Yum!  I must really be into food lately.  LOL!

I wanted to make a fun treat for the kids for Valentine’s Day and found cake balls.  I had never heard of them before but, after reading and seeing photos, I knew I found what I was looking for.

You start with your boxed cake mix and a tub of icing.  I chose cherry chip cake (my favorite and it’s pink! great Valentine’s Day color!) and cherry icing, of course.  You just bake the cake like usual as directed on the box.  Let it cool for 30 minutes and then crumble in a large bowl.  Then add all (yes, all) the icing and mix it up.

Once it’s mixed well, use a cookie scoop and scoop out the mixture onto a cookie sheet with wax paper.  If you don’t have a cookie scoop, put the mixture in the fridge for a few hours so it will be easier to handle.  Once everything is in balls on your cookie sheet (or sheets, it took me 2 sheets), freeze for about an hour so to make them easier to dunk into melted chocolate.

Melt your chocolate according to the directions on the package, being careful not to scorch it.  Dunk the balls into the chocolate.  You can use the toothpick method, or fork method, or whatever method works best for you.  Place the coated ball on some wax paper to cool.  If you have some sprinkles, you can sprinkle some on, but make sure you do it right away while the chocolate is still wet.  If you wait a minute or two, you’ll lose your chance.  I used some sprinkles for some and melted red candy coating for others.  Don’t they look great?

Valentine Cake Balls

1 box of cake mix (I used Cherry Chip, but you can use any flavor)
1 tub of icing (I used Cherry, but you can use any flavor)
Chocolate candy coating (I bought the 1 lb package but didn’t have enough)
Sprinkles, optional
Candy coating in another color/flavor, optional

Bake cake as directed on box.  Cool cake for 30 minutes and then crumble into large bowl.  Mix entire tub of icing with the crumbled cake.  Refrigerate for several hours.  Scoop mixture into 1 inch balls and freeze for about 1 hour.  Melt chocolate candy coating according to directions on package and dunk cake balls.  If using sprinkles, sprinkle them on before chocolate sets (right after dunking).  If using another colored candy coating, melt candy coating, and spoon into zip lock bag.  Cut the corner of the zip lock bag, right near the corner, to make a very small hole.  Hold bag over the cake balls and squeeze it so that the coating drizzles out and over the balls.  You can do the whole tray at one time!

Have fun!  These are yummy!  Don’t get a stomach ache and save some for the kids!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Manda