Cake pops are a little different to your normal baked or homemade treats. With a little imagination and a tad more patience, the creative possibilities are endless and would be a great fit to your DIY easter gift basket.
Making them takes place over several hours, requiring short bursts of effort rather than long periods of toil, making them perfect to dip and out of making throughout the day – ideal when you have interruptions from several little ones to attend to.
These Easter chick cake pops are a fairly easy way to give your first batch a little personality – even if you think you’re lacking in artistic talent!
(Makes approximately 20 cake pops)
Ingredients:
For cake:
2 medium eggs
180g self raising flour
140g caster sugar
120g butter
50mls milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
For cream cheese frosting:
70g softened butter
50g cream cheese
200g icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
To complete cake pops:
200g Renshaw Colour Melts in yellow
Black edible pen
Small amount of Renshaw orange icing for beaks
Lollipop sticks
1tbsp vegetable oil
Method:
Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
Cream together the sugar, butter and vanilla extract until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Beat the eggs in a separate bowl until light. Slowly add to the butter and sugar mixture, mixing thoroughly as you go.
Add the milk and flour and mix well. Pour into a greased 9″ cake tin and bake in oven for approximately 35 – 45 minutes, or until a knife stuck into the middle comes out clean. (Cover with foil if the top browns before the centre is cooked. This will prevent it burning).
Once the cake has been baked remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack.
Whilst waiting for the cake to cool you can proceed with making the frosting.
Mix together the butter and cream, then add the vanilla extract and icing sugar. Mix thorougly and place in fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Once your cake has completely cooled down, remove the sides, top and bottom with a sharp knife.
Use your fingers to turn the centre of the cake into fine crumbs.
Using your hands (not a spoon or machine – you need to be able to feel the texture as you go to ensure the dough reaches the right consistency), begin to add a little frosting at a time, kneading it into the crumbs until you create a soft, pliable dough that is neither too sticky nor too dry. You might not need to use all of the frosting that you’ve prepared. How much you’ll need will depend on how moist your cake is.
Once your dough has reached the required consistency place it back in the fridge for at least an hour.
Line a tray with greaseproof paper.
Remove your dough from the fridge and pull off a small amount, rolling it into a smooth, round ball about the size of the round between your forefinger and thumb – maybe a little larger. Place each ball onto the tray leaving adequate space around them. Once all your dough has been used up and rolled into balls, place them into the fridge for an hour.
Melt the Colour Melts according to the instructions. Stir through thoroughly and add a tablespoon of vegetable oil, continuing to stir as you do so.
Dip a lollipop stick approximately 2cm into the melted candy and imediately press a dough ball onto it. The stick should only go about halfway into your dough ball. Turn ball upside down and place with the stick facing upwards onto a tray of greaseproof paper for a couple of minutes until the ball sets onto the stick.
Once the ball has securely set onto the stick, it’s time to get dipping! Stick the dough ball into your melted candy mixture, ensuring it is evenly coated all the way around. Gently tap any excess off, then prop up the cake pop to dry. A piece of styrofoam is ideal for this.
Chill your covered cake pops for 30 minutes after which time the candy melts should have cooled down and firmed up around the cake ball.
Take a small amount of orange icing and mould into a pyramid shape for the beak. Press onto the centre front (wherever the front may be) of your cake pop.
Use the edible pen to draw on two dots for the eyes and you’re done!
These are best kept in the fridge in order to keep the candy melts from melting, especially on warmer days!
