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12/17/12

Red Velvet Cake Balls



This years 2012 Red Velvet Cake Balls
As I continue to bake for the Christmas holiday cookie trays, the cake balls are complete!  These are a favorite of my husband, who has already 'tested' three of them!  Ha.  So pretty, you can make these and decorate as you wish.  I list my recipe with white candy coating but you could do them in chocolate if you wish as well.

In addition to the recipe ingredients you may want either Lollipop Sticks (available at cake supply stores, online or hobby stores) or for very small balls, toothpicks work. You will also need 1 pound of vanilla almond bark, also known as candy coating; available in the baking aisle of most grocery and general merchandise stores or white chocolate or white candy chips.  (For those that can't find almond bark, you can also order it online here .)

Need:     Red Velvet Cake
              Frosting
              Almond Bark or White Chocolate
              Optional:  lollypop sticks, sprinkles

Red Velvet Cake

1/2 c butter
1 1/2 c sugar
2 eggs
2 oz. red food coloring (1 oz is fine, but 2 will give you a deeper red)
3 T cocoa
2 1/4 c flour
1 t salt
1 t vanilla
1 t baking soda
1 c buttermilk
1 T vinegar

Grease and flour a 9 X 13″ cake pan. Preheat oven to 350. Cream butter, sugar and eggs. Make a paste with the food coloring and cocoa and add to mixture. Add salt and flour alternately with buttermilk and vanilla. Mix soda and vinegar and add to the mix.  Beat just until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake approximately 30-35 minutes or until done. Remove from oven. Cool completely. (Since you are not making this into a layer cake, you can let it cool in the pan if you wish.

Basic Cream Cheese Frosting

You can use your favorite frosting (that link goes to the frosting I use for Red Velvet)  or here is a basic cream cheese frosting recipe to use, as many like cream cheese frosting with this particular cake.  You could even use store bought if you like.

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
8 oz. cream cheese
16 oz. box powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Beat softened butter and cream cheese until well blended. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat until creamy.  Set aside.

Crumble the cooled cake completely with your hands or use a food processor and process in 2 or 3 batches depending on the size of your appliance.


Red Velvet cake crumbs
Mix your frosting recipe into the cake crumbs. Start with about 1-2 cups of frosting and mix well with a wooden spoon and then, your hands. If it’s a dry mix, add more frosting by quarter cup increments. You just want the cake to be the consistency of play dough so it holds together well and forms balls.

Scoop dough out to the size cake ball you want. 30 large or up to 50 or 60 if you are making 1 inch rounds. Roll in your hands until smooth and place each ball on a parchment lined baking sheet. Depending on the size of the cake ball use either a lolly pop stick or toothpick in the top. Place in the freezer and freeze for 2 hours until firm.

Melt the vanilla candy coating (almond bark) according to package directions over low heat or in the microwave. Dip each cake ball into the vanilla and place on parchment paper to set. If you wish you can sprinkle them with desired colored sugar or sprinkles at this point.




Leave on the counter while the candy coating sets. After hard these can be kept in a container as they are as the coating keeps the cake moist. I’ve also froze them for up to a month, and left to thaw on the counter until needed.


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