POP A BALL RECIPES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Generously grease 13x9-inch pan and 2 (8-inch) round baking pans and lightly flour, or spray with baking spray with flour.
• Make 1 cake mix as directed on box, using 3 of the eggs, 1/3 cup of the butter and 1 cup of the water. Pour into 13x9-inch pan. Bake as directed on box. Cool 10 minutes. Run knife around sides of pan to loosen cake; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Make second cake mix, using remaining 3 eggs, 1/3 cup butter and 1 cup water. Pour into 8-inch pans. Bake as directed on box. Cool 10 minutes. Run knife around sides of pans to loosen cakes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Crumble 13x9-inch cake into large bowl. Add 1 container of frosting; mix well. Shape by 2 tablespoonfuls into balls. (You should end up with 34 to 36 cake balls; you will need 32 for the cake.) Place on cookie sheet. Freeze at least 15 minutes.
• In 2 separate microwavable bowls, microwave white and orange candy melts as directed on bag. Remove several cake balls from freezer at a time. Dip tip of 1 lollipop stick into melted candy and insert stick halfway into 1 cake ball. Dip half of the cake balls into melted white candy to cover; tap off excess. Dip remaining half of the cake balls into melted orange candy; tap off excess. Poke opposite ends of sticks into foam black. Let stand until set.
• Meanwhile, place 1 cake layer on serving plate; spread with some of the frosting from second container. Top with second layer. Frost top and side of cake with remaining frosting.
• In another microwavable bowl, microwave blue candy melts as directed on bag. Transfer melted candy to decorating bag; pipe blue candy in swirled design on white and orange cake pops. Let stand until set.
• Insert cake pops into side of frosted cake. Insert stem of each flower into drinking straw, or attach lollipop stick to stem with small rubber band. Decorate top of cake with flowers, making sure only the straw or stick, not the stem, touches the frosting. Remove flowers from cake before serving.

Steps:

• First make the cake. Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Grease and line the base of a 20cm sandwich tin. Place the butter, sugar and vanilla extract into a bowl and beat well to a creamy consistency. Slowly beat in the eggs, one by one, then fold in the flour and mix well. Tip into the cake tin and bake for about 20 mins until risen and golden brown. Set aside to cool completely.
• While the cakes are cooling, make the buttercream. In a large bowl or the bowl of stand mixer, beat the butter and icing sugar together until smooth, add the vanilla extract and milk and beat again. Once the cake is cooled, crumble into large crumbs. Add the butter cream and stir together. Take chunks of the cake mixture and roll into balls, transferring each ball to a lined tray or plate, push a lollypop stick into each, then put into the fridge for an hour to set.
• Melt the white chocolate in the microwave, blasting it and stirring at 10 seconds intervals until smooth. Tip the sprinkles into another bowl. Take each of the chilled cake pops and dip into the white chocolate, allowing it to drip off a little over the bowl. Dip into the sprinkles, then stand upright in a mug to dry at room temperature for an hour, or in the fridge for 30 mins.