Cake balls, pops and shots. Yes, shots!
Sunday, January 23, 2011 at 6:07PM So I'm sure you have all heard of the cake ball craze. If you haven't, you may or may not live under a rock. Who's to say?
Anyways, there is a wonderful food blogger named Bakerella. She did not invent cake balls but she sure did make them famous! They are super fun and easy to make. You can totally see how to make everything on her website but I am also going to show you right here! I do a few things just a little bit different. I think baking is always relevant... it could be that my oven is different or I just like the texture a certain way. Whatevs....
Before I get started, here is an adorable picture of Bakerella and I at her book signing. You can get "Cake Pops" pretty much anywhere now. It's such a fun book!
I am going to show you how to make cake balls, cake pops and cake shots. They all start with that basic cake ball mixture. And of course I went a little overboard on the pictures!
(Warning! Warning!!!! You seriously need like 2 days to make cake balls. Or at least one full day. It really is easy but there are several steps and they can't all be done back to back.)
Here is what you will need for basic cake balls:
1 box cake mix prepared as directed. Any flavor!
1 container of cream cheese (or your fave flavor) cake icing
1 package of Almond Bark or any type of candy melt mold
And lots of sprinkles, M&M's, little cute candies... basically fun stuff to decorate them with.
So, bake your cake as directed.
Let cool overnight if possible.
Ok. Here is one of the things I do different. I cut the edges off of the cakes. Just because I don't like any harder edges in the mix. I want it all to be fluffy!!!
Crumble the cake into a large bowl then add half of the container of icing. Bakerella adds 3/4 container but I like them a little "cakeier" so I just do 1/2. Mix all together with your hands.... Wash with soap and water please!
This is the "basic mix" I told you about. Now for the cake balls I use a cookie scoop. It is just easier for me and makes them all the same size.
Scoop, roll and place on a cookie sheet covered in wax paper.
Place in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours OR in the freezer for about 20 min. I have done them both ways and both work. Once they are firm, it is time to dip. It is best to only take a few balls out of the fridge at a time. If you take them all out when you start dipping some will start to soften.
I normally use chocolate and vanilla Almond Bark.
Break up about half of the package. Microwave 1 min. Stir. Microwave in 30 second increments stirring each time until smooth. Microwave about 1 tsp of shortening for 1 min and stir into coating. This helps to keep it smoother longer. You have to heat the other half of the package about mid way through the dipping process.
The easiest way I have learned to dip is with a fork. Drop the ball in. Coat it. Lift with fork and tap excess off on side of bowl. "Flip" the ball onto the wax paper then smooth the fork edges with a little more coating. I always use sprinkles so they cover any ripples from dipping. If you are trying to make them smooth on top... you might wanna check Bakerella on that one!
Now decorate!!!!
Be creative! I normally always use M&M's and sprinkles but this day I also made some S'more cake balls. Pretty sure they exist somewhere out there but I didn't look at a recipe I just did what I wanted to.
Oh and, sorry about the chipped nail polish! If you are one of those people that likes to find "mistakes" in movies you are going to love this post. I took these pictures over several weeks of me baking different things. So like, step #1 I will have nail polish on, step #2 I will not, step #3 I will and so on...... it's funny!
Back to baking....I used a chocolate cake ball mix. Put a Marshmallow in the center, dipped in chocolate and sprinkled graham crackers on the top.
Um, they were yum!
I was making this batch of cake balls for my cousins birthday so I went to a party supply store and bought "truffle cups" and a pie box. It worked perfectly to carry the cake balls. I ran out of truffle cups and ended up using mini cupcake papers. Worked good too!
I just love this picture... had to share! Cake balls on my new milk glass butter dish.
Now for the pops! Eeeeeeek!
I just pulled out some random supplies. The 2 extra things you will need for pops are lollipop sticks and some sort of foam blocks to stick the pops in. You can find both of these things at a craft supply store. I covered my blocks in tissue paper just to make them look a little better.
I will start from the basic mix formed into balls and firmed in the refrigerator (or freezer).
Melt your coating, put the shortening in... and dip the end of your stick into the coating. Then insert the stick into the cake ball. About half way in.
Now to coat the ball... do not twirl it in the coating. It will loosen the ball and come right off the stick. I tilt the bowl and just kind of lean the ball into the coating. Then take it out and tap your wrist to get the excess coating off. if you tap the stick on the bowl the ball may fall off. Yikes!
Now decorate!
Stick them in the foam and refrigerate. You have to be a bit more careful with these... if they are left out at room temperature for too long, they will start to slide down the stick. They normally don't last long at a party but I notice them getting a little weak after about an hour.
