Yan’s Christmas Memories Cake Pops

Method

Step 1
Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/Gas 4.

Step 2
Make the sponge. Place the butter and chocolate into a glass bowl and microwave on high in 30-second bursts, until the butter and chocolate have melted (alternatively, do this in a bowl suspended over a pan of simmering water). Stir in the coffee and vanilla, then use a wooden spoon to beat in the sugar until smooth.

Step 3
Beat the eggs and soured cream together in a jug or bowl and pour into chocolate mixture. Add the flour and beat together with a wooden spoon to make a smooth, thick batter.

Step 4
Divide the sponge mixture equally between the cupcake cases and bake for 13–15 minutes until risen and just firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and turn out the sponges onto a wire rack. Peel off the paper cases and leave to cool.

Step 5
While the cakes are cooling, make the icing. Place the butter and the icing sugar in a small bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth.

Step 6
Place the cooled cakes in a food processor and blitz to make fine crumbs. Add the icing 1 tablespoon at a time, until the cake is moist and dough-like and will roll into a ball shape. Divide the dough into two 200g portions.

Step 7
To make the Christmas trees, mix the mint extract into 1 portion of cake dough. Divide this into seven 30g balls. Roll each ball into a cone shape. Place the shaped cake dough on a tray and chill in the fridge for 15 minutes to firm up.

Step 8
For the snow globe cake pops, mix the coffee powder and ground ginger into the remaining portion of cake dough. Divide it up and roll it into seven 30g balls.

Step 9
To decorate, place the green candy melts in a bowl and microwave them in 30-second bursts on the defrost setting, until melted and smooth. Dip 7 lollipop sticks one by one into the melted candy and insert each into the base of a cone-shaped cake to make a cake pop. Insert upright into the cake-pop stand or polystyrene block and leave to set in fridge for 2–3 minutes. Then, dip each cake pop into the remaining candy until coated and place back in the cake-pop stand. Place in the fridge for 3 minutes or so, until set.

Step 10
Put the remaining green candy in a small piping bag (you may need to re-melt it), snip the end, then holding each cake pop in one hand, carefully pipe circles or spirals of green candy around and round each tree. Top each tree with a mini star decoration, using a little blob of candy melt to stick it in place, if necessary.

Step 11
Place the blue candy melts in a bowl and microwave them in 30-second bursts on the defrost setting, until melted and smooth. Dip the remaining lollipop sticks one by one into the melted blue candy and insert each into the base of a spherical cake pop. Position them upright in the cake-pop stand or polystyrene block and leave the cake pops to set in the fridge for 2 minutes.

Step 12
Dip the spherical cake pops into the remaining blue candy and decorate each one with snowflake sprinkles and mini snowmen. Allow to set.