Recycle or Die! Earth Cake Pops

**UPDATE: These babies are a top 10 finalist!! Be sure to cast your vote for my "Recycle or Die" Earth cake pops!! No registration or e-mail address required. Vote once a day until Wednesday January 19th.**

Remember that Wilton Blogger Pops Contest? I was sent all of this good stuff to create my own, original pop for the contest!

I thought long and hard about my entry and came up with a pretty adorable idea...

Cute, no? :) Let's get started with these pops. You can make whatever type of cake you like and use what ever frosting you like...but there's nothing more fun than funfetti!! With a simple buttercream frosting.

Homemade Funfetti
using About.com's basic yellow cake recipe
makes 2 8-inch cakes or 48 cupcakes (or one 8-inch cake and 12 cupcakes)

• 2 cups cake flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup rainbow sprinkles

I didn't have rainbow sprinkles so I used an Easter blend and a orange and red blend to make it. That's resourceful right there. Nevermind that the yellow sprinkles are little baby chicks. Our secret.

Preheat the oven to 350°ree;F. Grease pans or line with cupcake liners. I made one 8-inch cake for the pops and 12 cupcakes for the husband. That's love. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt with a wire whisk. In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Beat in eggs one at a time. Add in vanilla and mix until combined.

Slowly add flour alternatively with milk.

Fold in sprinkles. Pour half of batter into each pan or separate into cupcakes. 

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.

Simple Buttercream Frosting

from Martha Stewart

• 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 pound confectioners sugar, sifted
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/8 tsp salt

*I made a half recipe because we're not big on tons of frosting on cupcakes. Just a light layer for us.

Sift confectioners sugar onto butter. Add vanilla and salt. Beat until creamy. It will look rough for a minute but give it time; it will work itself out.

Viola! So simple. Depending on humidity, you may need to add a capful of milk to thin it out but no more than that!

Earth Cake Pops

• Pops decorating stand
• 1 bag blue candy melts
• 2 tubes green decorating gel
• Green sugar
• Lollipop sticks

I didn't end up using everything in the picture. It was a learning process for sure. :)

Crumble cake into a large bowl and add 1/2 cup frosting. Combine well.

Form into balls and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Take the balls out of the fridge and put in a lollipop stick. Reform into balls if necessary. Chill longer until solid.

Melt candy melts using a double boiler or a handy dandy Wilton Chocolate Pro. Originally I added food coloring to get a darker blue. Then the melts got all funny looking. And then I read the bag. Apparently this make the candy seize. Gross. So don't do that. :) If the candy does seize, just add some shortening to bring it back to normal.

Slowly dip each ball into the candy and turn to coat. The first couple were rough but I got better with practice...so just keep goin!

Do the best you can to draw the continents in green decorating gel. I had a map outline brought up on my computer screen to help. I drew outlines and then filled it with the gel. I made the mistake of using ALOT more than needed. You can spread the gel around with the tip instead of filling completely.

Sprinkle green sugar on the gel if wanted.

I made little signs out of toothpicks and slits of paper. Super easy. If you want a more civilized saying...

Disclosure - I was provided the products discussed in the post by Wilton for my personal use in the Pops Blogger contest.