Cake Balls and Cake Pops

Making Cake Balls is a piece of cake, literally.

Small handfuls of crumbled cake are rolled into balls, dipped in chocolate, and decorated.

Similarly, Cake Pops are cake balls on lollipop sticks with a candy coating. They're a tad more tricky to prepare but, as you will see, the decorating possibilities are endless because the candy coating comes in many, many colors, even chocolate. Great leftover cake idea. 

Cake Balls and Cake Pops

They start the same way. In short, cake crumbles are held together by frosting and rolled into balls. Any variety or flavor of cake will do; red velvet cake balls are very popular, though, for their rich color. Likewise, the frosting may be store-bought or homemade. A half-recipe of my cream cheese frosting works well.

Makes 4 to 5 dozen

1 cake (1 box cake mix size) prepared, baked and cooled
1/2 to 1 cup frosting

Line 2 baking sheets with wax paper and set aside. Cut the cake into large squares and crumble it by hand, not too finely, into a large bowl. (Forgo the food processor this time.)

Stir in 1/2 cup of frosting and test the consistency. It should smoosh together without being sticky. Add more frosting, a little at a time, only if necessary. Form the cake mixture into walnut-size balls with a cookie scoop, mini ice cream scoop, tablespoon, or by hand. Place them on the baking sheets and refrigerate for about 2 hours.

For Cake Balls:
1 16 ounce pkg. Baker's Semi-Sweet or White Chocolate
Sprinkles or 6 ounces Baker's chocolate (contrasting color) for garnish

1. Note: You may decide to use 2 16-ounce boxes of chocolate, 1 white, 1 semi-sweet, for half-and-half light and dark balls and garnish. The leftovers can be re-used.
   

Melt the Baker's chocolate in a deep bowl according to package directions. Working with 1 sheet of balls from the refrigerator and 1 ball at a time, plop the balls into the chocolate and remove them with a fork. Gently tap the fork on the edge of the bowl to remove excess chocolate. Return them to the wax-papered baking sheet and garnish:

1. Sprinkle with sprinkles while still damp or...

2. Let the coating harden then drizzle with a little contrasting, melted chocolate using a squeeze bottle or like this: Pour the melted chocolate into a re-sealable plastic baggie, snip a very small bottom corner off, and drizzle.

Repeat with the other sheet. Refrigerate.

For Cake Pops:
1 16-ounce pkg. candy coating
1 tablespoon shortening, give or take, optional
Lollipop sticks
Styrofoam block or cake pop holders
Decoration ingredients of your choice

Melt the candy coating according to package directions in a deep bowl, adding a little shortening to thin the coating. Insert a lollipop stick half way into a cake ball, then remove it. Drizzle a drop of the candy coating into the hole, dip the top of the lollipop stick into the melted candy and insert again. Stand the cake pop up in a holder or styrofoam to harden. Repeat the process with all the cake pops. Chill them for a few minutes if need be.

When the sticks are "glued" in, dip the balls straight down into the candy coating and back out. (Keep the candy warm and melty.) Gently tap the stick on the edge of the bowl to remove any excess coating. Return the pops to their styrofoam stand and decorate as desired. If you're using sprinkles, remember to dip the pops in them while still gooey.

Here are some more decorating ideas:

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