1. Bake the Cake:

• Preheat your oven to 325°F (162°C) for dark-colored pans or 350°F (175°C) for light-colored pans. Check the cake mix box for exact temperature based on your pan size.

• Combine the cake mix, oil, milk (or water), and eggs in a large bowl. Mix until smooth.

• Pour the batter into a greased or lined pan and bake according to the instructions on the cake mix box. Check doneness with a toothpick—if it comes out clean, the cake is done.

• Let the cake cool slightly, then crumble it into a large stand mixer or mixing bowl.

2. Crumble the Cake:

• Use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment on low speed, or crumble the cake by hand, ensuring no large pieces remain.

3. Make the Buttercream:

• Mix the softened butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, salt, and milk in a small bowl. Stir until smooth.

• Add the buttercream to the crumbled cake, mixing until fully incorporated. The mixture should be moist but firm enough to form balls.

4. Form the Cake Pops:

• Roll the cake mixture into 1¼-inch (3 cm) balls, about 30g each.

• Chill the cake pops in the freezer for about 15 minutes to firm them up.

5. Prepare the Candy Coating:

• Melt pink or white candy melts in the microwave, heating in 15-30 second intervals, stirring until smooth.

• Dip the tip of each lollipop stick into the melted candy, then insert the dipped tip halfway into each cake ball. Chill again for 15 minutes to set.

6. Dip the Cake Pops:

• Melt the remaining candy melts until smooth and pourable.

• Dip each cake pop into the melted candy, covering the cake ball completely. Tap off excess candy coating.

• Quickly decorate with nonpareils or sprinkles while the coating is still wet.

7. Dry and Serve:

• Place the decorated cake pops in a styrofoam block or stand to dry and set.

• Once dry, your cake pops are ready to be served!