# What You’ll Need:
→ Cake Base
01 - 1 box (15 oz) vanilla or chocolate cake mix, plus required eggs, oil, and water per package instructions, or 1 homemade 9-inch cake, fully cooled
→ Binding Frosting
02 - 1/2 cup cream cheese frosting or buttercream frosting
→ Coating & Decoration
03 - 12 oz candy melts in desired school colors or white chocolate with food coloring
04 - 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening, optional, for thinning chocolate
05 - Sprinkles, edible glitter, or colored sugar in coordinating colors
06 - 24 lollipop sticks
07 - 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips for decorative tassels or accents
08 - Fondant in school colors, optional, for cap decorations
# How-To Steps:
01 - Bake cake according to package or recipe instructions. Allow to cool fully before proceeding.
02 - Break cooled cake into fine crumbs using hands or a mixer in a large mixing bowl.
03 - Add frosting gradually, mixing thoroughly until the mixture holds together when pressed. Use only enough to achieve a moldable consistency.
04 - Portion tablespoon-sized amounts and roll into 24 evenly sized balls by hand for uniformity.
05 - Arrange balls on a lined baking sheet, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or freeze for 20 minutes to set.
06 - In a microwave-safe bowl, melt candy melts or chocolate in 30-second increments, stirring between each, until smooth. Add vegetable shortening as needed for desired dipping consistency.
07 - Dip the tip of each lollipop stick into melted chocolate and insert halfway into each chilled cake ball. This secures the stick and prevents slipping.
08 - Fully submerge each cake pop in melted coating, lifting and tapping gently to remove excess. Work efficiently for smooth coverage.
09 - While coating is wet, immediately decorate with sprinkles, colored sugar, or edible glitter. For graduation caps, affix a fondant square atop each pop and attach a mini chocolate chip as a tassel using a dab of melted chocolate.
10 - Stand coated cake pops upright in a styrofoam block or cake pop stand. Allow coating to harden completely before serving or packaging.
