Assorted Cake Pops

Heat the oven to 180°C (160° fan) 350°F gas 4. Grease a 20cm|8" cake tin and line the base with non-stick baking paper.

Put all the cake ingredients into a mixing bowl and beat well until blended.

Put into the tin and bake for 20-25 minutes, until springy to the touch and a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre of the cake. Leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes then place on a wire rack to cool completely.

For the buttercream: beat all the ingredients together until smooth.

Crumble the cake into fine crumbs into a bowl, add the buttercream and mix to make a moist mixture that sticks together. Cover with cling film and chill for about 1 hour until firm.

Take rounded teaspoons of mixture, and roll into firm balls with your hands. Place on a sheet of non-stick baking paper on a tray and freeze for 30 minutes.

To decorate: sift the icing sugar into a bowl and beat in just enough water to make a smooth thick icing.

Divide into smaller bowls and add food colouring of your choice to each bowl.

Insert a lollipop stick into the cake balls and dip into the icing of your choice, then quickly into the decoration of your choice, - chopped nuts, chocolate chips, etc.