Red Velvet Cake Balls hide a sweet and festive scarlet treat inside! This easy dessert recipe is perfect for the holidays.
A couple of weeks ago I tried making one of those peekaboo pound cakes. You know, a pound cake that reveals a fun, holiday-themed shape in the center when you slice into it?
The directions in the recipe I followed were clear, but the execution was flawed. Horribly, wretchedly flawed.
Instead of slicing into a moist and luscious cream cheese pound cake to reveal a red velvet cake-flavored, Christmas tree-shape inside, I sawed into a burnt brick to find a maroon-colored blob in the center. FAIL.
The upside to my baking disaster? I had almost an entire red velvet cake leftover to make Red Velvet Cake Balls with!
Start with 1 box red velvet cake mix. Bake the cake according to package directions then, when it’s completely cool, crumble the cake into a very large bowl.
This will feel so wrong — but that’s showbiz, baby!
Next, make a cream cheese frosting which will act like glue to hold the cake crumbles together. You could also buy this pre-made, but frosting is one thing I always make from scratch. It’s easy!
Just cream together 1/4 cup softened butter with 4oz 1/3-less fat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, then 1 cup powdered sugar.
Add half of the icing to the cake crumbles then incorporate it with a spatula or your hands.
Add more icing until the cake crumbles just come together to form a smooth NOT TOO STICKY paste.
Scoop the cake mixture by the Tablespoon then roll into balls and place on a wax paper-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate until firm, 1-2 hours.
Once the cake balls are firm, pull them out and melt their yummy chocolate coating. I love Baker’s chocolate because it melts perfectly in the microwave and stays silky smooth for a long time after warming.
For the cake balls, microwave 16oz Baker’s semi-sweet baking chocolate in 30 second increments, stirring between increments, until smooth.
Use two forks to dip each cake ball in the melted chocolate. Pass the cake ball from fork to fork once or twice, then place back on the wax paper.
After all the balls have been dipped, melt 6oz Baker’s white chocolate to drizzle on top. This is totally optional, but I think it adds a little somethin’ somthin’. Follow the same melting instructions as the semi-sweet chocolate, then use a small spoon to drizzle the melted chocolate over the cake balls.
Finally, for a little extra holiday cheer, dust with colored sprinkles on top!
Refrigerate the cake balls until the chocolate has hardened, then you are ready to ROCK!
Perfectly pretty and festive — I hope you love each and every Red Velvet Cake Ball!
Psst! These make great homemade holiday gifts, too!
Ingredients
- 1 box red velvet cake mix, plus ingredients required on back of box
- 16 oz Baker's Semi-Sweet Chocolate
- 6 oz Baker's White Chocolate
- colored sprinkles, optional
For the cream cheese frosting (could use store-bought):
- 1/4 cup butter, softened to room temperature
- 4 oz 1/3-less fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Directions
- Bake red velvet cake according to package directions. Let cool completely then crumble into a very large bowl. In a separate large bowl, cream together butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add vanilla then beat until combined. Add powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, then beat until combined. Incorporate half the cream cheese frosting into the cake crumbles, then add more frosting until the cake crumbles just come together. Scoop by the Tablespoon then roll into balls and place on a wax-paper lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining cake then refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
- Melt semi-sweet chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 30 second increments, stirring between increments, until smooth. Dip cake balls in chocolate using two forks, then place back on wax paper. Melt white chocolate in 20 second increments, stirring between increments, then use a spoon to drizzle over cake balls. Sprinkle with colored sprinkles, if desired, then refrigerate until chocolate is hardened.
Notes
- Serve cold or at room temperature.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
Seriously – you make me hungry when I read your posts late at night! I want to put a batch in right now! ;-) Thanks for the laughs and a great recipe!
looks so good. I’m making them and taking to work!!!!!!!!
Your cake balls look totally delish! I do a similar adult version of red velvet cake balls. I bake the cake and crumble it like you but what holds it together is about 7-8 oz of Kahlua and about a half cup of unsweetened cocoa. The amount of Kahlua and cocoa can be adjusted to achieve the right consistency depending on the moistness of the cake. I then roll them and dip them in chocolate just like yours. Yum! I liken them to the cake version of jello shots and there are certain friends’ parties to which I am not allowed to show up without the cake balls!
Thanks for this recipe. Can’t wait to try it!
These cake balls look so festive!
looks good. i am going to try this.
Last year I made red velvet cream cheese centered cookies. Total fail…my cookies were *literally* the size of a plate and they were more like shortbread. I think the oven ate the cream cheese because it was no where in sight!! Oh well…this year will be better with cake balls :)!
These look really awesome. I never made cake balls before. These would be perfect for holiday parties.
Yum! Those look delicious. The other day we did similar ones but instead we used Pillsbury’s dark chocolate cake mix and sprinkle them with grated Oreos, but hands down yours look way better.
gorgeous cake balls! Success! I used Bakers as well for my cake balls and also for choc covered pretzels, its the best
I wil have to try pretzels. I make chocolate dipped cranberries for the holidays and Bakers is definately an easy chocolate to use. I have tried the ones you have to temper and epic fail is the only description. Thanks for the idea!
I just love the idea of picking up a bit of sweetness, then have it melt in my mouth.
It doesn’t get any better than Red Velvet cake balls!!
I tried to make one of those ‘peekaboo’ caked also (Pumpkin & Cheese Cake) and had the same result :( SAD baking fail indeed. I think the issue was that the two cakes needed different cooking times in reality. I didn’t even try to eat it!
I didn’t underbake my red velvet enough so the “tree” in the center was like hard coal at the end. :/ The whole thing is still sitting on my counter like a brick – you can seriously knock on the bottom and hear a noise, baha! Oh well, all’s well that ends well! ;)
Took a little bit of time to load, like you said, but I’m having trouble getting my entry through. I’ll keep trying!
But ummmm can I just say I LOVE the color of these cake balls. They are so pretty! And so many possibilities for TWSS innuendos, haha.
Hey Katie! Rafflecopter went down for a few minutes, but it’s back up now!
Trust me, I had to use HEAVY twss restraint on this post! ;)
Yep, works now!! Thanks! :)
Kristin, you are a naughty girl! :) TWSS comment literally made me LOL!