Looking for the perfect sweet treat to make your February pop? Our Strawberry Encased Chocolate Cake Pops are just the thing! Adorable, delicious, and berry easy to make - cupid approves!

Ingredients:

·         8-10 Cupcakes that have a creamy topping, just like our Greek Yogurt Topped Chocolate Cupcakes recipe we posted in January

·         12-18 medium-sized strawberries

·         300g Lily O’Brien’s Dark Chocolate Drops for Baking

·         300g Lily O’Brien’s Milk Chocolate Drops for Baking

·         Sprinkles to decorate

·         Wooden skewers (optional)

Method:

·         Using a standard mixer with the paddle attachment, place your cupcakes into the bowl and mix on a medium speed until your cupcakes have been turned into a smooth mixture.

·         Wash and dry your strawberries, leaving the leaves and stalks on.

·         Using a dessert spoon, scoop a spoonful of the cake mixture and roll into a ball between the palms of your hands. Hold a strawberry by the stalk and push the narrow end of the strawberry into the centre of the ball of cake mixture, then using the palm of your hand, neatly mould the mixture up and around the strawberry until just before you reach the top, leaving the top part of the strawberry visible.

·         Repeat the process until there is no mixture left – you may have strawberries left depending on how many cupcakes used and how big your strawberries were, but fear not, we’ll get to these naked strawberries later!

·         Place each of the dark and milk chocolate drops into separate mugs and melt together in a microwave in 30 second bursts until both have completely melted.

·         Prepare a piece of greaseproof paper on your work surface, chopping board or oven tray.

·         Insert a skewer into the top part of a strawberry, just next to the stalk, and once secure dip into one of your mugs of melted chocolate, just enough so it covers the coating of cake. Shake off any excess chocolate over the mug and then place onto the greaseproof paper, removing the skewer. Decorate with your sprinkles and allow to cool and set.

·         Repeat the process above, using your alternate chocolate with each coated strawberry until they’ve all been dipped in chocolate.

·         You can now use up any naked strawberries that you may have with any leftover melted chocolate by dipping these strawberries into the chocolate and placing these on the greaseproof paper too.

·         Once the chocolate has set you can then transfer your Strawberry Cake Pops to a serving plate, and pop them into the fridge for later. Present on skewers like a traditional cake pop or simply hold onto the strawberry stalk and enjoy. Keep chilled in a fridge and eat within two to three days.

Find more delicious chocolate recipes here