How to Make a Cake Ball

Impress your friends with a simple and easy dessert...cake balls.  Or call them cake truffles.  Call them whatever you want, they're yummy. Once you pop one of these little chocolate coated cake treats in your mouth you'll want another, and before you know it, your plate of cake balls will be gone.  A perfect addition to any party or gathering, or just to make on a weekend when you have a craving for something sweet.

The instructions below or for very basic cake balls.  You can always jazz them up by drizzling the final product with another color or flavor of chocolate, mixing flavors, adding fillings (before freezing using a piping bag) or decorating the final product with a floral decorators tip and piping bag.

Ingredients:

• One box of cake mix
• One tub of icing
• Melting chocolate of your choice
• Mellon baller or cookie scoop
• Pan lined with wax paper or foil

Directions:

To start, buy your favorite cake mix and icing.  This time I bought what was on sale - white cake and pink vanilla icing that came with sprinkles.  Bake the cake according to the instructions on the back of the box.  Don't worry too much about the cake in terms of how it comes out (as you need to basically destroy it in the next step).

Once the cake is cool, transfer it to a bowl. 

Remove clumpies.

Add your icing.  I don't usually use the whole tub.   You want the mixture to be moist and not too cakie, but not too soft with icing.

Here is what the final concoction looks like.

Next up, get out your favorite size of melon baller or cookie scoop.  I used a smaller cookie scoop because I plan to paper these when I am done (I'll show you what I mean later).  I also line a baking sheet with either foil or wax paper to help clean up later.  I use this cookie sheet because it has a plastic lid and it comes in handy later.

Scoop even balls, as shown above.

This is about how many I got out of the mix (minus a little bit on the spoon I used that I had to sample...)

Cover your balls (hehehe) and put them in the freezer for at least a few hours if not over night.  They need to become very firm in order to successfully accomplish the next few steps.

Pick your favorite melting chocolate.  I used a cheap white chocolate style for these cake balls.  Melt according to the directions on the packaging.  I didn't use a double broiler because I like the chocolate to melt deeper dish than my double broiler (it's wider than taller).

Use a fork to gently stick into the bottom of each cake ball.  I use one of Sofia's baby forks because it's easy to work with compared to my fancy silverware.

This is what it will look like when you dip it.  Gently use your fingers to pop it off of the fork and set it back on the tray.

Continue until finished but if you plan to put sprinkles or any that needs to stick to the chocolate, be sure to only do about four or five at a time before you sprinkle them.  The chocolate sets very quickly and will not hold sprinkles after it's set.