I make these Christmas Cake Balls every Christmas! “Cake balls” are just like a cake pop but without the stick so no more worrying about whether they’ll fall off! Made with yellow boxed cake mix and ready made frosting, they couldn’t get any easier! Also, if you’re looking for a vanilla cake ‘POP’ recipe, you can easily put a stick in each if you wish!
*This post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure here.
Alright people! Time to change it up!! By the end of December, I am SO sick of cookies, I don’t touch them until at least February.
So why not make these babies instead?!
I call these ‘Christmas Cake Balls’ because I started making them about four Decembers ago to put in my Christmas cookie containers I was giving away as gifts.
Everyone loved them so much, I decided to continue the tradition each year!
You can of course, NOT use red and green sprinkles and instead use rainbow or ANY color sprinkles if you want depending on the occasion. I honestly do not have the energy or time to make these more than once a year because they are definitely time consuming.
WITH THAT SAID, they are SO worth it! Trust me.
How Do You Dip Cake Balls?
This is probably the most commonly asked question when making cake pops.
Cake ‘balls’ are a little trickier since you do not have an actual stick to hold while dipping.
So the BEST way that I found, to dip a cake BALL, is to use a tooth pick, skewer or small fork! Whatever will not destroy your ball and allow the chocolate to drip off.
The fact that I do not use a stick and call these “cake balls” makes them:
- Easier to prepare!
- Easier to transport!
- Easier to eat!
My friends and family are always asking how I get them “so moist” so I might as well post a recipe.
There are hundreds of cake pop recipes out there so its hard to pick one but they are all very similar.
I always choose the same cake mix and frosting which I think makes these so, very tasty. All cake recipes call for oil but I leave this out because they don’t need it! When I have made these into cake pops, I always see the oil escaping from the hole which isn’t very appetizing..
I also think the ratio I use of frosting to cake makes them perfectly moist without tasting too frosting-ish.
It is also nice to change it up around this time of year when EVERYONE is making cookies and I am honestly sick of them by Christmas day so these are a nice change to your typical cookie tray!
Here is a great video by Wilton showing you how to mix, roll and dip your cake pops!
How Long Do Cake Balls Last?
How do you store cake balls to make them last? Cake balls will be good for AT LEAST a week if they are sealed properly at room temperature!
If you place them in a sealed container in the fridge, you will double their lifetime! 🙂
You can freeze the naked cake balls for months but once you coat them in the chocolate, you have to keep them in the fridge or on the counter.
If you’re looking for another bite sized dessert, here is a festive recipe that is one of my favorites and ready in less than 20 minutes! Easy Strawberry Cream Cheese Phyllo Cups.
Tips For A Perfect Cake Ball (Pop)
I’m no pastry chef but I have learned a thing or two over thee past 5 years of baking these babies. I have also done my research. Here are my tips that will help to make sure you have those ‘Starbucks looking’ cake pops (balls).
MY TIPS FOR PERFECT CAKE BALLS/POPS:
- Do NOT overheat your chocolate.
- Once you do, it is hard to fix it. I suggest using the microwave and a silicone bowl to reheat the chocolate in. This way, you will have ZERO hot spots which will lead to scorching your chocolate. This chocolate melting pot is a great tool.
- Use candy melts!
- They have a “meltier” consistency. Using real chocolate chips will work but not give you that smooth shell we all look for.
- Do NOT dip cold, refrigerated cake balls into your chocolate.
- Cracks will happen! Wait about 10 minutes to dip once removed from the fridge.
- Use a food processor to “crumb” your cake!
- This will break down all the little harder cake pieces (like those crispy edges) that prevent your balls from getting nice and smooth!
- Use LESS TO NO OIL! Using less oil (or no oil) will not lead to oil seeping out of your cake pop. They will still be moist, I promise!
- Use EZ Thin (Melting Crystals)! These will help make your chocolate a bit smoother and much easier to dip! Using just a little will go a long way.
CAKE BALL/POP TOOLS
- Cake Pop Sticks (if you want pops!)
- Cake Pop Stand (white tiered, holds 37 pops)
- Cake Pop Stand (clear, holds 32)
- Cake Pop Molds (to help form your balls)
- Mini Cake Pop Maker (will form AND bake them)
- Candy Melting Pot (to melt your chocolate)
- Cake Pop Gift Bags
- Cake Pop Roller (rolls 21 balls at once)
- Candy Melts (melting chocolate)
- EZ Thin (for helping to make chocolate smooth)
Here is what I did…
Bake cake according to instructions leaving out out the oil.
Mix frosting into crumbled cake and scoop into balls. Don’t use too much frosting! You can’t “undo” too much.
Roll balls and place in Tupperware in freezer for about 20 min.
Melt chocolate of choice with EZ melts until smooth. I use a mini crock pot because it keeps the chocolate warm without having to reheat!
Use skewer or toothpicks to dip ball into the chocolate and lay on a non-stick surface.
Use a toothpick, stick or skewer to dip the balls in the melted chocolate.
The stick will leave a hole so after you drop the ball onto nonstick sheet work quickly to patch it up by dabbing a bit of the melted chocolate over it.
Post patching! Looks much better now!
Sprinkle with sprinkles of choice and/or drizzle with more chocolate for a pretty finish!
Pin the photo below for later!!
My friends and family always ask how I get these so moist! I feel guilty when they are this easy! These cake balls are like a cake pop without the stick which makes coating these much easier.
- 1 16.5 oz. Super Moist Yellow Cake Mix (Use this if you can find it!)
- Water (According to cake mix)
- Eggs (According to cake mix)
- 1 12 oz. Bag White Chocolate Chips (or melting chocolate)
- Sprinkles of Choice
- 12 oz. Cream Cheese Frosting (Store bought)
- *EZ Thin *Optional but recommended!
Bake cake according to instructions. Leave out the oil so your cake balls do not excrete it.
When cake is cooled, break up cake and add to a large bowl with icing. Mix thoroughly. (Your hands work best!)
Use a mini ice cream scoop to scoop cake into uniform size balls. Roll balls between the palms of your hands until nice and smooth!
Refrigerate balls for about 20 minutes so they harden up a bit and hold onto the stick/toothpick.
Using your toothpick or skewer, poke each ball and dip into the chocolate so it is fully coated. Swirl to allow excess chocolate drip off for a few seconds and place onto a non-stick surface to cool.
Add sprinkles of choice while chocolate is still wet! Allow an hour to cool and store in Tupperware for at least a week. (10-14 days if stored in fridge)
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