The History of Cake Pops

While we don't know of any definitive inventor of cake pops, we do know that they were first popularized by home baking blogger Angie Dudley. Reportedly, she was inspired to decorate cake balls, which have long been around in the baking world, as if they were cakes after taking a cake-decorating class in 2007. In February 2008, she shared a recipe for cleverly decorated cake pops on her blog, Bakerella. After it was reposted by a popular cupcake blog called Cupcakes Take the Cake, Dudley’s cake pops went viral. In fact, they became so popular that Dudley was invited to appear on Martha Stewart’s cooking show. After the segment aired, cake pops exploded in popularity. Dudley even published a book of cake pop recipes in 2010. In 2011, Starbucks began selling cake pops and they remain a popular offering at the chain to this day. While the cake pop craze has died down somewhat since its heyday in the late aughts and early 2010s, the bite-sized treats remain popular today and can be found at many bakeries and even some retailers such as Target and Walmart.