Cake Balls are fun any day of the week, but with Valentine’s Day right around the corner this is a great way to get creative with a beautiful and delicious dessert. A traditional Red Velvet Cake made into individual cake balls and covered in a smooth, vanilla candy coating. These can be ahead of time and easily kept or frozen until needed for serving or even Valentine’s Day goody bags!

 

 

In addition to the recipe ingredients you will need either lolly pop sticks (available at cake supply stores 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.

 

Red Velvet Cake

1/2 cup shortening or butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 oz. red food coloring (1 bottle)

3 tablespoon cocoa

2 1/4 c all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup buttermilk

1 tablespoon  vinegar

Grease and flour a 9 X 13″ cake pan.  Preheat oven to 350. Cream shortening, 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. Alternately add soda and vinegar, and don’t over beat. 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 or here is a basic cream cheese frosting recipe to use.

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.

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.

 

 

 

 

Mix your frosting recipe into the cake crumbs.  Start with about 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 incriments.  You want the cake to be the consistancy 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.

Do you love red velvet? If you try this recipe please let us know!

 

An American Housewife.  Blogging since before ‘blog’ was a word, and doing freelance social media marketing since 2007.  Started baking at the age of 3; although I no longer use a light bulb for the heat source.  You can find more of my recipes at my website; An American Housewife – www.housewifebarbie.com.

Twitter- @AmericHousewife