Cake Push Pops - 4th of July

Since discovering Pinterest some many months ago, I have been intrigued by the push pop containers I've seen people use for different desserts. With 4th of July coming up, I figured it would be a good time to try them. I found pretty reasonably priced ones at Amazon.

At first, I thought I would just make mini cupcakes and layer them with frosting. In an attempt to save time, I decided to make a thin cake and then use the push pops as a sort of cookie cutter to cut the cake with. This ended up being pretty easy and I think looked better because the cake went all the way to the edge of the container. I made red velvet (and blue velvet) cake using this trusty recipe from Ms. Paula Deen (who doesn't love her!). I added a little extra cocoa powder and vanilla just to make the flavor a little stronger. Instead of a regular cake pan, I used a jelly roll pan so the bake came out about 1 inch thick. I kind of guessed at how long it would take to bake, but I think it ended up being around 10 minutes. Once the cake was cooled, I cut out the pieces and layered them with the cream cheese frosting and topped with some red and blue sprinkles. 

I loved how the push pop containers came with lids so it made storing and transporting much easier than regular cupcakes. To display, I used some plastic buckets I had lying around and filled them with flower arranging foam and then put a layer of cinnamon hearts to hide the green foam. That seemed to work really well and I think I can use the foam again. 

They were definitely a hit at my family's big 4th of July shindig (complete with a full on scavenger hunt and an intense game of water polo!). I was worried the cake would not push-up, but it worked fine and everyone loved them - especially the kids. 

Can you believe our dessert spread...and this is 4th of July- you should see Christmas!

• Have you tried these push pop containers before?
• What else do you think would work well in these?
• Any fun traditions for the fourth?