Four variations of gluten free Christmas cake pops, each one more adorable than the other. They’re both almost too pretty to eat, and too delicious not to have a bite… or ten. There’s something fore everyone, when you can choose between reindeer cake pops, Christmas tree cake pops, snowman cake pops and Christmas bauble cake pops.NOTE: Prep time doesn't include refrigeration time.
1 1/4cups(150 g) plain gluten free flour blend(I've used a simple store-bought blend of rice, potato and maize flour with no added xanthan gum)
1tspbaking powder
1/2tspbaking soda
1/4tspxanthan gum
pinchof salt
3/4cup(150 g) caster sugar
1/4cup(25 g) cocoa powder
For cinnamon cake:
WET:
3eggs
1/2cupvegetable oil
1tspvanilla extract
1/2cupmilk(dairy or non-dairy)
DRY:
1 1/2cups(180 g) plain gluten free flour blend(I've used a simple store-bought blend of rice, potato and maize flour with no added xanthan gum)
1tspbaking powder
1/2tspbaking soda
1/4tspxanthan gum
pinchof salt
3/4cup(150 g) caster sugar
1tspground cinnamon
For chocolate ganache:
5 1/3oz(150 g) dark chocolate, chopped
1cupdouble cream
For vanilla buttercream:
1 1/4stick(140 g) unsalted butter, softened
1cup+ 2 tbsp (140 g) powdered sugar, sifted
1tspvanilla extract
For Rudolph the red nosed reindeer cake pops:
1/2chocolate cake pop mixture
5 1/3oz(150 g) milk chocolate, melted
20gluten free pretzels
10red M&M's(be sure to check which M&M's you use - not all are gluten free)
20candy eyes
10cake pop sticks
For Christmas tree cake pops:
1/2chocolate cake pop mixture
5 1/3oz (150 g) white chocolate, melted
green food colouring(Note 1)
10star sprinkles
sprinkles of choice
10cake pop sticks
For snowman cake pops:
1/2cinnamon cake pop mixture
5 1/3oz(150 g) white chocolate, melted
small-sized sprinkles of choice
10colourful M&M's(be sure to check which M&M's you use - not all are gluten free)
10orange coloured marzipan "carrot" noses(Note 2)
20small round dark chocolate sprinkles
10cake pop sticks
For Christmas Bauble cake pops:
1/2cinnamon cake pop mixture
5 1/3oz(150 g) white chocolate, melted
red food colouring(Note 1)
10golden marzipan bauble tops(Note 3)
sprinkles of choice
10cake pop sticks
Instructions
For chocolate and cinnamon cakes (2 of each):
Pre-heat the oven to 355 ºF (180 ºC) and grease two 7 - 8 inch (18 - 20 cm) round cake tins.
Mix all wet ingredients together.
Sift together all dry ingredients and add them to the wet ingredients. Mix well until you get a smooth cake batter with no flour clumps.
Divide evenly between the two greased cake tins and smooth out the top.
Bake at 355 ºF (180 ºC) for about 18 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean and the cakes feel bouncy to the touch.
Allow to cool.
For chocolate ganache:
Place the chopped dark chocolate in a heat-proof bowl.
In a saucepan, heat the double cream until boiling hot.
Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate. Allow to sit for about 5 minutes, then stir well until you get a smooth chocolate ganache.
For vanilla buttercream:
In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer with the double beater attachment), beat the softened unsalted butter until pale and fluffy.
Add 1/2 of the powdered sugar and beat for about 5 minutes, starting on a low speed and ending on a high speed.
Add the other 1/2 of the powdered sugar and the vanilla extract. Beat the buttercream for a further 10 minutes, starting on a low speed and ending on a high speed. At the end, it should be super pale and fluffy.
For chocolate cake pop mixture:
Crumble up the cooled chocolate cakes into fine crumbs.
Add the chocolate ganache to the cake crumbs and mix well until you get a homogeneous cake pop mixture that clumps together well.
