Recipe by The Tiny Cake Company

Alongside cupcakes and whoopie pies, another American trend that appears to be making it big this side of the pond, is cake pops.

These treats are now cropping up in outlets all over London, including Harvey Nichols, supplied by POP Bakery, and Selfridges Food Hall, supplied by Molly Bakes. And as with cupcakes there is also a growing cottage industry around this trend. Why not give them a go this Christmas?

 

Basic Chocolate or Vanilla Sponge:

 

For a seasonal flavour you can add brandy, rum or your favourite liqueur to the buttercream, or spices to the sponge mix.

Ingredients

Margarine or butter100g

Caster sugar100g

Self-raising flour150g

Baking powder1 tsp

Cocoa powder50g

Eggs2

Hot water3 tbsp

Vanilla extract2/3 drops

Chocolate buttercream:

Unsalted butter50g

Icing sugar85g

Cocoa powder1 1/2 tblsps

Vanilla extact1/2 tsp

Warm water or brandy etc1 tbsp

Decorations:

White, red and green fondant icing

Milk or plain chocolate melted

Small flower and leaf cutter

4in white lollipop sticks

Edible glue

Block of florist’s oasis covered in foil (to use as a stand to dry pops)

Optional decorations - silver balls, edible glitter, sprinkles, ribbons, shaped cutters

 

Method

For the sponge:

1. Mix all ingredients until light and creamy.

2. Pour into a greased 18cm cake tin. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180C until firm, then cool.

For the buttercream:

1. Sift the icing sugar/cocoa powder into a mixer and add other ingredients

2. Mix until creamy and smooth.

To make the cake balls:

1. Crumble the cold sponge into a mixer and mix until like fine breadcrumbs. Add a third of the cream and blend to a soft dough.

2. Take small spoonfuls and roll into balls of the same size. Place on a dish covered with greaseproof paper. Freeze until firm, but not frozen.

3. Melt the chocolate over a pan of hot water, remove balls from freezer, dip the end of the lolly sticks into chocolate and place in the cake ball. Chill in fridge for 10 minutes.

4. Dip the whole ball into the melted chocolate. Stand pops in prepared stand to dry.

5. Roll out white flowers and leaves, roll small amounts for red fondant into berries and attach with edible glue. Decorate with ribbons etc

l See pages 25-27 for our Christmas feature