# What You Need:
→ Cake
01 - 1 box (15 oz) vanilla or chocolate cake mix, plus ingredients specified on package (eggs, oil, water)
02 - or 1 homemade 9-inch cake, fully cooled
→ Frosting
03 - 1/2 cup cream cheese frosting or buttercream frosting
→ Coating and Decoration
04 - 12 oz candy melts in school colors or white chocolate with food coloring
05 - 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening (optional, for thinning chocolate)
06 - Sprinkles, edible glitter, or colored sugar in coordinating colors
07 - 24 lollipop sticks
08 - 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
09 - Fondant in school colors (optional, for cap decorations)
# How To Make It:
01 - Bake cake according to package or homemade recipe instructions. Allow cake to cool completely before proceeding.
02 - Break cooled cake into fine crumbs using clean hands or in a large bowl.
03 - Add cream cheese frosting or buttercream to crumbs, mixing with a spatula or hands until the mixture holds together yet is not overly wet. Start with less and add as needed.
04 - Scoop tablespoon-sized amounts and roll into 24 uniform balls. Place on a lined baking sheet.
05 - Cover and refrigerate cake balls for at least 1 hour, or freeze for 20 minutes, until firm.
06 - Melt candy melts or chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second bursts, stirring after each, until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add vegetable shortening in small amounts to reach coating consistency.
07 - Dip the tip of each lollipop stick in melted coating, then insert halfway into each chilled cake ball.
08 - Dip each cake pop fully in melted coating, ensuring a smooth, even coat. Gently tap off excess.
09 - Immediately decorate dipped pops with sprinkles or colored sugar. For graduation caps, press a square of fondant on top and affix a mini chocolate chip as a tassel with a dab of melted coating.
10 - Stand coated cake pops upright in a styrofoam block or cake pop stand to set. Allow coating to fully harden before serving or packaging.
