Bake Me I'm Yours... Cake Pops. Carolyn White

225g (8oz) caster sugar

      • 50g (2oz) desiccated coconut soaked in 150ml (5fl oz) boiling water

      • 1 tsp (5ml) vanilla extract

      • 200g (7oz) self-raising flour

      • 25g (1oz) cornflour

      • ¹⁄₂ tsp baking powder

      • 4 large eggs, beaten

      1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4 or 160°C for an electric fan-assisted oven.

      2 Grease and line a deep 20cm (8in) square cake tin or two shallow 21cm (8¹⁄₄in) round cake tins.

      3 Cream the butter and sugar together in an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the desiccated coconut and vanilla extract — the coconut will have absorbed all the water.

      4 Sift the flour, cornflour and baking powder together in a bowl. Beat the eggs into the cake mix gradually and then fold in the flour mixture.

      5 Spoon the cake mix evenly into your tins and bake for thirty-five to forty-five minutes if using a deep tin or twenty-five minutes in shallow tins, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

      Chocolate buttermilk cake

      Who can resist a chocolate cake? This one is easy to make and is rich and delicious, especially when combined with a chocolate ganache binding.

      You will need…

      • 165g (6oz) soft butter

      • 300g (10¹⁄₂oz) caster sugar

      • 2 tsp (10ml) vanilla extract

      • 3 eggs, beaten

      • 200g (7oz) plain flour

      • 65g (2¹⁄₂oz) self-raising flour

      • 70g (¹⁄₂oz) cocoa powder

      • 1 tsp baking powder

      • 250ml (9fl oz) buttermilk

      1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4 or 160°C for an electric fan-assisted oven.

      2 Grease and line a 20cm (8in) round cake tin (or use a disposable loaf tin).

      3 Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla extract together in an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs gradually, incorporating them well after each addition.

      4 Combine all the dry ingredients and then fold them into the mixture, alternating with the buttermilk.

      5 Spoon the cake mix evenly into your tin and bake in the oven for an hour, checking that a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the deepest part of the cake. Leave to cool for five minutes before turning out of the tin.

      When cool, try brushing your chocolate buttermilk cake with sugar syrup to add flavour and give a soft and tender crumb.

      devil’s cake

      This cake can be made in no time at all from our special pre-mixed pack — just add oil and water, mix and it’s ready to bake. Vanilla sponge is also available as a pre-mixed pack. See Suppliers for details of obtaining packs or order online at: www.cakes4funshop.co.uk

      Binding recipes

      Bindings and frostings are mixed with the cake crumb so that cake pops can be formed into balls and other shapes. It’s easy to add different colours and flavours too.

Vanilla buttercream

      Vanilla buttercream is so easy to make and is the perfect binding for many of the cake pop recipes. It can also be used as a topping. Use salted butter for a rich, creamy but slightly less sweet buttercream.

      You will need…

      • 500g (18oz) icing sugar

      • 250g (9oz) salted butter (must be soft)

      • ¹⁄₂ tsp (2.5ml) vanilla extract (or 1 tsp weaker vanilla essence)

      • about 2¹⁄₂ tbsp (35ml) water

      1 Sift the icing sugar on to the butter in an electric mixer, add the vanilla extract and beat on slow.

      2 Gradually increase the speed to high until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the water until the desired consistency is reached.

      Buttercream can be combined with citrus for extra flavour. For either a lemon or orange buttercream, add ¹⁄₂ tsp (2.5ml) of a good-quality lemon or orange oil. Alternatively, zest a cleaned, unwaxed lemon or orange and mix into the buttercream.

Chocolate buttercream

      This chocolate buttercream is a perennial favourite. It’s best to buy the chocolate in callet form, as the small pieces melt more evenly. Strawberry and caramel-flavoured chocolates are also available.

      You will need…

      • 125g (4¹⁄₂oz) dark chocolate callets

      • 250g (9oz) soft butter

      • 250g (9oz) sifted icing sugar

      1 Put the couverture chocolate callets in a plastic jug and place in a microwave on medium for two minutes and then in short bursts until it is melted (see also Tempering Chocolate).

      2 Cream the soft butter and icing sugar in an electric mixer on slow. Add the liquid chocolate, mixing and beating on high until soft and light.

      Lemon cream cheese frosting

      The addition of cream cheese and lemon in this frosting makes it smoothly rich yet fresh and zesty — a real winner.

      You will need…

      • 30g (1oz) soft butter

      • 80g (3oz) cream cheese

      • 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest

      • 240g (8¹⁄₂oz) sifted icing sugar

      1 Cream the butter, cream cheese and lemon zest in a small bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

      2 Gradually beat in the icing sugar.

      Dark chocolate ganache

      A ganache is a rich mixture of chocolate and cream used for a frosting or filling. For this recipe you can use any good-quality dark or plain chocolate — see Chocolate & Coatings and also Microwave Tempering. These instructions can be used for various chocolate flavours.