Graduation Cake Pops Gold

# What You Need:

→ For the Cake

01 - 1 box vanilla or chocolate cake mix with required ingredients listed on package

→ For the Frosting

02 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

03 - 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

04 - 1 tablespoon whole milk

05 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

06 - Pinch of salt

→ For the Coating and Decoration

07 - 16 ounces candy melts in two school colors

08 - 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening or coconut oil, optional for smoother dipping

09 - Gold sprinkles or edible gold glitter

10 - 24 lollipop sticks

11 - 1 Styrofoam block for drying pops

# Steps:

01 - Prepare the cake mix according to package instructions. Allow to cool completely before proceeding.

02 - Beat softened butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, then milk, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat until smooth and fluffy.

03 - Crumble the cooled cake into a large bowl. Mix in 1/2 to 3/4 cup of frosting gradually until the mixture holds together without being too wet.

04 - Roll mixture into 24 evenly sized balls of approximately 1 tablespoon each. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or freeze for 30 minutes.

05 - Melt a small amount of candy melts. Dip the end of each lollipop stick into the melted candy, then insert halfway into each cake ball to secure.

06 - Melt candy melts in separate bowls according to package instructions. Stir in shortening for smoother consistency if desired. Dip each cake pop into chosen school color and gently tap off excess coating.

07 - While coating is still wet, apply gold sprinkles or edible gold glitter. Place upright in Styrofoam block to set completely.

08 - Allow candy coating to harden completely before serving or packaging.

# Expert Advice:

01 -

You can make 24 gorgeous pops in one afternoon and feel like a dessert artist without needing professional skills.
School colors mean these actually fit the celebration instead of looking generic, and gold sprinkles catch the light in a way that makes people smile.
They're portable enough to hand out at parties, sturdy enough to survive being transported, and special enough that graduates actually want to keep the photos.

02 -

Chilling your cake balls is non-negotiable—warm or room temperature ones will fall off sticks the moment they hit warm candy melts.
Adding a little shortening to your candy melts changes everything; without it, you get thick, dull coating instead of that glossy professional finish people expect.

03 -