Cake Bites

If you have never seen or eaten a cake bite, let me introduce you....they are a wonderful ball of cooked cake and frosting all mixed together and covered in melting candies, almond bark or chocolate. You can use any combination of cake and covering that you would like. The only thing that ever is constant when I make these, is that I use cream cheese frosting.

These yummy little bundles of cake are always a big hit, no matter what flavor and decorative combination. They also make great little gifts. The ones pictured in this post I made for my four year old daughters teacher for her birthday. I just placed them in a small candy box that I bought at the local craft store and tied a pretty bow around them.

Cake Bites:

Yield: 3-4 dozen depending on the size of the ball

Ingredients:

1 box of cake prepared according to box directions (or 1 recipe of homemade cake prepared) and cooled

1 can of cream cheese frosting (or 2cups of homemade cream cheese frosting)

1 bag melting candies (or you can use almond bark or chocolate chips)

your choice of decoration for the top (sprinkles, melted chocolate, melting candies etc.)

2 baking sheets

wax paper

Directions:

Line two baking sheets with wax paper and set aside. Prepare and cool cake. The above cake bites were made with a box of chocolate cake (I always use whatever is cheapest at the store or you can use whatever brand you prefer). I baked it according to the directions on the box using two 9inch cake pans. I then placed the cakes on a cooling rack and allowed them to cool completely (about 30 minutes).

You then place your cooled cake and cream cheese frosting in the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, and mix starting on the lowest speed and gradually increasing to medium speed until well incorporated.

Take the frosting/cake mixture and roll it in your palms into 1-1.5inch balls. Then place on your prepared baking sheets covered with wax. Put in refrigerator and allow to cool for approximately an hour.

Once are nearly cooled, begin melting your covering. Place whatever covering you desire in a double boiler and melt completely. To do this I use a 2 quart saucepan filled 1/3 of the way with water and place a glass bowl over the top. I heat on medium high heat stirring the melting candies, chocolate or almond bark constantly until completely melted. Remove melted covering from heat and then get your cake balls from the refrigerator. Dip each ball in the melted covering,making sure to cover each one completely. Then place back on the wax paper to cool. I hand dip each ball, but you could also use a fondue fountain which may be less messy.
Once the cake bites are sticky to touch you can add sprinkles to the top for decoration. If you do this you will have to dip a few cake bites, then put sprinkles on them before they dry completely, then dip a few more and so on.
If you just want to drizzle with chocolate (which I did with the cake bites in this post) or with a different color of melting candies, then you can dip all your cake balls and allow them to cool completely. Once they are cooled completely, melt your chocolate or melting candies and pour into a squeeze bottle. The drizzle the balls with a quick back and forth motion. You could also just dip a spoon in the melted decorative topping and drizzle with a quick back and forth motion if you don't have a squeeze bottle.

 Another idea is to place a stick in the bottom of the cake ball, then dip in covering and drizzle making it a cake bite pop.

Cherry cake bite pops made by the Cook for her daughter's 5th birthday. Katie used cherry box cake, with a small jar of marchino cherries diced up and added to the mix before baking. Covered with white melting candies and drizzled with red. She placed her cake bite pops in a vase making them look like gorgeous flowers.

The idea is that your options are limitless. Use whatever cake, covering and decorative topping your imagination can dream up.