Sourdough Cake Pops

These sourdough discard cake pops are used with my from-scratch sourdough vanilla cake recipe and vanilla cream cheese frosting. They’re a cinch to make and so fun to decorate for holidays such as Valentine’s Day, Christmas, Fourth of July, or as a birthday party treat!

Does anyone else have kids who beg for cake pops any time they pass a Starbucks or Caribou Coffee?? Yeah, me too. Coffee stops aren’t too frequent but when they happen, there’s no way I can deny my kiddos a cake pop if I’m getting myself a treat too.

But you know what’s even better than store-bought desserts? Homemade ones, of course! These sourdough cake pops use sourdough discard and simple pantry ingredients. The cake does call for cake flour, but I make my own with cornstarch and all-purpose flour.

And bonus–no food coloring is used here! I blended freeze-dried strawberries to get that beautiful pink color and added it to the melting wafers that I dipped these cake pops in. Top with dye-free sprinkles for a sweet treat.

This recipe makes about 35 cake pops which is great if you want to make them for a party.

Looking for more sourdough recipes? Check these out:

• Baked Sourdough Doughnuts with Chocolate Glaze
• Sourdough Pop Tarts with Strawberry Jam
• Brown Butter Sourdough Maple Cookies
• Soft Sourdough Pretzels with Beer Cheese Dip

Ingredients

• Granulated Sugar – This brings the classic sweet flavor to this vanilla sourdough cake.
• Melted Butter – I always use salted butter. Unsalted butter also works, but add an extra 1/8 teaspoon of salt when you’re adding the salt to the dry ingredients.
• Vanilla Extract
• Sourdough Discard – I used leftover sourdough discard. You can also use active, bubbly sourdough starter.
• Salt
• Cake Flour – I use a combination of cornstarch and all-purpose to make cake flour (instructions listed below). If you have cake flour on hand, even better!
• Whole Milk – Room temperature milk is used to make the softest, fluffiest cake!
• Egg Whites – We don’t use any egg yolks in this vanilla cake. This results in a moist, fluffy cake.
• Baking Powder – This is the leavening agent that assists in the cake rising.

For the vanilla cream cheese frosting:

• Powdered Sugar – This is what makes the frosting so sweet. It’s perfect for the cake pops.
• Cream Cheese – Keep it at room temperature and use full-fat block cream cheese–not the whipped kind.
• Butter – Again, use room-temperature butter to ensure a fluffy frosting. I use salted butter here. If you’re using unsalted butter, add an additional 1/8 teaspoon of salt to the frosting.
• Vanilla Extract – Because we always use vanilla extract in our baked goods. 🙂

• Melting Wafers – You can also use almond bark or chocolate melting wafers if you’d like a chocolate frosted cake pop!
• Freeze-Dried Strawberries – I blend them in a food processor until they are a soft powder. They will add a strawberry flavor to your cake pops, so if you don’t like strawberries, you can use food coloring to get the desired color you’d like.
• Sprinkles – Use any fun sprinkles you’d like! You can find tons of fun seasonal colors depending on when you make them. I like to use dye-free sprinkles and there are some great options on Amazon!

Step-By-Step Instructions

Step One: Prepare Your Cake Flour

If you don’t have cake flour on hand, don’t worry—you can make your own! Measure out all-purpose flour, remove a portion of it, and replace it with cornstarch. Sift everything together at least twice to aerate and fully combine.

In a medium bowl, whisk together cake flour (or homemade cake flour), baking powder, and salt.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Grease and line a springform pan with parchment paper. (I like to sprinkle a little flour at the bottom, too—it helps prevent sticking!)

Step Two: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together sugar, melted salted butter, and vanilla extract.

Step Three: Stir in sourdough discard until the mixture is smooth.

Step Four: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, alternating with whole milk. Stir gently until just combined. In a clean, grease-free bowl, beat egg whites until they form soft peaks. Gently fold them into the cake batter—this makes the cake extra light and tender! (I’ve also added the egg whites to the bowl of wet ingredients and it made a beautiful, fluffy cake).

Step Five and Six: Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and spread it evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (about 38-45 minutes). Oven temperatures can vary, so keep an eye on it!

Step Seven: While your cake is baking, let’s whip up some frosting! In a large bowl, beat together room-temperature cream cheese and softened salted butter until smooth and fluffy. Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and mix until fully combined. Stir in vanilla extract and salt. Beat for another few minutes until light and creamy.

Step Eight: Remove the cake from the oven, cut off the outer side crust (this ensures soft cake pops), then transfer to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer.

Step Nine: Once the cake is done, carefully transfer it to a large mixing bowl while it’s still warm. Use your hands or a fork to crumble the cake into pieces.

Step Ten: Add the prepared frosting and mix on low speed until it forms a soft, dough-like texture. Scoop about a tablespoon of cake mixture and roll it into a smooth ball.

Step Eleven: Place the cake balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for about 20 minutes to firm up.

Step Twelve: If you want a natural pink color, blend some freeze-dried strawberries.

Step Thirteen: Melt the melting wafers or almond bark according to the directions on the package. Stir in the finely blended freeze-dried strawberries.

Step Fourteen: Dip the end of each cake pop stick into the melted coating, then insert it halfway into each cake ball.

Place the cake pops back in the freezer for a few minutes to help them set. If needed, re-melt the wafers by microwaving for a few seconds. Dip each cake pop into the melted coating, turning to fully coat. Let the excess drip off. Decorate with sprinkles immediately before the coating hardens!

Place the cake pops upright in a styrofoam block, cardboard box, or cake pop stand to dry. If you don’t mind a flat top, you can let them cool upside down on the baking sheet. Once fully set, enjoy! Store in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days, or refrigerate for longer storage.

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Tips for Making These the Best Sourdough Cake Pops!

• Use Room Temperature Ingredients. The milk, eggs, and sourdough discard should all be room temperature. This ensures a light, fluffy cake instead of a dense one.
• Play with the Flavor. If you’re a fan of chocolate over vanilla, this sourdough discard chocolate cupcake recipe would work perfectly for the chocolate cake pops! Make the chocolate cream cheese frosting instead of the vanilla frosting.
• Make Them with Your Kids! They would love to help and it would be a fun activity to do together.
• Use a Cardboard Box. If you don’t have a cake pop stand (me neither!) or styrofoam, use a cardboard box. Poke holes in the box and stick the cake pops in the holes to let them harden upright after dripping off excess coating.

Storage

Store these sourdough cake pops are room temperature for up to 3 days in an airtight container. You can also store them in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container.