Even though I bake all the time, my husband isn’t much help when it comes to eating my treats. He tries to eat healthy and isn’t a huge chocolate dessert fan (which I obviously am). One of the few treats that he has ever requested is cake balls! Specifically red velvet, so I figured the holiday season would be a great time to make them. I’ll be honest, I think red velvet is over rated. I’m probably in the minority here, but I just feel like it’s a chocolate wannabe and people really just like it for the cream cheese frosting (that’s my favorite part of it!). If you’re a red velvet lover I hope I didn’t offend you and that you’ll keep reading my blog :) and this recipe for Christmas cake balls is for you!
To make the cake balls I used a boxed red velvet cake mix and canned cream cheese frosting. Since you mash it all up and you lose the cakey texture I didn’t want to go through the trouble of making them from scratch. I also used this vibrant green funfetti mix for a second batch. It is very vibrant and a little more neon green that I had hoped, but it still makes for a festive treat. One thing to be careful about is not adding too much frosting. If you do go a little overboard, the cake balls will be too soft and you’ll have a difficult time dipping them since they’ll fall off the toothpick. Start with a spoonful or two and add more until you reach a consistency where the cake balls keep their shape, but aren’t too gooey/sticky.
I dipped these cake balls into almond bark because I find that easier to work with than white chocolate. This is the most difficult part. I have not perfected the art of dipping, trust me. There was a batch that was not at all photo-worthy! I use a toothpick to dip them and then place them on a cookie sheet covered in wax paper. I use the toothpick to paint some more melted almond bark over the hole and top it with a large sprinkle. These gold star sprinkles were really fun to work with and I like how they look like mini ornaments. I also decorated some with green and red sprinkles to match the green and red cakes. The snowflake sprinkle on top hides my messy dipping job ;)
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I brought these to a holiday pop up shop event/girls night in that my friend Molly from Destin Duchess invited me to. They seemed to be a hit because the plate was empty by the end of the night! My husband also loved them, so they will probably become a regular treat in the Kamber household! Next time I want to try a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, though ;) what flavor would you guys like to see on the blog?? Let me know in the comments!
Christmas Cake Balls
These Christmas cake balls are perfect for holiday parties! Decorate them with traditional sprinkles or make them look like mini ornaments.
Ingredients
- 1 box red velvet cake mix + ingredients to prepare
- 1 can cream cheese frosting
- 24 oz. almond bark
- Christmas sprinkles
Instructions
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Prepare the cake according to directions on the package (or use your favorite red velvet cake recipe to make it from scratch). When the cake is cool, crumble it into a large mixing bowl.
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Add about 1/2 cup of the frosting. Use a large spoon to mix it into the crumbled cake. The "dough" should be moist and hold its shape when it is rolled into a ball. Don't add more frosting than necessary because the dough will become too soft and gooey.
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Roll the cake mixture into 1 1/2" balls and place on a cookie sheet covered with wax paper. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for a few hours or overnight.
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When the cake balls are chilled and firm, melt the almond bark in a medium-sized bowl according to directions on the package. Take a few cake balls out of the refrigerator at a time and use a toothpick to dip the cake ball. Shake off excess coating and place on another wax paper-covered cookie sheet. Add sprinkles and let harden. Repeat until you run out of almond bark or cake balls. I prefer to store them in the refrigerator.
