Cake popsicles

These chocolate-coated popsicles are a really fun way to use cake scraps, and there's no limit to how you decorate them.

• makes

  24

• prep

  25 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

When I first started baking, I was trialling a lot of recipes and I didn’t want to throw anything away. Cakes would fail, I’d have offcuts from decorating, and my freezer was always fill of trimmings. I had this little silicone mould for making icy poles out of fruit juice and one day I decided to make cake pops instead. I then decorated them to look like popsicles and for a while they went crazy online and became my signature. I loved experimenting with the decorating.

Ingredients

• About 1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) cake or cake offcuts (from any cake)
• 120 g (½ cup) block cream cheese, softened
• Splash of milk, as needed
• 1 kg (1 lb 2 oz) chopped white chocolate
• 55 g (2 oz) vegetable oil
• Oil-based food colouring (your call on what colour), as needed
• Sprinkles, for decorating

You’ll need three 8-hole silicone popsicles moulds (or shape popsicles by hand) and 24 popsicle sticks.

Freezing time: 20-30 minutes

Instructions

1. Break cake into manageable pieces, then place in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on low speed to crumble the cake to a fine, sandy texture.
2. Add the cream cheese and continue mixing until a smooth dough just comes together. (To test if the dough is ready, form a small amount into a ball: it should hold together; if it falls apart, add a splash of milk to the dough.)
3. Weigh out the dough into rough 40 g (1½ oz) balls. Press each ball into a silicone mould, packing it in with the palm of your hand. If you’re not using a mould, you can also shape the cake popsicles by hand. Freeze the cake popsicles for 20–30 minutes until solid, but not frozen.
4. Meanwhile, place the white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals, mixing between each burst, until completely melted. Mix in the oil to thin it out, then either mix in a few drops of food colouring to dye it to your desired shade, then pour some into a cup; or divide it between a few cups, and dye them a few different colours or shades.
5. Insert a popsicle stick into the centre of each of the chilled dough balls so they resemble lollipops.
6. Place a large sheet of baking paper on the bench. Working with one cake popsicle at a time, dip a pop into the melted chocolate, tilting the cup to cover it completely and tapping any excess back into the cup. (Note: the liquid should be about 30–35°C/85–95°F, that is melted, but not hot. If it starts to seize up, give it a burst in the microwave.) Place the dipped cake pop onto the sheet of baking paper and, working quickly, decorate it with sprinkles before the coating sets. Repeat with remaining cake pops, topping up the cup as needed.
7. Cake popsicles will keep refrigerated in an airtight container for a week, although they’re best enjoyed brought back to room temperature.

This is an edited extract from You’re Welcome! By Raymond Tan with Audrey Payne, photography by Louise Hagger. (Murdoch Books $49.99)

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.