Cake Balls

Wow!!!  How time flies!  I guess that I baked so much during the holidays that I have kind of been on a hiatus the last few weeks.  I just didn't realize that it has been a month since I posted a recipe.  That just won't do.
So, another holiday is hitting us this week and with my daughter away at college, I just decided that I should send a small care package.  I remember being in college and it was always nice to get anything in the mail... even a card.. but a care package... WOW!!!  I think that my daughter feels the same and I try to send her something a few times a year.
Since it is Valentine's Day, I thought I would try for a more elegant look and decided on cake balls.  I had tried to make them before, and while they tasted good, just didn't stick together the way they should have and were a little messy and crumbly.  So I made a phone call to my sister, who I knew had had some success with these in the past.  What she let me know is what she had learned from our mom, work with the cake while it is still warm, so I did just that and they turned out great!

First you need to decide on the flavor for your cake balls.  I decided on strawberry since I knew they would turn out pink and I was looking for something pretty.  You can choose a box of sugar-free Jell-o powder or a container of quart size drink mix in the flavor of your choice and add it to your cake mix to create the flavor of choice.

• box of sugar-free cake mix (yellow or chocolate)
• box of sugar-free Jell-o or quart-size drink mix
• 1 c. lower fat milk
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 c. vegetable oil
• can of sugar-free frosting (vanilla or chocolate)
• package of vanilla flavored candy coating (almond bark)
• 2 T. vegetable shortening
• sprinkles of your choice

Add the cake mix and the flavoring powder of choice to your mixture.  As I mentioned earlier, I went with a yellow cake mix and a box of sugar-free strawberry Jell-0.  Add the eggs, oil and the milk instead of water as directed on the package.  The milk will bring a richness to your cake mix.  I usually have 2% milk in my fridge, but whatever you have is fine.

 After you have mixed well, spray a 9 x 13 pan and add your cake mix and bake according to package directions.  Remember that you are going to crumble this cake up, so it really doesn't matter what you bake it in.  A 9 x 13 just seems easiest to me, but if you don't have one, or if you prefer, you can use round cake pans too.

 Once the cake is done, take it out of the oven and allow it to cool for a few minutes.  This is the secret... let it cool just enough so that you can handle it, but make sure that the cake is fairly warm.  Crumble the cake into a large mixing bowl.  The best tool is your hands.  Just crumble the cake until it is in pretty small pieces.
Next, add the can of frosting and use a wood spoon or spatula and mix the frosting into the crumbs.  With the cake being somewhat warm, this will allow the frosting and the cake to "melt" together and become a good consistency.

 Once you have the cake and frosting well mixed, form into small balls and put on a sheet on waxed paper.  You can either form these by hand or use a small meatball scoop.  The size is really a personal preference.
Put the sheets of cake balls into the freezer to harden.  This will only take about 45 minutes to an hour.  But if you want to do this in stages, this is a great place to stop.  Once they are frozen, you can store these in an airtight container in the freezer until you are ready to dip them in the outer coating.

 When you are ready to dip them, use a double boiler, or I just use a small saucepan and a glass bowl.  Put water in the pan and turn the heat to medium high.  Make sure your bowl is not touching the water or your candy coating will scorch.  You should chop the coating into smaller pieces so that it will melt more quickly.  Add a couple of T. of shortening to the coating to thin it down a little and make your dipping easier.  Stir occasionally until melted and smooth.
If you want to make this a completely  Sugar-free  dessert (and I know that is normally my goal)  you should use a package of sugar-free chocolate chips.  I usually add some parafin slivers, about a 1/4 stick, to my chocolate to help thin it out and make it glossy.  But this was all about the pretty and I very much wanted to use the white; so I settled for a  Low-Sugar  recipe since there is obviously sugar in the candy coating.

 Once your coating is melted, turn the heat down on your water just to keep it simmering and keep your coating melted.  Bring your cake balls out of the freezer.  I like to use a toothpick to dip my candies.  I just feel like I can get the coating all over the entire piece.  Be sure to shake it well and remove any excess coating.
One of the things that I have started doing in the last year is tilting my bowl towards me.  This allows the coating to pool deeper and it makes it easier to dip.  Be especially careful not to get your fingers in the hot coating.

 Set your coated cake ball back on the waxed paper.  If you would like to add a little sprinkle, do so at this point, so that it will stick before the candy coating starts to set up.
I usually work with 2 toothpicks.  By the time I have used the second one, the first one has set up enough that I can twist the toothpick out fairly easily and use it on the next one.  It seems I have to get new toothpicks after 20 or 25 cake balls.

Afterwards, set your tray into the fridge or back into the freezer and allow the coating to set up well.  I usually store these in the fridge until I am ready to serve.  They will keep in the freezer for quite some time if you keep them in an airtight container.
Since I am a chocoholic, this was a nice change for me and I hope my daughter finds them the same.
However, now my mind is reeling... chocolate cake with cherry Jell-0 powder and chocolate icing, dipped in chocolate...  Nothing says "I love you" quite like chocolate covered cherries!  Maybe I should make just one more batch.