Lollipop Christmas Trees

by Cindi Sutter, Founder & Editor Spirited Table® - Recipe excerpt from Cakes for Kids by Juliette Lalbaltry. Photograph by Delphine Constantini. Reprinted by permission of Gibbs Smith.Ci

Photograph by Delphine Constantini

For 8 Kids - Preparation: 40 minutes - Baking time: 40 minutes - Resting time: 1 hour

Ingredients

7 ounces dark chocolate

1/2 cup unsalted butter + more for the pan

4 eggs


2/3 cup granulated sugar

3 /4 cup all-purpose flour + more for the pan

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Pinch of salt

To Decorate

1/2 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread

8 Popsicle sticks


1/2 egg white


2/3 cup powdered sugar


3 drops lemon juice


A few drops green food coloring

1 bag Skittles


1 bag M&M’s Minis

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Break the chocolate into pieces, cut the butter into cubes, then transfer both ingredients to a measuring cup. Melt in the microwave.

2. Separate the egg yolks and whites into two separate bowls.

3. Add the sugar to the egg yolks and beat until the mixture is light in color. Add the melted chocolate mixture then mix well to incorporate. Sift the flour and baking powder together then whisk into the wet ingredients.

4. Add the salt to the bowl with the egg whites and whisk until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the cake batter.

5. Butter and flour an 8-inch round cake pan then pour the cake batter into the pan.

6. Bake for 35 minutes. Keep baking for a few minutes if the cake isn’t done. Let the cake cool to room temperature before removing it from the pan.

7. Spread the whole cake with chocolate-hazelnut spread then smooth the surface with a rubber spatula. Slice the cake into 8 equal pieces then insert Popsicle sticks into the rounded end of each piece. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

8. Make the royal icing: whip the egg white, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and food coloring together until smooth. Add more powdered sugar if the icing looks too thin, or a few drops of lemon juice if it looks too thick.

9. Pour the icing into a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip then draw garlands over each lollipop tree.

10. Use Skittles and M&M’s Minis to decorate the trees then let them set at room temperature for 30 minutes.