Christmas Elf Cake Pops Food

CHRISTMAS PUDDING CAKE POPS

Steps:

• Pulse the madeira cake in a food processor until you have fine crumbs. Melt the white chocolate in a bowl over just simmering water or in the microwave. Shop bought madeira cake can vary in texture so you may need to add a little extra melted white chocolate to make the mixture stick into balls. Stir the orange zest into the chocolate, then work the chocolate into the crumbs using your hands.
• Form into 10 small truffle-sized balls, then roll gently in your palms to smooth the surface. Arrange the balls on a baking parchment-lined dinner plate. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the mixture to set.
• Melt the dark chocolate in a microwave or over a bowl of just simmering water. Dip a lolly stick into the melted chocolate about 1.5cm in and poke half way into a cake ball. Repeat with the remaining balls. Put them back on the plate. Return to the fridge for five minutes.
• Dip the cake pops one at a time into the melted chocolate, allowing any excess chocolate to drip off and spin the pops to even out the surface. Poke the pops into a piece of polystyrene or cake pop holder if you have one, keeping the pops apart. Allow to set for about half an hour.
• Heat the white chocolate in a microwave or over a pan of simmering water. Allow to cool for a few minutes until it has a thick, runny consistency. If the chocolate is too hot, it will melt the dark chocolate underneath so make sure you do not overheat it. Spoon a small amount on top of the cake pops and tip them back and forth so that it runs down the sides a little. If you have holly decorations, set one on each pop. If using writing icing, wait for another 20 minutes or so until the white chocolate has set. To avoid a bloom on the chocolate, cover the cake pops in chocolate on the day you want to eat them - or the day before at the earliest.
• Pipe on holly leaves with the green icing and two little dots for berries using the red. Once finished, store them in a cool place, though not the fridge

FUN & FESTIVE CAKE POPS

Steps:

• Prepare and bake cake mix according to package directions, using a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Cool completely on a wire rack., Crumble cake into a large bowl. Add frosting and mix well. Shape into 1-1/2-in. balls. Place on baking sheets; insert sticks. Freeze for at least 2 hours or refrigerate for at least 3 hours or until cake balls are firm., In a microwave, melt candy coating. Dip each cake ball in coating; allow excess to drip off. Roll, sprinkle or drizzle with toppings of your choice. Insert cake pops into a styrofoam block to stand. Let stand until set.

PRESENT CAKE POPS

Steps:

• Prepare and bake cake according to package directions, using a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Cool completely on a wire rack., Crumble cake into a large bowl. Add 1/2 cup frosting and mix well. Press cake mixture into silicone ice cube trays; insert a lollipop stick into each. Freeze for at least 2 hours or until cake cubes are firm., Run a small spatula around the edge of each cake cube to loosen; remove from trays. In a microwave, warm remaining vanilla frosting; stir until smooth. Dip pops in frosting. Insert cake pops into a styrofoam block to stand. Form ribbons and bows with strips of fruit rolls. Let stand until set.

CHRISTMAS TREE POPS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease a 20cm round cake tin and line the base with a circle of baking parchment.
• Put the butter in a big mixing bowl with the sugar and vanilla extract, and mix until it looks creamy. Crack in the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each one. Sift the flour and cocoa together, add to the bowl with the milk and stir everything together until smooth. Spoon into the cake tin and use the back of a wooden spoon to spread the top to make it as flat as you can. Bake for 20 mins until a skewer poked into the centre comes out clean, with just cake crumbs stuck to it, not wet batter. Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin on a wire rack.
• Remove the cake from the tin and use a serrated knife to cut it into 8 wedges. Turn each one so that the round, outside edge is facing you, and push a lollipop or cake pop stick through the middle of the outside edge. Remember to leave enough of the stick poking out for you to hold.
• Mix the food colouring and icing sugar with enough water to make an icing that is a bit runny, but still quite stiff. Try drizzling a bit on a spare piece of paper; you want it to stay in strips, not run all over the place.
• Spoon some icing over each cake wedge (you can cover it completely or drizzle lines across them in a tree shape). Decorate with sugar snowflakes and mini Smarties, then lift onto a wire rack and leave to set completely (this will take a few hours). Iced cakes will keep in the tin for up to 2 days. The un-iced cake can be frozen for up to 6 months. Defrost completely before cutting and decorating.

SNOWMAN CAKE POPS

Steps:

• Prepare and bake cake according to package directions, using a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Cool completely on a wire rack., Crumble cake into a large bowl. Add 1/2 cup frosting and mix well. Shape mixture into thirty-six 3/4-in. balls and thirty-six 1-in. balls. Place on baking sheets. Freeze for at least 2 hours or refrigerate for at least 3 hours or until cake balls are firm and easy to handle., To assemble snowmen, insert a lollipop stick into a large cake ball and then a small cake ball. Insert cake pops into a foam block to stand. In a microwave, warm remaining frosting; stir until smooth. Spoon frosting over each pop., Using sprinkles, add faces and buttons to snowmen. Add earmuffs and scarves with M&M's and pieces of fruit rolls. Let stand until set.