Belgian Chocolate Cake Pops
Mmmmmm, I could lick one right now!
Cake pops – not something I thought I’d ever try until the boys asked for one recently. So, on Sunday, I decided to experiment. I had some chocolate cake in the freezer I’d been waiting to use, some chocolate in the cupboard and a whole host of decorations.
It’s not as easy as it looks!
Firstly, I think they were slightly too big – they felt a bit heavy on the lolly stick. BUT the technique of dipping your stick in chocolate before popping into the cake worked a treat!
Secondly, dipping smoothly is harder than it looks. PLUS I microwaved my chocolate and wished I had been old fashioned and used the ‘bowl over a pan’ method. The microwave left lumpy bits in my chocolate – I was NOT happy!
Thirdly, if you’re not a semi-pro or pro, what the hell do you stand these things up in?!! The cup felt somewhat precarious!
Nonetheless, I enjoyed making these and will do again… maybe little macarons on sticks?
Maybe everything should be little, on sticks? Hmmmm.
Belgian Chocolate Cake Pops
You will need crumbled chocolate cake – preferably a good, moist sponge. I used left-overs of this chocolate cake recipe… Obviously it didn’t have the topping on it though!
Chocolate Tray Bake Cake
340g (1 and 1/3 cups PLUS 2 tbp) unsalted butter
340g (3 and 1/3 cups) caster sugar
6 eggs
280g self-raising flour (2 cups PLUS 1/3 cup) (or plain flour, with baking powder/soda added)
60g (1/2 cup) cocoa powder
60g (1/3 cup) dark chocolate
60g (1/3 cup) milk chocolate
Good, generous squeeze of Golden Syrup
* Preheat oven to 180 degrees C / Gas 4.
* Grease and line a ten inch square cake pan.
* Beat together the butter and sugar until light and creamy.
* Beat the eggs, then add to the butter/sugar gradually. If it curdles, add a small spoonful of flour.
* Sift together the flour and cocoa powder. Slowly mix the flour/cocoa powder into the butter/sugar/egg mixture until combined.
* Spoon the mixture into the tin and bake for 45 – 60 mins. Keep checking it towards the end of baking – it is done when you can insert a skewer into the centre and it comes out clean.
* Allow to cool a little then turn onto a wire cooling rack.
* Melt the chocolate and treacle over a gentle heat in a small pan. Allow to cool slightly.
* When the cake is cold, pour over the chocolate fudge mixture. Ensure it is nice, thick and even. Allow to cool.
Back to Cake Pops….
* Crumble some cake into a bowl. I didn’t weigh mine, I just used a good couple of handfuls.
* Mix in some buttercream (I used 40g butter, 80g icing sugar).
* Make little balls in the palm of your hand. Place on a baking sheet and pop in the fridge.
* Melt a little chocolate.
* Dip the end of your lolly stick into the chocolate and poke into the cake pop.
* Leave to set hard.
* Melt more chocolate in a small, deep cup. Dip in your cake pop and stand in a cup or cake pop holder. When you have dipped all of them, sprinkle with your choice of decoration!
VOILA!!
