For the cake

Cup of Yum
1. Preheat oven to 350°F, grease a 9" cake pan, round or square.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk your flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt together, set aside. In a small bowl, whisk oil, eggs, and vanilla together. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients, mixing to slightly incorporated. Add hot water and whisk until combined. Scrape bottom and sides to make sure no dry ingredients remain.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-28 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Or edges pull away from sides and top springs back when lightly pressed. Allow the cake to cool for 20 minutes in the pan, then invert onto wire rack to cool completely.

Frosting

1. Place the butter in the bowl of a mixer (stand or handheld), mixing on medium-high speed until butter is light and fluffy. You may need to scrape down sides a couple of times, mix for 1-2 minutes. Add confectioners sugar, cocoa powder and 2 tablespoons of the cream and the vanilla, mix on low until sugar is combined, adding more cream as needed for frosting to come together. Scrape down sides, increase to high speed and mix until light and fluffy, the chocolate should lighten as it whips.

Assembling the Cake Pops

1. Crumble the cooled cake into the bowl on top of the frosting. Make sure there are no big lumps. Mix on low until frosting and cake crumbs come together, making a rich batter.
2. Measure 1 tablespoon of the cake/frosting mixture and roll into a ball (about the size of a walnut). Place cake balls on a baking sheet lined with wax or parchment paper. Refrigerate for 2 hours or 1 hour in the freezer. May be refrigerated overnight, cover with plastic wrap.
3. Place your melting discs or chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring well after each heating, should only take 2-3 times. Pour chocolate into a 2 cup measure cup for dipping.
4. Using a box with a firm bottom, poke small holes into inverted box to hold lollipop sticks. Dip the end of the stick into the chocolate (about 1/2 inch). Remove just 3-4 cake balls at a time, keeping the rest cold, until ready to use. Insert the chocolate dipped stick into the cake ball, inserting about 3/4 of the way into the ball.
5. Submerge the ball into the chocolate, making sure the coating covers the entire ball. Gently tap the stick against the side of the cup, slowly turning and tapping until excess chocolate drips off. Set into your cake pop into your box stand and immediately sprinkle on sprinkles if desired. Repeat until all of your cake pops are done.
6. Or make truffles instead; forgo the lollipop stick and using a fork, gently lower the cake ball into the chocolate, bringing it up and carefully tapping the fork on the edge and then slowly transferring it to a wax paper lined cookie sheet. Be sure you sprinkle on your toppings as soon as you finish dipping your cake balls. Cake pops will set up in about 45 minutes. Store cake pops in the refrigerator up to one week or up to 6 weeks in the freezer.