Starbucks ‘Cake Pop Guru’ shares his secrets behind the beloved treat
Let’s take a sweet spin through Starbucks cake pop history – from the Birthday Cake that started it all in 2011 to the newest treat to hop onto the Starbucks menu.
There was the colorful green parrot with a riot of confetti feathers. The bumblebee that looked like a cat. (Or was it a cat that looked like a bumblebee?) And who could forget that shifty racoon? Since they launched in 2011, Starbucks cake pops have become more than just a delicious ball of cake and frosting – they are almost like little bite-sized celebrities with an adoring fandom that grows each year. But how did this tiny treat become such an icon?
Creating ‘Pop Art’
Brian Munley has worked on the Starbucks Food team for the last five years as a senior developer for Starbucks R&D. But his unofficial title is Cake Pop Guru. It’s his job to develop the whimsical confectionary creations that adorn Starbucks bakery cases.
His first step? The calendar. “We know that we need to fit into a seasonal architecture, so we look to see what would resonate during the time of year. We also work with our Creative Studio teams to see the color palette that’s being used to see what’s happening thematically in our coffeehouses,” he said.
Then he starts to sketch ideas on paper, doodling designs in colored pencil on sheets of plain paper filled with cake pop templates made to the exact dimensions. “Inspiration comes from everywhere,” he said. “If you can imagine it, I have probably drawn it on a cake pop.”
He then works with the supplier to create samples for the Starbucks team and the concept gets refined again and again. “Everyone is so excited and invested in this platform that they all have ideas of what it should be,” he said. “So, to make the decision of what we should launch, it takes so many iterations to get there.”
After more (delicious) quality testing, the cake pop enters production and is shipped to tens of thousands Starbucks coffeehouses, where it’s sure to spark a new batch of fans.
Cake Pop history
Cake pops first joined the Starbucks menu on March 8, 2011, part of a new Starbucks Petites bakery line. The treats tapped into a mini-dessert trend of the era, along with mini cupcakes, lemon squares and whoopie pies. (The other tiny treat still on the menu? Petite Vanilla Bean Scone.) The cake pops were an instant success, and each season began to see new flavors and designs.
Early cake pops were made by hand, with cake and frosting rolled into spheres and placed on the end of a stick before being hand-dipped in melted chocolatey icing. In 2018, production shifted to a more automated process to allow for complex shapes and designs, and cake pops expanded beyond the United States and Canada to include Latin America and UK.
“At the beginning, everything was being made by hand,” Munley said. “So we’ve had to figure out how to do this at scale, which was to make some of them the molded shapes that you know and love.”
But there are still occasional surprises, even with robot helpers.
“There’s some variability with how the eyes are applied, and you get some really funny looking ones,” Munley said. “With the Racoon, it could have the most hilarious side eyes – they can look really shady.”
Even after 15 years, the love for Starbucks cake pops has never been stronger. In fact, Valentine’s Day 2026 was the biggest single day for cake pop sales day in Starbucks history.
“Normally in food you think about flavor or format,” Munley said. “With cake pops you get to be artsy – they have personality, they have faces. So they spark a different kind of joy.”
There have been dozens of cake pops customers have known and loved over the years. Scroll down to see some of the most iconic.
2011
Birthday Cake
One of the original cake pops, called Birthday Cake, is still one of the most beloved. Now more than 15 years later it’s still the same recipe – made with vanilla cake mixed with vanilla buttercream, dipped in pink chocolaty icing and finished with a flurry of festive white sprinkles.
2013
Chocolate
Though other chocolatey cake pops had their moments to shine (looking at you Cookie Dough and Cookies & Cream) it’s classic Chocolate that has become a favorite year after year, crafted with rich chocolate cake and chocolate buttercream, then dipped in chocolaty icing and dusted with white sprinkles.
Salted Caramel
Inspired by the seasonal Salted Caramel Mocha, featured on the fall menu alongside Pumpkin Spice Latte from 2008-2021, the Salted Caramel cake pop juxtaposed sweet and salty with chocolate cake mixed with caramel icing, dipped in milk chocolate and topped with sea salt and a crosshatch of caramel drizzle.
2015
Holiday: Snowman
The first Snowman cake pop was inspired by the wintry character who has appeared on a Starbucks card every year since 2010. The original Snowman was a ball-shaped cake pop with vanilla cake mixed with buttercream, dipped in white chocolatey icing and a carrot-shaped nose (of course!).
2016
Mummy
A fun mix of scary and sweet, this fall treat featured vanilla cake and icing dipped in a white confectionary coating just in time for Halloween, the same year that Frappula Frappuccino swooped into Starbucks coffeehouses.
2018
Parrot
2018’s springtime cake pop pushed the bounds of spherical creativity with a playful crown of plumage in colorful candy confetti.
Cat
In the fall of 2018, a smiling new cake pop was the cat’s meow and ushered in the era of special shapes. Bustle magazine called them “the cutest baked good to ever hit the menu.”
2021
Earth
In perhaps one of the most creative uses of the original cake pop shape, this globe of goodness celebrated Earth Day with rich chocolate cake dipped in a blue chocolaty icing and finished with green and white sprinkles to mimic land and clouds.
Unicorn
An enchanting treat with creamy vanilla cake and confetti sprinkles dipped in velvety white chocolatey icing, all dressed up in a swirl of unicorn magic.
2022
Owl
Whoo’s this cutie? The cheerful owl in fall 2022 was Munley’s first creation. “Purple feels very Halloween/fall season and it’s a great way to bring something bright and add a pop of color into the case,” he said.
Reindeer
This tiny reindeer from looks prepared to “sleigh” the holiday season with antlers, a red nose and plenty of chocolatey cheer.
2023
Summer: Bumblebee
Is it a cat? Is it a bee? The internet was divided, and the debate fueled a social media frenzy that made the Bumblebee Cake Pop the most viral cake pop of all time. “We thought that black stripes on a yellow background obviously cued bumblebee but social media went wild with it,” he said. “Even so, it sold incredibly well.”
2024
Strawberries & Cream
2024’s Strawberries & Cream Cake Pop was a berry delightful treat, made with strawberry cream cake mixed with buttercream, dipped in chocolatey icing and finished with a fresh-picked strawberry design.
Racoon
Autumn 2024 brought the addition of the Racoon Cake Pop, which became especially beloved in Canada as a nod to the mischievous “trash pandas” of Toronto, and the city’s unofficial mascot.
Snowman
Holiday 2024 brought a new cake pop inspired by the viral snowman cookie made with vanilla cake and buttercream, dipped in white chocolaty icing and his signature blue earmuffs.
2026
Frog
The newest addition to the Starbucks animal cake pop menagerie in spring of 2026 was a friendly Frog, with a new rounded ear shape first introduced in 2025. You’ve come a long way, buddy!
