# What You’ll Need:
→ Cake
01 - 1 box (about 15 oz) vanilla or chocolate cake mix, plus required eggs, oil, and water per package instructions
02 - OR 1 homemade 9-inch cake, fully cooled
→ Frosting
03 - 1/2 cup cream cheese frosting or buttercream frosting
→ Coating & Decoration
04 - 12 oz candy melts in school colors or white chocolate with colored food coloring
05 - 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening, optional, for thinning chocolate
06 - Sprinkles, edible glitter, or colored sugar in coordinating school 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 - Prepare cake according to package or recipe directions and allow to cool completely.
02 - Crumble the cooled cake into fine crumbs in a large mixing bowl.
03 - Add frosting, mixing with a spatula or clean hands. Combine until mixture holds together when pressed.
04 - Scoop tablespoon-sized portions and roll into 24 even balls.
05 - Arrange balls on a lined baking sheet, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or freeze for 20 minutes.
06 - Melt the candy melts or chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring until smooth. Add vegetable shortening if needed for thinner consistency.
07 - Dip the tip of each lollipop stick in melted chocolate, then insert halfway into each chilled cake ball.
08 - Dip each cake pop fully into melted coating and gently tap off excess.
09 - While coating is still wet, adorn with sprinkles and colored sugar. For graduation caps, press a fondant square onto the pop and attach a mini chocolate chip with a dab of melted coating.
10 - Stand pops upright in a styrofoam block or cake pop stand to set. Allow coating to harden completely before serving.
