Cake Balls!

I started my Christmas baking about a week ago and had a batch of chocolate pecan fudge and a batch of vanilla nut fudge finished and chillin' like villains in the freezer. They didn't make it through the week though. Haha. I swear, keeping yummy treats in my house is like keeping an open flame and expecting a moth not to be drawn to it. ((shrugs)) Oh well. I guess that is just a reflection of how good they were. ;)

So, a few days ago, I made chocolate pecan fudge batch #2 and threatened my husband and children with their lives. Hehe. Then yesterday, during F.H.E., my 12-year-old and I started cake balls. Now, I don't know if you know what these delectable, little bites of heaven are, but OH MY GOODNESS! They are like my favorite things in the whole world right now ((winks at The Purple Lady. I've made them for her a few times and she too has become a fiend. Hehe. I can't help but think of her every time I make them now)). A family friend introduced me to them a few years ago, and I am officially hooked. Basically, they are made from cake that you bake and mix with frosting to roll into small bite-sized balls, then you roll said balls around in dipping chocolate. They taste like little truffles, and are absolutely amazing!

Peppermint red velvet cake balls with white dipping chocolate. YUM!

Trust me - they are absolutely sinful! :P

I also made some german chocolate cake balls, but forgot to take a picture of them before packing them away in Ziploc bags in the freezer...oops. It's all good, though. The red velvet ones are prettier. ;)

Anyway, these succulent, little balls of yummy goodness are just too delicious to keep to myself, so being the giving person that I am, I thought I'd share the love - in recipe form, of course. ;)

Cake Balls 

Prepare and cook 1 cake mix as directed on box

Let FULLY cool for several hours

Mix cake and about ½ of a 12oz. container of frosting (about ¾ cup - 1 cup) with your hands in a large bowl until it holds form when squished together (don’t put in too much frosting or the balls will be too wet and won’t set up properly). Form into bite sized balls and freeze to set (about 15 to 30 minutes – this step is optional, but makes the balls easier to dip). Dip in desired chocolate (recipes below) and freeze to set again (about 10 minutes). Serve immediately or freeze in gallon sized Ziploc bags.

Dipping Chocolate

Equal parts Chocolate Almond Bark and semi-sweet chocolate chips melted in the microwave for a minute or so until melted.

White Dipping Chocolate

Equal parts Vanilla Almond Bark and white chocolate chips melted in the microwave for a minute or so until melted.

Variation Ideas

1) German Chocolate Cake with Coconut Pecan Frosting in dipping chocolate 

2) Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting in white dipping chocolate 

3) Chocolate Cake with 

-1/3 cup caramel ice cream topping 

-1/3 cup condensed milk 

-1 bag of Heath bits o’ brickle 

-Dip in dipping chocolate 

4) Chocolate Cake with 2/3 cup Nutella dipped in dipping chocolate (can be made with a vanilla cake as well) 

5) Chocolate Cake with chocolate frosting in mint dipping chocolate (substitute Andes mints for semi-sweet choc chips) 

6) Orange Cream Cake with Vanilla Frosting in white dipping chocolate 

7) Lemon Cake with Cream Cheese

Shannon’s favorite variation: carrot cake with cream cheese frosting dipped in white dipping chocolate. 

Note: For the red velvet ones I just did, I made a peppermint white chocolate cream cheese frosting to mix in with the baked cake. I also crushed up some candy canes (nearly to powder) and sprinkled them over the balls after dipping them in the white chocolate. You have to do this immediately after rolling them; though, as the chocolate dries really quickly. Combined with the peppermint in the frosting, this adds a perfectly subtle peppermint flavor. Delish!

Anyway, hope you enjoy. :)

Source: twowritingteachers.wordpress.com via The Purple on Pinterest