Cake Pop Decorating Essentials List

Where are my cake pop lovers at? I have formulated a list of all the essentials any cake pop decorator should need to start their own business, hobby, or side hustle! I have made many mistakes throughout the cake pop process because I’m going to be honest they aren’t one of the easiest desserts to make. But this list of tools have helped me make the perfect cake pop! 

Lets jump right in!

This will make the cake pop process 10 times easier for you. At the beginning I would break the cake with my hands into small crumbs, but using the food processor allows for a more even distribution. It also helps to make sure you don’t miss some chunks! If you don’t already have one I recommend a Hamilton Beach Food Processor.

The melting pot is where all the good stuff happens. Melting down those delicious candy melts to make your cake pop coating. You can easily use the Double Boiler method when melting chocolate; having one pot about a quarter full of boiling water, then sitting another pot on top to melt the chocolates in. You can also use the microwave to melt your candy melts as well 30 seconds at a time, then stirring, but the double boiler definitely prevents you from messing up the chocolate consistency. 

The structure to the mighty cake pop is its stick! The typical size cake pop sticks are 8 inch Lollipop Sticks, but they also come in 6 inch and 4 inch. I personally recommend 8 or 6 inch Lollipop Sticks because that is what most people will be expecting if you are serving these. You can go the plain white route or do colorful ones, even striped straws work for an extra flare on your cake pops.

I once had a friend who made cake pops and after showed me them wondering why they won’t harden and look all melty…GUESS WHAT SHE WAS USING?! Melting ICING!! I was dying and told her that you should be using candy melts! I use Choco Makers Candy Melts in both chocolate and vanilla. Compared to Wilton’s Candy Melts I find these melt very beautifully and help give an even layer of chocolate on your cake pops when dipping. I always buy in store at Walmart because they are $2.88/lb but a whopping $22 on Amazon for 2lb. If you want colored candy melts I’ll talk about that in the next essential item for cake pop decorating

This candy coloring works well to dye the chocolates without changing the consistency of the chocolate. I have tried using multiple types of food dye but they either never dye the chocolate vibrant enough or it curdles the chocolate. AmeriColor’s Candy Coloring is an oil that melds well with the chocolate and allows you to make any color coating you would like. I know that there are colored candy melts but those never melt to a thin enough consistency for me so I stopped using them.

A Cake Pop Stand is a necessity because unless you always wanted to have your cake pop chocolate coating flattened on parchment paper with the sticks sticking upwards (which is totally fine if that is what you want :)), then you need something to allow them to dry before packaging or storing away.

Sprinkles have been a necessity in ALL my dessert essentials from cookies to cupcakes to now cake pops. So simple, yet it does SO much. I’m not going to tell you what sprinkles to buy because that’s basically up to you and whichever you choose doesn’t make a difference as long as it fits with the theme you are going for. If you are looking for somewhere to start, the Assorted Sprinkles Pack is where I would begin. It has 8 different colored packs of jimmies sprinkles for $11.50 which will give you a good variety to do whatever you please with!

This item is in my shopping cart right now because although you can make balls of cake with your hands, the Cake Pop Silicone Molds will allow the perfect sized balls that are the same throughout your whole batch. The perfectionist in me as a Virgo is really excited about this purchase. Not only are there silicone molds for cake pop balls but you can find heart molds for valentine’s day and many other shapes to make whatever you desire in your creative mind.

I am not a fan of fondant, but many are and I have seen plenty use fondant for cake pops. This can be used to cover the cake pops and mold designs for decorating. A Fondant Roller is necessary for rolling out the fondant… if you hadn’t guessed by the name 😂. I personally don’t have one myself, but doing some research found that people like to buy the silicone roller to prevent the fondant from sticking to the wood, but I have also seen people roll fondant with a normal rolling pin, so you can do either. Just to be safe if you use a normal rolling pin, dust it with powdered sugar for protective measures against sticking!

A Fondant Cutter will help you cut the slab of fondant you rolled into the smaller pieces you need to cover the cake pops and create miniature designs. I would also say to use Circle Cookie Cutters and figure out which size cut out will allow for the perfect covering of your pop, saving a lot of time just using the simple fondant cutter.