I have a really fun game for you.
Pick a cool and cloudy morning. One where you wake up excited to spend the day wrapped up in a warm hoodie and bum around the house.
Take the cozy vibe up a notch by lighting as many yummy-scented candles, like Vanilla Cupcake and Warm Vanilla Sugar, as you can.
Get super inspired by your neighbor’s tree and make the overly ambitious plan to spend the morning making Fall-inspired Pumpkin Cake Balls. You’ve never made them before, and you know there’s quite a few steps involved, but they’ll be totally worth it.
Take a box of spice cake mix and, instead of using eggs and oil like the box calls for, use a can of pumpkin instead. You’ll save calories and it’ll be SO FALL!
Feel your mouth water as even more sweet, spiced scents waft from the hot oven and into your kitchen as the cake bakes for 35 minutes.
Then feel like you just wasted the last hour by crumbling it up into a bowl.
Feel better by mixing an entire container of cream cheese icing into the crumbles.
So much for saving calories…
Place the bowl into the fridge to let the cake mixture firm up so you can roll it into balls, then realize your crisp, Fall-like morning has turned into a hot & sticky summer afternoon and your house is now 80 degrees inside.
Blow out aforementioned candles, as the scent and heat are making you a little nauseous at this point.
Go outside to finish reading Sarah’s Key and come back in a little depressed over the entire subject matter, and ending.
Roll the sticky mess that has become your cooled cake + icing into a million little balls and wonder how even an army could ever finish them all.
Attempt to melt white chocolate to cover said million balls with.
Fail miserably.
Whip up a glaze comprised of powdered sugar, maple syrup and water to cover the balls with instead. Give it a taste, start jittering from the immediate sugar buzz, but move forward with glazing them anyways.
Spend 40 minutes repeating this process wondering the whole time why you ever thought it would be a good idea to make powdered sugar glazed cake balls – they’ll never harden and you’ll be left with mushy sticky balls.
Step back, assess the situation, and realize that’s exactly what you’ve got.
And, great. They look exactly like Swedish meatballs. You’ve made sticky, glaze-covered, pumpkin meatballs.
Imagine how hilarious it would be to actually stick a toothpick in these, take them to a party on a platter, then watch people’s faces when they bite in and realize they’ve got a gooey, overly-sweet, pumpkin-spiced cake lump, instead of a savory, juicy meatball.
Boxed cake mix: $2.09
Cream cheese icing: $1.99
White chocolate chips: $3.49
Time wasted: 4 hours
Seeing the above situation happen to Ben when he gets home from work…PRICELESS.
MUWAHAHAHAHAHA! I think I might tape this!!!!! Is that mean?!
Baking Serendipity 08.13.2011
Hahaha! What was his reaction?!? I love the idea of these…and have definitely tried fall baking in the summer heat before. It’s always a fail. Disappointing…because I’m so ready for fall!
Anne Weber-Falk 08.13.2011
Oh well, it was worth a try. For what it’s worth they do look good. Better luck next time! Funny that they really do look like Swedish meatballs.
Your neighbor’s tree is stressed by our too hot, too dry summer. It is way too early to have it change like that.
sheila 08.13.2011
I’ve made plenty of cake balls and agree that the candy melts work the best. I’ve gotten them at Michael’s. I also freeze the cake balls before dipping them so the coating hardens quickly and the coating doesn’t get filled with cake crumbs.
Kaycie 08.13.2011
Couple of tips- just because I have a cakeball business:) Don’t use an entire can of frosting – only use about 1/3 can – heat the frosting first so it incorporates easier! I have also found that the almond bark is a bit thick, so we actually use Ghirardelli baking bars – or I have luck with Wilton melts – but always melt at 50% power 1 min then 15sec intervals. I made pumpkin balls last year and they were a big hit! We still have too hot of weather to even fake fall – HAHA.
Rachel 08.13.2011
I think they look delicious! I’m ready for some fall cooking/baking. I made some fresh peach crisp yesterday, and hopefully baking some zucchini chocolate cake tomorrow.
Are you going to make it out for some free sweetcorn tomorrow?
Angela 08.12.2011
This is the funniest (bleep) I’ve read in a long time. You rock! Thank you!
noelle 08.12.2011
Ha ha ah ha, “honey I made you meatballs!” Nice.
Courtney 08.12.2011
Lol… it happens :) Please tape it!
Kelly 08.12.2011
I am cracking up- I love it.
Emily 08.12.2011
You just made my night – you crack me up! I was laughing out loud too about the meatball comment :)
Tina @ Faith Fitness Fun 08.12.2011
i hate cake balls because they never turn out for me either – just a bunch of mush. I can’t stand the texture. Now Oreo balls or my peanut butter graham truffles? Give me two dozen of those babies!
erica 08.12.2011
i hope you video taped it!!!
Lauren 08.12.2011
These look incredible!
Dawn Marie 08.12.2011
LOL… funny girl. Very funny! LOL
anna 08.12.2011
I laughed out loud at the meatball comment too. And I’m at work. That’s okay – it’s Friday!!!
And yes, meatballs sound so good right now. But it’s nowhere close to feeling like fall in Reno so pumpkin is out of the question.
amanda 08.12.2011
Every fall I make that recipe (spice cake mix + can of pumpkin)! But I make it into cupcakes, and just use the cream cheese frosting to frost them. Huge hit! Try it, you’ll love it!
PLEASE share with us his reaction to the pumpkin meatballs!!!!
sara 08.12.2011
omg. looks delicious. i want!! haha.
Rachel 08.12.2011
I would almost PAY YOU to tape Ben’s reaction–That’ll be hilarious!
Em 08.12.2011
lol. Amazing. I literally LOLed. Love it when that happens.
Pumpkin meatballs! Surprise! :)
Very fun post.
Liz (Little Bitty Bakes) 08.12.2011
HAHA! I don’t actually laugh very often when I read blogs but I just started cracking up. BTW, I, personally, would love to realize I was eating a mushy sticky pumpkin cake ball instead of a Swedish meatball. :)