Among Paul’s guests on the second episode of Paul Hollywood Pies and Puds, is baker Clare O’Connell.

Clare O’Connell is a kitchen-table entrepreneur who makes and sells cake POPs, an idea that is a hybrid of a cake and a lollipop. The delicious bakes have become popular with parents as a treat for their kids.

As well as selling to individual customers, Clare’s clients include Topshop, Calvin Klein and Swarovski to name but a few.

Clare, who is a Latin graduate, knew she wanted to do something in food after leaving university and found jobs working in various London bakeries before discovering the idea for cake POPs on an American food blog.

She eventually made some POPs, posted them on Facebook and, after ‘amazing’ feedback, decided to set up POP Bakery with an email account for sales.

Clare makes her cake pops by first baking a normal chocolate cake then leaving it to cool. She then crumbled and flavour with cream cheese icing and made into a doughy texture. The dough is then shaped and left to harden in the fridge.

Next she adds melted candy coating (white chocolate can also be used) to the stick and insert it into the dough then submerge the dough into the candy mixture until it is coated evenly. Remove from the mixture shake and place upright to harden. Once the dough is dry it can be decorated.

Today she joins Paul in his kitchen to give the master baker a helping hand with one of his mouth watering treats.