# Ingredient List:
→ Cake
01 - 1 box vanilla or chocolate cake mix (15 oz), plus required box ingredients (eggs, oil, water)
02 - or 1 homemade 9-inch cake, fully cooled
→ Frosting
03 - 1/2 cup cream cheese frosting or buttercream
→ Coating and 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 for decoration
07 - 24 lollipop sticks
08 - 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips for tassel accents
09 - Fondant in school colors (optional, for cap decorations)
# How-To Steps:
01 - Bake cake according to package or recipe directions and let cool completely before handling.
02 - Break cooled cake into fine crumbs using your hands or a fork in a large bowl.
03 - Add cream cheese or buttercream frosting and mix with a spatula or hands until the mixture binds; do not over-add frosting.
04 - Portion tablespoon-sized scoops and roll into 24 uniform balls.
05 - Place balls on a lined baking sheet, cover, and refrigerate 1 hour or freeze for 20 minutes to firm up.
06 - Heat candy melts or white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second bursts, stirring until fully smooth; add vegetable shortening if needed for consistency.
07 - Dip the end of each lollipop stick into melted chocolate then insert halfway into each chilled cake ball.
08 - Coat each cake ball completely by dipping into melted candy coating, gently allowing excess to drip off.
09 - Add sprinkles, colored sugar, or edible glitter while coating is wet. For graduation caps, place a fondant square atop each pop, securing a mini chocolate chip for the tassel using melted chocolate.
10 - Stand pops upright in a styrofoam block or cake pop stand and allow coating to harden before serving.
