Chocolate Halloween Push Pops with Orange Buttercream
Dark chocolate cake and bright orange buttercream make these Halloween Push Pops a festive, make-ahead dessert. Finish with sprinkles and candy corn for an easy Halloween party treat.
Equipment
- Large Bowl
- Electric Mixer
- 9 x 13 inch baking pan
- Nonstick spray
- Parchment paper
- 12 2¾-inch push-pop containers
- 1 ½ inch round cutter
- 2 piping bags
- 1A large round piping tip and 1M large star piping tip
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 1½ cups (7.5 ounces, 213 grans) all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups 10.5 ounces, 298 grams) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (1.5 ounces, 43 grams) Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa (See Tip 1)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup (6 ounces, 170 grams) buttermilk
- ½ cup (4 ounces, 113 grams) vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup (4 ounces, 113 grams) hot coffee or hot water
Orange Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup (8 ounces, 227 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- 4 cups 16 ounces, 454 grams) confectioners' sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 to 4 Tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk
- Orange gel food coloring
- 12 pieces candy corn
- Halloween jimmies
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 × 13-inch baking pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the eggs, buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla. Beat on low just until combined. Slowly mix in the hot coffee. The batter will be thin.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake at 350°F for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely. (See Tip 2)
Orange Buttercream Frosting
- Beat the butter and salt on high speed for about 2 minutes, until smooth and creamy.
- Add the confectioners' sugar about 1 cup at a time, mixing on low speed initially so it doesn't fly everywhere. Add the vanilla and 3 tablespoons of cream; Beat on high for 2 to 3 minutes until light and fluffy. (See Tip 3)
- Add additional cream, 1 teaspoon at a time, if necessary to produce a buttercream that pipes easily but still holds its shape.
- Add orange gel food coloring a little at a time until you get a vivid pumpkin-orange color. (See Tip 4)
Assembly
- Use a long knife to level the top of the cake. Using a 1 ½-inch cutter, cut 12 round cake pieces. Then cut each cake round in half horizontally. (See Tips 5 and 6)
- Transfer ⅔ of the frosting to a piping bag with a 1A large round tip; transfer the remaining frosting to a piping bag with a 1M large star tip
- Place a cake round in the push pop container. Pipe an even layer of orange buttercream on the cake round. Add a second cake round, pipe an even layer of orange buttercream, then add the final cake round.
- Pipe a swirl of orange buttercream on top using the 1M tip. Add a piece of candy corn. Finish with a light sprinkle of Halloween jimmies.
- Yield: 12 Halloween Push Pops
Video
Tips/Notes
- You can use regular unsweetened cocoa in place of the Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate. However, the cake will not be as dark.
- I like to chill the cake for at least 30 minutes before cutting it to minimize crumbs.
- Add additional cream, 1 teaspoon at a time, if necessary, to produce a buttercream that pipes easily but still holds its shape.
- I added about 12 drops of the gel food coloring. The frosting will darken as it sits.
- The cake will be a little over an inch high. Cutting the cake rounds in half produces pieces that are a perfect size for using three per push pop.
- Use the leftover cake for cake pops!
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