Today, I am sharing an easy holiday recipe that has been going viral for many weeks - Pine cone cakes. Much like all the desserts that go viral on social media, it is hard to pinpoint the origin of these cute little treats. However, many have been seen to have made their own renditions of this dessert. I found this dessert super interesting because they looked so like natural pinecones yet were so easy to make.
They are just like cake or brownie pops, but instead of the traditional round shapes, they are made to look like little pinecones. Not only are they the perfect little treats for this festive season, but exceptionally fun to make with your family and friends.
Pinecone cake recipe
They might look a little tricky to make at first but trust me; this is one of the easiest desserts you will ever try. You need some chocolate cake or brownie, which can be store-bought or homemade, and some milk, chocolate, and cocoa powder for the mixture. And some chocolate cereal to give it a pinecone appearance. The only part that may be tedious is arranging the Chocos on the cake cones, but the result would be these adorable little treats that would be worth the effort.
You can make these pinecones gluten-free, sugar-free, eggless, and even dairy-free by using the cake you choose and skipping the other ingredients as per your requirement. The main and only requirement of these pinecones is to have a moist cake mix that can hold its pinecone shape.
Step-by-step recipe guide
Preparation time - 1 hour
Baking time - 30 mins
Serving - 10 to 12
Ingredients
350 gms chocolate cake or brownie (store-bought or homemade using this brownie recipe )
15 gms cocoa powder
50 gms white chocolate (melted)
30 gms milk
130 gms chocolate cereal
Icing sugar (for dusting)
Method
Take the baked cake or brownie and make sure it is still warm. If it's not, heat it for a couple of minutes in the oven or 1 to 2 minutes in the microwave. Crumble it completely.
Then, add the cocoa powder, melted chocolate, and milk to the crumbled cake. Mix it all together until well combined. The mixture should appear like cake pop dough and hold its shape when you try to bind it.
Divide the cake mix into equal portions and form cone shapes.
Take some cereal in a bowl and place it on the cake cones, starting from the bottom and working all the way up. Be gentle in the process, as the cake might fall apart if handled roughly. Make sure they are completely covered in Chocos from all sides.
Gently press the cereal into the cake cones to ensure they are properly set in. Place them on a lined tray in the freezer for about 20 minutes.
Once set, your pinecone cakes are ready to be eaten or served just like that. Alternatively, sprinkle some icing sugar on top to give them a frosted look before serving.
Tips
1. If you want to bake your own brownie, you can use this eggless chocolate brownie recipe.
2. Make sure the cake or brownie mixture is moist and holds its shape when you try to bind it. If it's too crumbly or dry, you can add some ganache or cream cheese. If it's too wet, you can add some cocoa powder.
3. You can use a food processor to make the cake cone mix.
4. If you face difficulty placing the cereal on the cones, you can use some melted dark chocolate to fix it.
5. You can also use almond flakes or any other flake-shaped cereal. After putting the flakes, you will just need to cover the cones in some melted dark chocolate to give it a pinecone-like colour and appearance.
6. Do not keep it in the freezer for too long.
7. You can use milk powder instead of icing sugar for dusting.
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