Bake a 13x9" cake. Use whatever flavor you fancy whether it comes from a box or you're using your much-loved passed on from generation family recipe. Allow cake to cool (cool enough to handle is fine).
Wash your hands, roll your sleeves up and dive in! Crumble up that cake into little pieces. Transferring to a large mixing bowl. Sometimes the pieces along the edges or the corners of the cake might be a little hard, so as you come across them, toss them out....or as I do, set them aside as a snack for later ;)
Mix in about 1/4-1/2 a tub of your favorite frosting (mix and match...whatever). If using your favorite frosting recipe, use about 1/4 cup - 1/2 cup frosting. You want to have a a consistency that allows the cake to stick together, but not too gooey. I found some cake can use a little less depending on moistness (like the cake ball recipes I will be showing below). Cover and refrigerate about 30 min.
Grab a tray or cookie sheet, cover it with wax paper. Roll the cake into golf-ball sized balls, setting onto tray. Once all rolled, pop the them in the freezer, and allow to freeze firmly about 2 hours.
Prepare another cookie sheet or two with wax paper. Melt a package of candy coating ( I use Wilton's candy discs) as pkg directs. You can add a tsp of extract if you would like to. Put the candy coating in a microwaveable dish (I like to use my Pyrex measuring cup). Remove about 4-5 cake balls from the freezer at a time, they defrost quickly and you will want them to stay firm as you dip them in the candy coating. Take a metal skewer (I use about 4 at a time), stick it into the top of the ball, dip into the candy coating. Lightly tap the skewer on the side of the dish slowly rotating the skewer. Do this to allow excess candy coating drip off. Put the skewer into a large cup cake-ball up. While that hardens, it will only take a minute, start onto another skewer/cake ball. I use about 4 skewers, then I carefully pull the cake ball off the skewers and set them on the wax paper. They are likely to roll around. If you want cake balls with a flat bottom, don't put them in the cup to dry; instead, set it on the wax paper and using another skewer to hold the cake ball down, gently pull the skewer out the top then dip the tip of the skewer in the candy coating and carefully fill-in over the hole from the skewer. <<< I found this second way, is more time-consuming and can sometimes look less pretty, but they wont roll.
Once the balls are done, if desired, use a squeeze bottle filled with melted candy coating to squeeze on a different color. Or add a little bit of candy coating to the top and before its dry, dip into sprinkles.
Ok, onto some recipes!!!!!
Spiced Pumpkin Cake Balls
(adapted and altered from McCormicks Spiced Pumpkin Cake)
You will need:
1 pkg yellow cake mix
4-serving size box of vanilla instant pudding mix
1 C canned pumpkin
1/2 C oil
1/2 C water
3 eggs
1-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp vanilla extract
about 1/4 tub cream cheese frosting
1-1/2 packages Wilton Vanilla Candy Coating Discs, orange colored (Micheal's)
1/2 package Wilton Vanilla Candy Coating Discs, white (Micheal's)
In a medium bowl, whisk together cake mix, pudding mix, and spices. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mix, beat together pumpkin, oil, water, eggs, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and beat for about 2 min, until batter is smooth. Pour into a greased 13x9" pan and bake at 350º for 30-35 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Put pan on wire rack to cool.
Crumble cake up, put into a large mixing bowl. Add in the frosting, until it would stick together (wont take much, this cake is kind of gooey to begin with). Cover and refrigerate about 30 min.
Roll cake into golf-ball sized balls. Place onto wax paper-lined cookie sheet. Put in freezer, allow to freeze about 2 hours.
Melt orange candy coating. Using a metal skewer, Put the candy coating in a microwaveable dish (I like to use my Pyrex measuring cup). Remove about 4-5 cake balls from the freezer at a time, they defrost quickly and you will want them to stay firm as you dip them in the candy coating. Take a metal skewer (I use about 4 at a time), stick it into the top of the ball, dip into the candy coating. Lightly tap the skewer on the side of the dish slowly rotating the skewer. Do this to allow excess candy coating drip off. Put the skewer into a large cup cake-ball up. While that hardens, it will only take a minute, start onto another skewer/cake ball. I use about 4 skewers, then I carefully pull the cake ball off the skewers and set them on the wax paper.
Melt the white candy coating, put into a squeeze bottle and slowly squeeze 3-4 lines over the top of the cake ball. Repeat until all are done. Allow to dry. These store nicely in the fridge and freezer.
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Cranberry-Orange Cake Balls(adapted & altered from Taste of Home, Tart Cranberry Cake)
You will need:
3 eggs
2 C sugar
3/4 C butter, room temp
1 tsp orange extract
2 C flour
2-1/2 C fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2 C chopped pecans
1-1/2 pkgs Wilton Vanilla Candy Coating (white)
1-1/2 tsp orange extract
1/2 pkg Wilton Vanilla Candy Coating (red)
In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar until slightly thickened and lemon-colored, about 5 minutes. Add butter and 1 tsp extract; beat 2 minutes. Stir in flour just until combined. Stir in cranberries and pecans. Spread in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish.
Bake at 350º 45-50 min, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Place pan on wire rack to cool.
Crumble cake up, put into a large mixing bowl. Add in the frosting, until it would stick together (wont take much, this cake is kind of gooey to begin with). Cover and refrigerate about 30 min.
Roll cake into golf-ball sized balls. Place onto wax paper-lined cookie sheet. Put in freezer, allow to freeze about 2 hours.
Melt white candy coating, stir in 1-1/2 tsp orange extract. *Sometimes adding in the extract might change the consistency of the candy coating, stir in about 4 tsp shortening to get the texture back to where its smooth. Using a metal skewer, Put the candy coating in a microwaveable dish (I like to use my Pyrex measuring cup). Remove about 4-5 cake balls from the freezer at a time, they defrost quickly and you will want them to stay firm as you dip them in the candy coating. Take a metal skewer (I use about 4 at a time), stick it into the top of the ball, dip into the candy coating. Lightly tap the skewer on the side of the dish slowly rotating the skewer. Do this to allow excess candy coating drip off. Put the skewer into a large cup cake-ball up. While that hardens, it will only take a minute, start onto another skewer/cake ball. I use about 4 skewers, then I carefully pull the cake ball off the skewers and set them on the wax paper.
Melt the red candy coating, put into a squeeze bottle and slowly squeeze 3-4 lines over the top of the cake ball. Repeat until all are done. Allow to dry. These store nicely in the fridge and freezer.
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