Countdown to Christmas: 11 Sleeps

Cake Balls

aka Andrea and Sara's "Schweddy Balls"

(11 - 1 sleeps) 

This is the one treat I make where I break my rule of no boxed mixes. Since the end result is NOT a cake, I figure it's OK to cheat, just a little. Another simple, three ingredient holiday treat, these cake balls take a bit more time and effort than the typical cookie or bar. They are worth it though! It's great to get kids involved too, either with shaping the balls, dipping them in chocolate, or decorating them with sprinkles.
This year we learned an important lesson - melted chocolate chips do no work as well as melted baking chocolate. Chocolate chips contain stabilizers in them, so when you try to melt them down, they never become as liquid as you might like. The few that we did with the baking chocolate turned out beautifully - smooth, round, perfect. However, the ones we made with melted chocolate chips look a bit more "rustic", so they received the "Schweddy Ball" title for 2013 (SNL reference here: http://www.hulu.com/watch/4156).

1 box cake mix (I used Red Velvet)
1 tub pre-made frosting (cream cheese)
16-20oz semi-sweet baking chocolate (approx 1oz chocolate for every 4 balls)

Sara's excellent dino-sprinkle-decorating,
along side the "Rustic Schweddy Balls"

1. Make cake according to package instructions. Bake in 9x13 pan.
2. Once cake has baked and cooled, break entire cake into crumbs using a fork or your hands.
3. Combine entire tub of frosting with cake, and mix well to combine. Freeze cake-frosting concoction 15-30 minutes, or leave in fridge overnight (this will make your life a lot easier when shaping the balls).
4. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Remove cake-frosting mixture from freezer, and shape into 1" balls. (I find it helps to spray a bit of PAM or non-stick spray on your hands before diving into the sticky mess). Place cookie sheet in fridge or freezer with completed balls, while you melt the chocolate.
5. In a microwave safe bowl, melt chocolate according the package instructions. Once chocolate is beautifully liquid, dip formed cake balls in chocolate to coat. Place back on parchment and let cool. If decorating with sprinkles, be sure to put them on the balls before chocolate cools completely. Other decorating options include melting white chocolate and drizzling over top, or using lollipop sticks to make cake-pops.