How to Make Cake Pop Topiary Trees

How To Make Cake Pop Topiary Trees

Cake Pops

• 1 batch chocolate cake (recipe below)
• 1 1/2 sticks (or 3/4 cup) butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 bags Wilton white candy melts
• 1/2 bag Wilton green candy melts
• 1-2 tablespoons shortening (as needed to thin candy melts)
• Small candy flours of your choice
• 60 cake pop sticks or lollipop sticks or cute paper straws (stick recommended for beginners)
• 60 cake pop bags with ties or curly ribbon (optional)

Prepare, bake, and cool the chocolate cake recipe below.

Break room temperature cake into pieces and place them into a mixing bowl with butter and powdered sugar. It’s important that the butter is softened (room temp) otherwise it will clump up and not mix in. Mix until butter and powdered sugar are mixed in and the dough becomes like stiff cookie dough. Form the dough into balls.

Using a cookie scoop, scoop level balls of dough onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. When done, you should have about 60 or so cake pop dough balls. Take each ball in your hands one at a time and roll around to make a firm and well-rounded ball.

Place in refrigerator for at least half an hour or in the freezer for at least 15 minutes.

While balls chill, melt white chocolate or candy melts. I use an electric fondue pot set on no higher than level two with occasional stirring or you can melt 30 seconds at a time in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave. Stirring in between intervals until you can mix the last bits in by stirring well. Stir in 1-2 tablespoons of shortening into melted candy if needed to make candy smoother.

Prepare another cookie sheet by lining it with clean parchment paper.

Dip the tip of a cake pop stick into the melted candy then into a cake pop dough ball. Using a rubber wooden spoon (or similar utensil), dip into the melted candy and pour it over the cake pop. Continue this while turning the cake pop so all sides are coated. Then quickly dip the tip of the cake pop into the melted candy. Continue holding the cake pop downward so the excess melted candy drizzles off. Add small candy flowers to treetops and place them into a cake pop stand. Repeat until all cake pops are done.

Make sure the cake pops are in a cool enough environment and allow them to set up for a few hours or overnight. If you would like to package them, be sure the candy coating is firm before doing so. Display in a cute vase or basket.

Notes

If you don’t want to have flat tops, that’s okay. Just sprinkle top with sprinkles & place in a cake pop stand to firm up.

If you’d like to make special shapes, you can do that easier than ever with this recipe! so, yes! Make shapes, you creative soul, you!

Chocolate Cake

Preheat oven to 350F.

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 3/4 cup dark cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup hot water

Place dry ingredients into the mixer. Place eggs, buttermilk, oil, sour cream, and vanilla in a container and beat together well. Add wet ingredients with dry ingredients. Add hot water at low speed. Scrape down the edges of the bowl to be sure to incorporate all ingredients into the batter. Mix on medium speed for a couple of minutes.

Prepare two 8-inch round cake pans by coating with butter (making sure to cover all inside edges) then sprinkle with flour. Coat well but remove excess flour. The easiest way to prep your pan is to use non-stick baking spray.

Bake for about 25 minutes or until a fork poked inside comes out clean. Carefully touch the top quickly and see if the cake springs back up. If it does, it is ready. Cool to room temperature.

Tips

Never, ever dip cake pop dough balls while they are warm. They will fall off their stick.

Never, ever dip the whole cake pop into the candy melts. This will make your cake pops too warm and make your candy melts crumby.

Do not tap the stick on the candy melt container if you’re using paper straws. This will weaken the straw and it will bend.

Cake pops can be refrigerated to stay fresh.

If you want only 30 cake pops, you can make half a batch of cake or make a full batch of cake and then freeze half for another event.

Remove cake balls from the fridge once they’re chilled. Insert a 4-inch lollipop stick into each cake ball. Reform the top a little bit again as it might get a little bit flat from sitting on the pan.

Again using what I had on hand, I sprinkled lightly with little green candy beads and used hearts as the flowers. Place the hearts on imperfectly as, you know, hearts never grow on trees perfectly.

Using shorty baby food-safe pots (or placing mini muffin liners in the pots to make them food-safe), push extra cake pop dough into flower pots tightly, making “dirt”.

Spoon a little bit of the melted, green chocolate or crushed dark chocolate sandwich cookies over the top of the cake in the pots.

Place cake pop topiaries into pots immediately (before green chocolate dries).

These are the things that make me jump up and down with joy.

So adorable for Easter Sunday. Perfect for a girly event like a bridal shower, baby shower, Mother’s Day, or a tea. Let’s all jump up and down with joy together, shall we?