Chocolate and Almond Cake Pops

A product of hours of testing, experimental bakes and developments, these cake pops were the subject of my GCSE coursework final practical, the theme of which was winter. Again, these need to be made with a cake pop mould, which are easily available on the internet. But beware - they are not for beginners, and be sure to lay down some newspaper before making the spun sugar.

Ingredients

For the Sponge

125g Butter, Softened

125g Caster Sugar

125 Self-Raising Flour

2 Eggs, Beaten

2tsp Cocoa Powder

1/2tsp Almond Essence

12g Ground Almonds

For the White Chocolate Ganache

175g White Cooking Chocolate, broken up into small pieces

175ml Whipping Cream

For the Spun Sugar

3g Liquid Glucose

Pinch Cream of Tartar

33g Caster Sugar

15ml Water

25g Dark Cooking Chocolate

12 Wooden Skewers

Cake Pop Mould

Polystyrene Block

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160C/180C fan/Gas mark 3. Grease the mould well. Cream the butter and sugar together until a very light off-white (this will take at least 10 minutes), and very slowly add the eggs, beating well after each addition. Sift and fold in the flour with a metal spoon.

2. Divide the mixture in half, and in one add the cocoa powder, and to the other add the almond essence and ground almonds. Fill up one half of the mould; half with each mix, and marble with a cocktail stick. Place in the oven for about 10-15 minutes, or until a cocktail stick comes out clean when placed through the hole at the top.

3. While the cakes are cooking, heat the cream until bubbling, and pour on top of the chocolate in a heatproof bowl, and mix until all the chocolate has melted. Whisk with for a few minutes and then place in the fridge. Leave the cakes to cool on a wire rack before taking them out of the mould. 

4. Once the cakes have cooled, melt the dark chocolate, and coat the tip of a wooden skewer. Carefully push it through one of the balls about halfway, making sure a small amount of chocolate leaks out. This will be the glue for the skewer. Place in a dish with an edge, such as a cake tin (image above), and repeat for all the cake pops. Place in the fridge until the chocolate is completely set. 

5. Take the ganache out of the fridge, and whisk until its a thick liquid. Try dipping a cake pop into it, and if it easily enrobes the cake without being translucent or too stiff, its the right consistency. To loosen it, put it in the microwave for a few seconds. Dip each pop by the skewer into the ganache, letting any excess drip off, and push the bottom part of the skewer into a polystyrene block. Leave to set completely.

6. Lay out over the edge of your work surface three metal handles. To make the spun sugar, place all ingredients into a saucepan. Place the pan on a low heat, and stir continuously until all the sugar has dissolved. Using a pastry brush dipped in water, make sure all the sugar near the surface of the liquid stuck to the side of the saucepan is brushed away, or into the liquid to prevent recrystallisation. Turn up the heat slightly, so it gently bubbles. Heat until you see the very slightest change in colour to a slight caramel colour, and dip quickly the base of the saucepan in a bowl of water to stop it cooking. Using give it a second or two to thicken slightly, and using two forks back to back, dip them in, and flick them back and forth across the handles, to create thin, hair-like strands. Collect a few straight after you created them, and bend them with your hands into a slightly more circular shape, and place on top of a cake pop. If the liquid sets, place on a low heat, and wait for it to loosen again.

Enjoy :)