Rose & Leaf Topped Cake Pops

Makes 20

For the red velvet cake

60 g (2 oz) unsalted  butter
150g (5 oz, 2/3 cup) caster
(superfine) sugar
1 large (US – extra large) egg
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
150 g (5 oz, 1 1/5 cups) plain
(all-purpose) flour
120 ml (4 fl oz) milk
1 tablespoon red food colouring
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 1/2 teaspoons white wine vinegar

For the cream-cheese frosting

80 g (3 oz, 2/3 cup) icing (confectioner’s) sugar
40 g (1 1/2 oz) cream cheese

For the rose and leaf decorations

100 g (3 1/2 oz) white sugar
paste (fondant)
1/2 teaspoon CMC powder
green food colouring
Icing (confectioner’s) sugar
for dusting
Gold lustre dust
2–3 drops rejuvenator spirit, or vodka

For the cake pops

400 g (14 oz) light green candy melts
1-3 tablespoons vegetable oil
20 15-cm- (6-in-) long lollipop sticks
A polystyrene block with holes in (for standing your pops in to dry)

Instructions

To make the cake, preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F, gas mark 3). Lightly butter a 20-centimetre- (8-inch-) diameter round cake tin and line it with baking paper.

Using a food processor with the beater attachment, beat together the butter and sugar until the mixture is pale and creamy. Add the egg and beat until it is well incorporated. Sift the flour and cocoa together into a separate bowl. Measure out the milk into a measuring jug and add the food colouring and vanilla extract. Add the flour and milk mixtures to the butter mixture, half at a time. Finally, add the salt, bicarbonate of soda and white wine vinegar and beat using the food processor until they are well incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure that all of the ingredients are well mixed.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Set the cake aside to fully cool in the tin. Once cooled, break the cake up into crumbs.

To make the cream-cheese frosting, use a food processor to beat the icing sugar and cream cheese together until smooth. Set it aside with your cake.

To make the rose and leaf decorations, kneed the CMC powder into the sugar paste. Then, divide the sugar paste into two halves. Use the food colouring to colour one half green. Dust the work surface with some icing sugar, and then roll out the green sugar paste to 3–4 millimetres (1/5 inch) using a rolling pin. Use a small leaf cutter to cut out leaf shapes.

Divide up the remaining sugar paste into 2-centimetre (3/4-inch) balls and press into a small silicon rose mould to make the sugar roses. Set the leaves and roses aside for 15–20 minutes to firm up. Once they are firm, mix a small amount of the gold lustre dust in a small bowl with a few drops of the rejuvenator spirit or vodka to form a paste. Use a paintbrush to delicately paint your sugar roses gold.

Now it is time to bring all of the elements together and make your cake pops. First, line a baking tray with baking paper. Then, mix the cake crumbs in a large bowl with the cream-cheese frosting to form a dough. Roll the dough into 20 balls, approximately 30 grams (1 ounce) each in weight, and place them on the lined tray. Cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for 2 hours, or until firm.

When firm, remove the cake balls from the fridge. Melt the candy melts by following the instructions on the packet and stir in the oil until the candy is smooth and runny. Set aside to cool slightly.

When the candy has cooled, dip the end of each lollipop stick 1 cm (1/2 in) into the candy, and insert the stick halfway into each cake ball. Then, carefully dip each cake ball in the candy until it reaches the stick, and gently tap off the excess. Place your cake pops in a stand to hold them upright. Decorate with rose or leaf and let them dry.