Christmas Cake Pops

Preparation Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper.

Cake In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well.

Cake Add the buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients. Mix until smooth.

Cake Gradually stir in the hot water, starting with a small amount and gradually adding more until the batter is smooth and well combined.

Cake Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cake Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool completely.

Frosting Once the cake is cooled, crumble it into fine crumbs using your hands or a food processor.

Frosting In a mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.

Frosting Add a few drops of food coloring to the frosting and mix well until desired color is achieved.

Frosting Gradually add the frosting to the cake crumbs, mixing well after each addition, until the mixture holds together and can be shaped into balls.

Decoration Using your hands, roll the cake mixture into small balls and place them on a lined baking sheet.

Decoration Chill the cake balls in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes or until firm.

Cake Pop Sticks Once the cake balls are chilled, dip the tip of a cake pop stick into the melted white chocolate and insert it into a cake ball. Repeat with the remaining cake balls.

Decoration Dip each cake pop into the melted white chocolate, allowing any excess to drip off. Decorate with sprinkles and decorations while the chocolate is still wet.

Decoration Place the decorated cake pops in a styrofoam block or cake pop stand to set. Allow the chocolate to harden completely before serving.