Proof that just about every meal, snack, or sweet can be made spooky; I give you this: Vampire cake balls. These are great for those (like me) who just need a little bite of sweet to satisfy without the temptation of a whole slice of cake. Another great thing about cake balls is that they’re so easy to make; and even if you’ve tried it before and can’t just seem to get the candy coating quite right, with these it doesn’t matter. The messy look actually makes these more creepy in my opinion.
Here’s what you’ll need:
1 box of cake mix- I used yellow since I was going to be using white candy coating. This makes it easier to coat without the cake showing through. Red velvet would look really good too though.)
1 can of ready made vanilla or cream cheese icing (again, lighter colors are easier to cover)
white almond bark coating
red candy coating
a large bowl
a small microwavable bowl
a plastic squeeze bottle
a rubber spatula
a cookie sheet
wax paper
a fork
a chopstick
paper candy cups (optional)
1. Bake your cake according to package directions and let cool.
2. Once the cake is completely cool, crumble the cake into the large bowl. To save time you can use a food processor.
3. Using the rubber spatula, mix in just enough icing for the crumbs to hold together. Don’t use too much or the ball won’t hold its shape. I just add a little at a time until it feels right. You won’t use the whole container- usually for a full box cake you’ll only need about 1/2 to 3/4 of the can.
4. Roll tablespoon-sized balls of the icing and crumb mixture, and place on a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper. I usually get anywhere from 45 to 48 cake balls from one cake.
5. Refrigerate the cake balls for at least 20 minutes, or until firm. The firmer the better, but don’t freeze. Don’t take the cake balls out of the fridge until you’re ready to dip them in the candy coating.
6. When the 20 minutes is up, place your white candy coating into the small microwavable bowl. Microwave according to package directions. Usually, depending on your microwave, you can do intervals of 30 seconds and stir after each time. Candy coating may not look melted but will be soft. Don’t overheat it! It’s best to use a small, but deep bowl to ensure that you cover the ball completely when you dip it.
7. Remove the cake balls from the fridge and use a fork to dip them one by one into the candy coating. This takes some practice. I’ve found that the best thing to do is drop the cake ball into the candy an stir it around, then scoop it up with the fork and tap the fork on the edge of the bowl to get rid of the excess. Getting the cake ball off of the fork can be tricky to do without ruining the smooth finish of the candy. With these it isn’t too important since you’ll be making the bite marks, but what I do is gently wiggle the fork so the cake ball slides off of it and onto the waxed paper. Let it begin to set for a few seconds, then use a chopstick to make two bite marks in the cake ball. Don’t push too hard or you’ll go right through. Repeat the process until all cake balls are dipped in the white coating.
8. Place red candy melts into a microwavable plastic squeeze bottle. I use these. Again, melt according to package directions. Squeeze a little of the red candy into each bite mark, making drips down the side of the cake ball. You can use the tip of the bottle or a toothpick to mess it up a little and make it look gorier. Let the candy set completely, either at room temperature or in the refrigerator for a few minutes. Serve on a platter, or in paper candy cups.
