Polka dot cake

I was "surfing" on pinterest and I found this really great idea to make a cake with polka dots INSIDE. I don't have a cake pop pan, so I just made a few muffins, crumbled them and rolled them into balls. I'm not really familiar with cake pops, so I didn't alter the recipe in any way. The cake turned out great and it looks amazing and added that extra wow to the cake.

I used a simple recipe for the white cake (with some added food colouring) and  another for the chocolate cake. They are pretty simple to make and they taste delicious. I used chocolate ganache for the main icing and a bit of white icing with blue food colouring to match the cake balls. The cake turned out moist, rich and delicious!

Here is everything I needed to make this cake:

   White cake (for the cake balls):

• 1 cup (200 grams) sugar 
• 1/2 cup (115 grams) butter, melted 
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon  (5 ml) vanilla extract
• 1 and 1/2 cups  (190 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 and 3/4 teaspoons  (8 grams) baking powder
• 1/2 cup milk (120 ml)
• a few drops of food colouring, if you wish to have a colourful cake

   Chocolate cake:

• 3 cups (600 grams) white sugar
• 2 and 3/4 cups (345 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 cup and 2 tablespoons (95 grams) cocoa powder
• 2 and 1/4 teaspoons (16 grams) baking soda
• 2 and 1/4 teaspoons (9 grams) baking powder
• 1 teaspoon (6 grams) salt
• 1 and 1/2 cups (355 ml) milk
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 tablespoon (15 ml) vanilla extract
• 1 and 1/2 cups (355 ml) hot water

   Chocolate ganache:

• 3/4 cup (200g) heavy cream
• 7 ounces (200 g) chocolate chips

   White icing: (optional)

• 1 cup and 3 tablespoons (190 g) confectioner's sugar
• 1/4 cup and 2 teaspoons (60 g) shortening or melted butter
• 1 and 3/4 teaspoons (9 ml) water
• 1/8 teaspoon (2 ml) clear imitation vanilla extract - (if you will colour your icing, you can also use regular vanilla extract)

Directions to make the cake:

1. Preheat oven to 175°C or 350°F. Grease a 12-muffin pan or cake pop pan, if you have one.
2. In a middle bowl blend together the sugar and butter. Gradually add in the eggs and vanilla extract.
3. In another bowl, combine the flour and baking powder. Gradually blend into the creamed mixture. Mix in the milk until smooth. Add the food colouring if you wish.
4. Spoon into the muffin pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow the muffins to cool.
5. Grease the pans for the cake.
6. Combine the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. (This is for the chocolate cake)
7. When the muffins cool, crumble into small pieces and make into cake balls.
8. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla extract. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients for the chocolate cake. Gradually add in the hot water and blend on low speed until just combined.
9. Pour some of the batter into the cake pans, just so the bottom is covered. Add in the cake balls. Cover with the rest of the batter.
10. Bake in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Let the cakes cool.
11. While the cake is baking, make the ganache by first preparing a heat safe bowl and putting in the chocolate chips.
12. Heat the cream on medium heat in a small pot. Bring just to a boil and be careful, you do not want it to boil out of the pot.
13. When the cream boils, pour it over the chocolate and start whisking until smooth. Let it cool so it will thicken.
14. Blend together the confectioner's sugar, butter and vanilla extract. Add the food colouring if you wish.
15. When the cake has cooled, thickly spread some of the ganache over the bottom layer of the cake. Don't spread it out to the edge, because when you put on the second layer it will spread out.
16. Put the top layer of cake into the bottom. Heat the rest of the ganache at medium heat for about 30 seconds. Pour the ganache over the cake.
17. Decorate with the icing if you wish.

Now enjoy this amazing cake and surprise everyone!