And it's photo shoot time! My favorite part.
Literally you just buy whatever sprinkles are for that holiday and have fun!
Valentine's..... ahhhhhhh.
I just love rainbow sprinkles. I know these are basic but they are my fave! I have always loved sprinkled donuts and these remind me of that.
And now for the cake shots! Um, I truly just made this up. There really is not anything too extraordinary about this but I enjoyed it!!!
I must preface with the story.... It was my friend JRo's birthday. She is an adult and she was having a dance party. Cause that's what adults do. Also as adults we wanted cake but did not want to have to provide plates, napkins, forks, cake cutting people, etc. Nothing high maintenance. The birthday cake must not take time away from the dancing!
Unrelated to the cake issue I decided to make jello shots. Again, we are adults and it is a dance party. As I got the 2oz party cups out I got this cute little idea....
I used the small end of a melon baller to make teeny tiny cake balls. You can see how much smaller they were than a regular cake ball.
We put them in teeny tiny jello shot cups and taped them to the top of the jello shot itself. The cutest thing ever! Ever.
JRo helped me make them cause there were like a million.... aren't they adorable?!?!
Also, when the birthday girl helps you, you get to do this...
And this.....
The cake shots and the party were a big success!
Yay for friends and birthdays and cake balls and dancing!
I hope you learned everything you need to know about cake balls! Check out Bakerella. You will love her site!
Reader Comments (40)
[...] and you can find my recipe for those adorable cake balls in my baking [...]
I love your "Show & Tell" of how to make cake balls. You are so creative with the entire website. Love, Love, Love it!!!
ADORABLE!
Thank you! Thank you! So glad you liked it!
These are so awesome! I love love the pictures! Just had a question, Can you use anything besides shortening, like butter, to mix in with the chocolate? I'm not a fan of shortening and would really like to make these. Thanks!
omg these cake balls are so pretty and looks so yummy! i want to make like this on valentines day.
Kayla... You do not have to use shortening! You really don't have to use anything with the Almond Bark/candy melts. I only use the shortening to thin the coating and make it a little shinier. I do not use it every time. If you feel like you need something to thin it out (if the coating gets too thick it makes it difficult to coat the ball), you can also use Paramount Crystals. You can find these near the candy molds and melts at a hobby store.
Thanks for checking out my site!!!
Melissa
[...] would make TX shaped cake pops! Yep. And that’s what I did. I used the same basic cake ball recipe I always use…. chocolate today. Instead of rolling them in balls I just put all of the [...]
Delicious! Made these with red velvet cake mix and cream cheese frosting...came out WONDERFULLY :) Also, cutting out the crust is ingenious for keeping it smooth and soft!
Yay!!! I'm glad you liked! Team "No Cake Edges" all the way!!!
[...] but haven’t quite mastered that buttercream icing thing, I’ve already done a few cake ball posts, I just did the Sixlets & chocolate chip cookies post and I am terrible at royal icing… [...]
Oh. My. God. I never wanted to make cake pops before (too much work) but those cake balls. The pictures. Everything has convinced me I want to make them right now! The white ones with multi-colored sprinkles are to die for. Seriously, this post has changed my mind.
Oh yea!!!! So glad you liked the post :).... Make those cake balls girl!!!
Thanks for the step-by-step! I am going to make this for my son's class birthday treat. How many cake balls do you get from your 13 by 9 sheet cake?
About 30 :)
What size is your regular scoop?
My scoop is the medium Pampered Chef scoop, 1 1/2 in. diameter. It looks like I will have to make 2 cakes worth!
Mine is 1.5 inches :)
These cake balls are absolutely so cool! I see cake ball posts alot, but never was interested in trying it.. but it looks so easy and fun in your post!! I'm wanting to make some for my husband's birthday, but I can't find Almond Bark!!! Is there a substitute or NO WAY??
You can use regular semi sweet chocolate chips but they don't harden as well but if you have a craft/hobby store anywhere near you... You can buy candy melts... They sell all different colors :)
Can I use a homemade icing. My mom calls it royal icing. With powder sugar, milk, popcorn salt, etc
Oh man... I don't know about that. I'm sure you could use homemade buttercream icing but the royal icing may be too thin.
What size package of cream cheese did you use? Or would you recommend using an actual cake frosting? I'm planning on doing the red velvet variety.
Yea... It's cream cheese cake frosting... Not regular cream cheese. I always use half of a normal size frosting container.
You can use any flavor cake frosting. Cream cheese is best for red velvet... My favorite!!!!
How much almond bark would you recommend to use for half a cake?