Happee Birthdae, Harry! When July comes around it’s time to celebrate the birthday of our favorite wizard. Join us in celebrating Harry Potter’s birthday by making these delicious “Golden Birthday Cake Pops!”

This recipe and other Hogwarts inspired ones can be found in our Unofficial Hogwarts for the Holidays Cookbook!

This cake pop recipe is punchier than a normal vanilla cake, thanks to some added lemon juice and lemon zest. The bright, citrusy flavor is inspired by the zippiness of the enchanted golden ball, but feel free to adjust the citrus measurements to your own taste!

Yield: 24 to 30 cake pops | Prep time: 1 to 1½ hours | Chill time: 1½ hours | Cook time: 25 to 30 minutes

Cake Ingredients: 
3 cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking soda
2¾ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1½ cups unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups cane sugar
4 egg whites
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1¼ cups milk
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons lemon zest
yellow candy melts
lollipop or cake pop sticks
fondant sheets

Icing Ingredients:
¼ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1½ cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon lime juice
2½ teaspoons lemon juice
2½ teaspoons heavy
whipping cream

To Make the Cake:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9 x 12-inch cake pan with cooking spray.
3. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
4. Add the butter and sugar to a large mixing bowl, and beat with an electric handheld mixer on medium speed until fluffy and light.
5. Add the egg whites and vanilla extract, and mix thoroughly until well combined. Scrape down the sides.
6. Add in one third of the flour mixture to the creamy mixture, and beat on medium speed until fully incorporated.
7. Next, add one half of the milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat on medium speed until thoroughly incorporated.
8. Repeat steps 6 and 7 until all of the ingredients have been thoroughly combined.
9. Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the middle of the cake.
10. Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool for 2 minutes.
11. Remove the cake from the pan and put it on a cooling rack.
12. Let cool completely before making the cake pops.

To Make the Icing:
1. Combine all ingredients, save the whipping cream, in a medium mixing bowl and beat together until thoroughly incorporated.
2. Add the heavy whipping cream and beat again until light and fluffy. Set aside.

To Make the Cake Pops:
1. To assemble the cake pops, break off one third of the cake and crumble it into a medium mixing bowl.
2. Add 2 tablespoons icing and mix with your hands or with an electric handheld mixer until the cake and frosting blend thoroughly.
3. If the cake and icing mixture isn’t moist enough, add 1 tablespoon of icing at a time until you can shape the mixture into balls that are about the size of a quarter in diameter and that hold together without being gooey.
4. In a microwave-safe dish, warm the candy melts in a microwave oven until they’re smooth and runny.
5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
6. Take the lollipop sticks and dip one end into the melted candy. Stick the candy-dipped ends into the cake balls.
7. Chill the cake balls for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
8. Once the cake balls have chilled, remove them from the refrigerator and reheat the candy if it has hardened.
9. Now, take the cake balls on the sticks and dip each one into the candy coating.
10. Place the cake pops on a lined baking sheet and let them chill for 1 hour.
11. Once the cake pops have solidified, use a knife to gently trim any excess candy coating.
12. Cut the fondant sheets into feather shapes for the wings, making sure there are sharp points on one end for inserting into the cake pops.
13. Insert 2 of the fondant feathers on opposite sides of each cake pop.
14. Serve and enjoy!

Have fun with these and make sure to post your cake pops online! Tag us @ulyssespress. Happy baking!