Halloween cake pops recipe

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan) and grease a 900g loaf tin, lining it with baking parchment. In a mixing bowl, combine 50g of very soft butter, 50g caster sugar, 40g plain flour, 40g self-raising flour, 1 large egg, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and 1 tbsp milk. Beat everything together with an electric hand whisk or wooden spoon until you get a smooth batter.
2. Pour the batter into the prepared tin, smooth the top, and bake for about 20 minutes until the cake is risen, golden, and springs back when touched. Remove from the tin and let it cool completely on a wire rack.
3. To make the buttercream, place 25g of very soft butter, 50g icing sugar, and 1 teaspoon of cooled boiled water in a bowl. Beat together until smooth and creamy.
4. Slice the cooled cake into pieces and crumble them into the bowl of buttercream, making sure there are no hard lumps (discard any that feel very hard). Mix everything together with a wooden spoon until well combined. To test, press a small amount together – it should form a smooth ball without cracking. If it's too dry, add a few more drops of cooled boiled water.
5. Roll the mixture into 10 equal balls, squeezing each firmly to make smooth spheres. Arrange the balls on a plate and chill in the fridge for 10 minutes.
6. For the coating, melt 175g of dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water (the bowl should not touch the water). Stir until smooth, then remove from heat. Alternatively, microwave the chocolate on low in 30-second bursts, stirring after each, until just melted.
7. Stir 1½ teaspoons of vegetable oil into the melted chocolate to thin it slightly. It should coat the back of a spoon and drip off easily.
8. To make bats: use the tip of a cutlery knife to make a small indent on one side of a cake ball. Dip the curved edge of a plain salted pretzel into the melted chocolate, shake off excess, and press the chocolate-coated side into the indent to form a wing. Gently press the cake mixture over the pretzel edge to seal it in. Repeat on the other side for the second wing.
9. Dip the end of a lollipop stick into the melted chocolate, wipe off excess, then push the coated end into the cake ball (without disturbing the pretzels). Place carefully on a plate. Repeat for all bat cake balls. Refrigerate for about 5 minutes until fully set.
10. Hold each bat cake pop by the stick over the bowl of chocolate. Use a large spoon to pour chocolate over the cake ball and pretzels, covering one side completely. Let excess drip back into the bowl, then turn and coat the other side. Once dripping stops, press two small edible candy eyes onto the smooth side. Stand the pop upright in a polystyrene cake dummy or cake pop stand. Repeat for all bats and let set at room temperature.
11. For mummies: dip the end of a lollipop stick into the melted dark chocolate, wipe off excess, and push the coated end into a plain cake ball. Place on a plate. Repeat for remaining cake balls. Refrigerate for about 5 minutes until set.
12. Hold each mummy pop by the stick over the bowl of chocolate. Pour chocolate over the cake ball to coat completely. Let excess drip off, then wait 30 seconds. Press two candy eyes onto the pop. Stand upright in the dummy or stand. Repeat for all mummy pops, then chill for 5–10 minutes until set.
13. Melt 50g of white chocolate (broken into pieces) using the same method as the dark chocolate. Use a teaspoon to drizzle thin lines of white chocolate all around each mummy pop, making sure not to cover the eyes. Return to the stand and let set completely at room temperature before serving.