Mint & White Chocolate Cake Popsicles

Directions

• Prepare the Cake
  Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F).
  Beat the eggs and sugar for 4–5 minutes until pale, fluffy and slightly thick.
  Add the melted butter, milk and vanilla extract. Mix gently.
  Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
  Fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture gently until just combined. Do not overmix.
  Pour the batter into a 7-inch lined cake pan.
  Bake for 22–28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  Allow the cake to cool completely before using it for cake pops.
• Prepare the Cake Mixture
  Crumble the cooled vanilla sponge into very fine crumbs.
  Add the white chocolate ganache or buttercream gradually and mix until the crumbs come together into a soft dough. The mixture should hold its shape when pressed but should not be wet or sticky.
  Add vanilla and mix well.
• Shape the Cake Pops
  For the round cake pops, roll the mixture into smooth balls.
  For the heart-shaped pieces, press the mixture firmly into heart-shaped silicone molds.
  For the cake popsicles, press the mixture into cake popsicle molds, leaving a small space for the chocolate coating.
  Insert sticks into the cake popsicles and cake pops.
  Place everything in the refrigerator for 30–45 minutes until firm.
• Prepare the Chocolate Coating
  Melt the white chocolate gently in the microwave in short intervals or over a double boiler.
  Divide it into two portions.
  Leave one portion white and color the other portion soft pastel mint green using an oil-based or chocolate-compatible food coloring.
  Avoid adding ordinary water-based coloring directly to melted chocolate, as it can cause the chocolate to seize.
• Coat the Cake popsicles
  Pour melted chocolate into each cake popsicle mold and rotate the mold so the chocolate covers the inside.
  Insert the chilled cake filling and cover the back with more chocolate.
  Refrigerate until completely set, then gently remove from the mold.
  For the round cake pops, dip each chilled ball into melted chocolate and allow the excess to drip off.
• Create the Decorative Lines
  For the designs seen on the white and mint-green pops, place melted white chocolate into a small piping bag.
  Pipe thin curved lines, swirls, dots, and zigzag patterns across the surface.
  Add tiny sugar pearls while the chocolate is still soft.
• Make the Fondant Flowers Leaves
  Roll white fondant very thin.
  Cut small flower petals and layer them together to create tiny roses.
  Use green fondant to make small leaves. Press the leaves with a leaf veiner or the back of a knife to create natural veins.
  Attach the flowers and leaves using a tiny amount of edible glue.
• Add Gold Leaf
  Using clean, dry tweezers, carefully place small pieces of edible gold leaf onto the cake popsicles and cake pops.
  Add a few gold flakes rather than covering large areas. This will give the elegant appearance shown in your picture.
  Finish some pieces with silver or gold sugar pearls.
• Final Decoration
  Arrange a mixture of:
  Mint-green cake popsicles
  White cake popsicles
  Heart-shaped cake pops
  Round cake pops
  White fondant roses
  Green fondant leaves
  Edible gold leaf
  White sugar pearls