Golden Snitch Winged Wonders

1. Make the wings 48 hours before the cake pops. Wrap two 2-inch (5-centimeter) diameter cardboard tubes, such as those from a paper towel (kitchen roll) or aluminum foil (kitchen foil) in parchment paper and secure with tape to a tray or board to hold in place.
2. Print the Golden Snitch Wings Templates to 100% size. Cut out the templates and set aside.
3. On a surface dusted with confectioners’ sugar, thinly roll out the fondant. Place the templates over the fondant and cut out a pair of wings using a small knife. Use the tip of the knife to score the wing markings as on the template. Gently rest the shapes over the tubes to set. Be sure to angle the wings over the tube so they’re not too tightly curled. Make seven more sets of wings in the same way. (You might like to make a few spares, too.) Leave to set for 48 hours uncovered, in a dry place. Don’t refrigerate.
4. To make the cake pop filling, crumble the sponge cake into a bowl. Add the lemon zest and juice. Stir in the confectioners’ sugar and set aside.
5. Place the white chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl and rest the bowl over a small pan of very gently simmering water until the chocolate starts to melt. Continue to heat the chocolate, stirring frequently until completely smooth with no lumps remaining. Alternatively, microwave on medium power, in short spurts, stirring frequently until smooth. Add the melted chocolate to the cake pop filling bowl. Mix together until you have a thick paste. Form the mixture into a ball and tip it out onto your work surface.
6. Cut into eight even-sized wedges and shape each into a ball in the palms of your hands. Place the balls on a small board or tray lined with parchment paper and chill for at least 1 hour.
7. Melt the white chocolate for decorating: Place the white chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl and rest the bowl over a small pan of very gently simmering water until the chocolate starts to melt. Continue to heat the chocolate, stirring frequently until completely smooth with no lumps remaining. Alternatively, microwave on medium power, in short spurts, stirring frequently until smooth.
8. Dip 1/2 inch (1 centimeter) of the end of a cake pop stick into the melted chocolate and push it into the center of a cake pop ball. Repeat with the remainder and chill for another 10 minutes.
9. Hold a cake pop over the bowl of melted chocolate and use a teaspoon to drizzle the chocolate over the cake until it is completely covered, twisting the stick as you work. The chocolate doesn’t need to be perfectly smooth — the Golden Snitch isn’t smooth either! Return the cake pops to the fridge for at least 15 minutes before adding the wings.
10. Re-melt the chocolate if it has set around the sides of the bowl. Spoon a very small amount of the chocolate onto the edge of a fondant wing as shown on the Golden Snitch Wings Templates. Gently press the wing against one side of the cake pop and hold for about 30 seconds until it sets in place. Secure another wing on the other side and then repeat with the remaining cake pops.
11. Spray the cake pops with edible gold food spray. Store in the fridge or in a cool place.

Vanilla Sponge Cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C/gas mark 4). Beat together the butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, flour, and baking powder with a handheld electric mixer until smooth and creamy. This will take about 2 minutes.
2. Grease a 11-by-7-inch (28-by-18-centimeter) cake pan or 10-by-8-inch (25.5-by-20-centimeter) cake pan or shallow baking tin with a little melted butter and line with a rectangle of parchment paper. Transfer the cake mixture to the tin and spread level making sure it goes right into the corners. Bake for 35 minutes until the surface feels just firm to the touch. Leave to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. 10 to 12 servings