Chocolate Espresso Cake-Sicles | Foodtalk

Ingredients

• 1and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cups Dutch processes cocoa powder
• 1 and 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 3 teaspoons espresso powder
• 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk (or 1 scant cup of full fat milk combined with 1 tablespoon white vinegar)
• 1 cup hot water (just enough to emit steam, but below the point of simmering)
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2, 8 ounce bricks of cream cheese (full fat)
• 4 cups of powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 tablespoon espresso powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups candy melts of choice
• edible metallic paint and/or lustre dust (optional)
• 1, 12 count silicone cake-sicle or popsicle mold
• 12 popsicle sticks