Like most cakes, cake pops do not have to be refrigerated. The frosting you mix with the cake to make the pops is the deciding ingredient: If it is made with whipped cream, cream cheese or pastry cream, you should refrigerate the cake pops to prevent them spoiling. If your cake pops are made with premixed frosting -- the most reliable choice for consistently professional-looking cake pops -- they do not require refrigeration. If you refrigerate cake pops after you have dipped them in melted almond bark or candy melts, condensation may develop on the coating, causing it to become sticky, and the cake pop mixture inside of the coating may dry out and lose its creaminess.

As you roll the cake and frosting mixture between your hands to form the cake pops, your body heat can make the pops lose their shape. You can alleviate this problem by mixing the cake and icing together and promptly refrigerating the mixture for around 30 minutes. Take one-half of the mixture out of the refrigerator and roll out the cake pops. Put the rolled pops back in the refrigerator while you roll out the second half of the mixture.

The freshly rolled cake pops should stay in the refrigerator for at least two hours before you dip them in melted almond bark or candy melts. This refrigeration time will ensure they are firm enough to keep their shape during the dipping and drying process. After two hours, melt a small amount of the coating. Dip the tip of each lollipop stick into the melted coating and insert it approximately 1/4 inch deep into a cake pop. Refrigerate for at least five more minutes to allow the coating to harden so the stick is security attached to the cake pop.

Store undipped cake pops in the refrigerator for up to three days, or freeze them for up to six weeks in a freezer bag. Store finished cake pops up to five days in an airtight container in a cool, dry place that is not subject to extreme temperatures.