm cone. Gently set it back on the parchment lined cookie sheet.
- Once all cones are dipped and have cake attached to them, place the tray in the fridge for 5-10 minutes, until the candy has hardened and the cake is firmly adhered.
- Gently reheat candy, if needed. Take a few cones out of the fridge at a time. Dip the cake in the candy, covering it fully. Immediately place it upside down on your parchment lined cookie sheet (or line a second sheet to make things easier). Immediately decorate with more sprinkles.
- Repeat until all cones are dipped. Refrigerate about 1 hour or freeze about 20 minutes to set the coating. You can also let it set at room temperature, but this takes a few hours.
- If serving within a day or two, store these at room temperature (refrigeration causes condensation). Otherwise, refrigerate or freeze until serving and let cake pops sit at room temperature at least an hour before serving to let the condensation dry.
Enjoy!
Cake pops should be stored in an airtight container. They will last at room temperature for 3-5 days, in the fridge 1-2 weeks, or in the freezer 6-8 weeks (wrapped individually). Let come to room temperature before serving, so that the condensation can dry.
*Ideally, use European style butter, as it has less water. If your butter has become shiny or oily, put it back in the fridge for 5-10 minutes until it firms up a bit (not hard) and is matte in appearance.