Homemade Chocolate Candies and Cake Balls

The dark chocolate and green mint cups are filled with a dark chocolate mint ganache.  The white chocolate hearts and cups are filled with a creamy peanut butter filling.  I made some white chocolate and mini sugar pearl squares.  There are also dark chocolate and milk chocolate candies, as well as colored white chocolate.  I melted the chocolate and then poured it into candy molds.  If the candy was going to have a filling I created a very thin chocolate layer on the bottom and side of the candy mold and then placed it in the freezer.  Once the chocolate was firm, but not frozen, I added the filling then the topped it off with chocolate to seal the filling inside.  This works for peanut butter cups, ganache filled, or cream filled chocolate candies of all types.

The round balls are strawberry flavored cream cheese cake balls that were dipped in white chocolate.  The white chocolate covered cake balls were then decorated with pink royal icing.

 Chocolate Coated Cake Balls

Cake Balls

1 Box cake mix (any flavor)

 (eggs, water, and oil is called for with most boxed mixes)

Cream Cheese Frosting

1/4 c butter (room temperature)

1/2 c cream cheese 

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 c powdered sugar

1. Prepare and bake the desired cake mix according to the directions of the package for a 9x13 cake. You may also make your favorite homemade cake and it will work perfectly as well. Once baked, allow the cake to cool completely.

2. Crumble the cake into a large bowl and work it with your hands until it is in small pieces.

3. Spoon ½ cup of frosting (recipe below) into the bowl and mix with your hands until the mixture is well-combined. It should be moist and hold together if you squeeze a ball of cake between your fingers, but not too wet or greasy. If the cake mixture is still a bit dry, add more frosting to get it to the desired consistency.

4. Using a small cookie scoop, scoop out small balls of cake and roll between your palms until they are round. Place cakes balls on a foil covered baking sheet and refrigerate (do not freeze).

5.  Place white chocolate (or regular chocolate) in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave it until melted, stirring after every 30 seconds to prevent overheating.

6. Using dipping tools or a fork, submerge a cake ball in the melted chocolate (I generally use two forks).  Remove it from the chocolate and drag the bottom across the lip of the bowl to remove excess coating. Replace the dipped cake ball on the foil-covered baking sheet.

7. Refrigerate the truffles to set the coating completely, about 20 minutes.

Frosting Directions

1.  Cream together the cream cheese and butter.  

2.  Then add vanilla and powdered sugar, mix until smooth.  

*You could also purchase pre-made frosting or use a homemade butter-cream instead of a cream cheese frosting.

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