Top Hat Cake Pops

Directions

1. 1
   For the buttercream, beat butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until as white as possible. Gradually beat in half the powdered sugar. Beat in milk and then gradually beat in remaining powdered sugar. Beat until a smooth, spreadable consistency. Reserve 1 tbsp of the buttercream in a small bowl.
2. 2
   Grease a deep 6-inch square cake pan and line with parchment paper. Using a fork, combine cake crumbs and remaining buttercream in a large bowl. Press mixture evenly into prepared pan. Cover and freeze for 1 hour or refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight, until firm.
3. 3
   Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (don't let water touch bottom of bowl), stirring until smooth. Use food color to tint chocolate grey.
4. 4
   Use a 1-inch diameter cutter to cut 18 rounds from cake crumb mixture. Join 2 rounds with a little of the melted chocolate. Repeat with remaining rounds.
5. 5
   Dip the end of a lollipop stick into the chocolate. Push it through the cake rounds about halfway into the top round. Freeze for 5 mins.
6. 6
   Dip a cake pop into the grey chocolate, rocking back and forth to coat; don't swirl the pop or it'll break. Allow excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl. Stand pop upright in a styrofoam block until set. Repeat with remaining cake pops. Re-melt chocolate as necessary.
7. 7
   To make brims for hats, re-melt remaining chocolate and spread about 1/8-inch thick on a sheet of parchment paper. Let stand for 10 mins, or until almost set. Use a 2-inch diameter cutter to cut 9 rounds from chocolate. Use a metal skewer to pierce a hole through the center of the rounds (heat skewer if chocolate has hardened); thread brims onto sticks underneath cake pops. Secure with melted chocolate. Stand upright until set.
8. 8
   On a surface lightly dusted with cornstarch, knead fondant until it loses its stickiness. Roll out on cornstarch-dusted surface to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into 9 strips, measuring 3 x 1/3-inch or long enough to wrap around the hats. Secure bands to hats with reserved buttercream.