Set aside.
For cinnamon cake pop mixture:
Crumble up the cooled cinnamon cakes into fine crumbs.
Add the vanilla buttercream to the cake crumbs and mix well until you get a homogeneous cake pop mixture that clumps together well.
Refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour before using to make cake pops.
For Rudolph the red nosed reindeer cake pops:
Using an ice cream scoop and your hands, shape 10 cake pop balls.
Dip one end of the cake pop stick into the melted milk chocolate before inserting it into a cake ball. Wait for ~30 seconds, then dip the cake pop into the melted chocolate – make sure it's fully covered in chocolate. Allow the excess chocolate to drip away.
Decorate the cake pop with pretzels, red M&M's and candy eyes to get a cute Rudolph cake pop.
Allow to dry upright (for instance by poking some holed into a bow and placing the cake pop into the holes).
For Christmas tree cake pops:
Using an ice cream scoop and your hands, shape 10 conical cake pops (see video and pictures above).
Dye the melted white chocolate green with the green food colouring until you reach the Christmas green colour.(if the food colouring causes the white chocolate to thicken, use a bit of coconut oil to loosen it up.)
Dip one end of the cake pop stick into the green-coloured chocolate before inserting it into a cake pop. Wait for ~30 seconds, then dip the cake pop into the melted chocolate – make sure it's fully covered in chocolate. Allow the excess chocolate to drip away.
Decorate the Christmas tree cake pop with sprinkles and a star sprinkle on top.
Allow to dry upright (for instance by poking some holed into a bow and placing the cake pop into the holes).
For snowman cake pops:
Using an ice cream scoop and your hands, shape 10 cake pop balls.
Dip one end of the cake pop stick into the melted white chocolate before inserting it into a cake ball. Wait for ~30 seconds, then dip the cake pop into the melted chocolate – make sure it's fully covered in chocolate. Allow the excess chocolate to drip away.
Dip the top of the cake pop into the small-sized sprinkles (to make it look like a hat) and place a colourful M&M on top (as the hat's pom-pom). Decorate with the marzipan "carrot" nose and the small round dark chocolate sprinkles to get the adorable snowman cake pops.
Allow to dry upright (for instance by poking some holed into a bow and placing the cake pop into the holes).
For Christmas Bauble cake pops:
Using an ice cream scoop and your hands, shape 10 cake pop balls.
Dye the melted white chocolate red with the red food colouring until you reach the Christmas green colour.(if the food colouring causes the white chocolate to thicken, use a bit of coconut oil to loosen it up.)
Dip one end of the cake pop stick into the red-coloured white chocolate before inserting it into a cake ball. Wait for ~30 seconds, then dip the cake pop into the melted chocolate – make sure it's fully covered in chocolate. Allow the excess chocolate to drip away.
Place a marzipan bauble top on top of the cake pop. Decorate with sprinkles of choice to get beautiful Christmas bauble cake pops.
Allow to dry upright (for instance by poking some holed into a bow and placing the cake pop into the holes).
Storage:
The gluten free Christmas cake pops keep well in a closed container or covered in cling film in a cool dry place (or the refrigerator) for 3 - 4 days.
ENJOY!
Notes
Note 1: The amount of green and red food colouring used depends on the type of food colouring used. A food colour gel will require a smaller amount, a liquid food colouring a larger amount. Add the colouring bit by bit, until you reach the Christmas green/red colour.Note 2: Make the marzipan "carrot" noses by colouring a piece of marzipan orange and then forming it into small "carrots" (conical pieces).Note 3: Make the marzipan bauble tops from golden marzipan (or yellow-coloured white marzipan) by shaping a piece of marzipan into a small disc. Form another piece of marzipan into a slightly thicker string, and use part of it to make the "hook" of the bauble top. Stick the marzipan "hook" on top of the disc – and voila, a marzipan bauble top!