In a medium saucepan that is not over heat, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder and salt.
Add milk to the saucepan and heat over medium heat. Whisk constantly until all ingredients are combined and the mixture starts to thicken. Once thickened, bring the mixture to a boil and continue whisking for 1 minute. The mixture is ready when it coats the back of a spoon.
Remove the saucepan from heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla extract until combined and smooth.
Pour into a medium sized bowl and cover the surface of the pudding with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. The plastic wrap should touch the pudding when covered. Set aside to cool for 15 minutes.
After the pudding has cooled, remove the plastic wrap and stir until smooth. Pour into eight, 8-ounce glasses, leaving space at the top of the glass for the “soil.” Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until set.
Crush the chocolate sandwich cookies into fine crumbs using a food processor or place the cookies in a resealable plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. Set aside until pudding has cooled completely. After pudding has cooled, divide crushed cookies evenly among pudding glasses.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch round cake pan with parchment paper.
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, vanilla extract and sugar until pale and fluffy. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, until combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Sift flour and cocoa powder into the bowl. Add buttermilk and mix until combined. Remove the paddle and set the bowl aside.
In a separate medium sized bowl, whisk the egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. With a rubber spatula, fold half of the egg whites into the cake mixture until combined, then fold the remaining egg whites into the mixture. Pour into the prepared cake pan and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely on a cooling rack.
Combine melted butter and cocoa powder in a large bowl. Alternate between adding the powdered sugar and milk, stirring after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and stir until fully combined. Set aside.
Once cooled, crumble the cake into a large bowl. Mix in the frosting, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you can form a small ball that holds together easily. If the mixture doesn’t hold together easily, add more frosting and check the consistency again.
Scoop two tablespoons of the mixture and form into balls. Press down on the top of each ball with your thumb to flatten it slightly and to leave an indent. Use the back of a butter knife to mark lines from top to bottom around the flattened sphere to shape the pumpkin. Place cake pop pumpkins on a baking sheet. Put the baking sheet in the freezer for at least 20 minutes.
Place the orange candy melts in a heat-proof bowl. Microwave in 10-second bursts, stirring between intervals until the orange candy melts are melted and smooth. Dip the end of a cake pop stick in the melted candy melts and gently push the dipped end into the bottom of the cake pop. Place cake pops in the refrigerator to cool for 10 minutes.
To coat each cake pop, re-heat the orange candy melts. Dip your cake pops into the melted candy, spooning it up and over the sides to get a good coating. Gently spin the cake pop to remove excess melted candy. If candy melts begin to thicken, re-heat in the microwave in short bursts on low heat.
Place cake pop sticks in glass cups, florist foam or cake pop stands to dry. Do not let the cake pops touch each other as they are drying. Once the coating has set, gently twist the stick out of the pumpkins. Place the cake pop pumpkins on parchment or wax paper and discard the sticks, saving one for decorating.
Heat the green candy melts in the microwave. Dip the end of a cake pop stick into the candy melts and decorate the top of the pumpkins. Place one pumpkin on top of the “soil” in each pudding glass and serve.
Pudding and cake pops can be made one day in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Keep all components (“soil,” cake pops and pudding) separate if you are making ahead of time.
*If superfine sugar cannot be found, grind granulated sugar in a food processor until it is fine but not powdered.
**You can also make self-rising flour at home with all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt.
In a medium saucepan that is not over heat, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder and salt.
Add milk to the saucepan and heat over medium heat. Whisk constantly until all ingredients are combined and the mixture starts to thicken. Once thickened, bring the mixture to a boil and continue whisking for 1 minute. The mixture is ready when it coats the back of a spoon.
Remove the saucepan from heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla extract until combined and smooth.
Pour into a medium sized bowl and cover the surface of the pudding with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. The plastic wrap should touch the pudding when covered. Set aside to cool for 15 minutes.
After the pudding has cooled, remove the plastic wrap and stir until smooth. Pour into eight, 8-ounce glasses, leaving space at the top of the glass for the “soil.” Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until set.
Crush the chocolate sandwich cookies into fine crumbs using a food processor or place the cookies in a resealable plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. Set aside until pudding has cooled completely. After pudding has cooled, divide crushed cookies evenly among pudding glasses.
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a 20-centimeter round cake pan with parchment paper.
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, vanilla extract and sugar until pale and fluffy. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, until combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Sift flour and cocoa powder into the bowl. Add buttermilk and mix until combined. Remove the paddle and set the bowl aside.
In a separate medium sized bowl, whisk the egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. With a rubber spatula, fold half of the egg whites into the cake mixture until combined, then fold the remaining egg whites into the mixture. Pour into the prepared cake pan and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely on a cooling rack.
Combine melted butter and cocoa powder in a large bowl. Alternate between adding the powdered sugar and milk, stirring after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and stir until fully combined. Set aside.
Once cooled, crumble the cake into a large bowl. Mix in the frosting, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you can form a small ball that holds together easily. If the mixture doesn’t hold together easily, add more frosting and check the consistency again.
Scoop two tablespoons of the mixture and form into balls. Press down on the top of each ball with your thumb to flatten it slightly and to leave an indent. Use the back of a butter knife to mark lines from top to bottom around the flattened sphere to shape the pumpkin. Place cake pop pumpkins on a baking sheet. Put the baking sheet in the freezer for at least 20 minutes.
Place the orange candy melts in a heat-proof bowl. Microwave in 10-second bursts, stirring between intervals until the orange candy melts are melted and smooth. Dip the end of a cake pop stick in the melted candy melts and gently push the dipped end into the bottom of the cake pop. Place cake pops in the refrigerator to cool for 10 minutes.
To coat each cake pop, re-heat the orange candy melts. Dip your cake pops into the melted candy, spooning it up and over the sides to get a good coating. Gently spin the cake pop to remove excess melted candy. If candy melts begin to thicken, re-heat in the microwave in short bursts on low heat.
Place cake pop sticks in glass cups, florist foam or cake pop stands to dry. Do not let the cake pops touch each other as they are drying. Once the coating has set, gently twist the stick out of the pumpkins. Place the cake pop pumpkins on parchment or wax paper and discard the sticks, saving one for decorating.
Heat the green candy melts in the microwave. Dip the end of a cake pop stick into the candy melts and decorate the top of the pumpkins. Place one pumpkin on top of the “soil” in each pudding glass and serve.
Pudding and cake pops can be made one day in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Keep all components (“soil,” cake pops and pudding) separate if you are making ahead of time.
*If superfine sugar cannot be found, grind granulated sugar in a food processor until it is fine but not powdered.
**You can also make self-rising flour at home with all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt.
Indonesian Pure Vanilla Extract
