10 Dec Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake Balls
Sometimes, life gives you chocolate cake.
And sometimes that chocolate cake sticks to the pan.
And then, sometimes that sticky chocolate cake crumbles into 170 million different pieces when you try to ever-so-gently wedge it out with your spatula.
But don’t cry over crumbled cake.
When life gives you cake crumbs, smoosh in some peanut butter and make cake balls.
…
Welcome to Butterlust, where we play the how-many-life-advice-cliches-can-Katie-fit-into-one-blog-post game.
But let me assure you, this is not a post about poorly used cliches. It is one on the importance of a well-greased cake pan.
And on unplanned cake balls.
Which in my opinion are better than that pesky cake, anyway.
Let’s examine why this is truth.
a) When making cake balls you get play with your food, free of judgement from all. (I highly recommend using your hands to mix in the icing. Nobody doesn’t like chocolate cake under their fingernails.)
b) When making cake balls you can steal bites of dough sample your recipe for quality assurance without risk of salmonella poisoning from raw eggs. (Ahem, cake batter, I’m looking at you.)
c) And nobody will ever know how much you snacked on tested for poison. (But people are always going to notice that missing slice of cake.)
d) Cake balls are like cake’s trendier, smarter cousin. Hello, cute little bite-sized-no-utensils-required amaze balls! Forks are so 2012.
…shall I go on, or shall we talk balls?
heh. heh.
As you may have figured out, yes I had a little mishap with a chocolate cake last week.
Embarrassingly enough, it wasn’t even a from-scratch recipe. Confession of all confessions: I ruined a box cake.
Double shamed.
Don’t ask me how I did it. I swear I greased the pan.
But of course that’s coming from the girl who, 2 weeks ago, baked a whole batch of cranberry jalapeno cornbread before realizing she left out the oil. And who on the morning of Thanksgiving, poured half of her pumpkin pie batter into the pie shell before realizing she hadn’t yet added the evaporated milk.
So who really knows if the pan was greased?
Not I, said the scatterbrained baker.
Luckily, the universe has gifted us with cake balls.
Really, there is no better remedy for a stuck-t0-the-pan-cake. If you happen to find yourself in a similar predicament, rest assured that your stubborn cake can be transformed into a beautiful dessert.
It just so happened that on the day of my little faux pas, I was in a chocolate and peanut butter kind of mood. Oh yes, ye’ old, fail-safe combination. Quite a pair those two, aren’t they?
Chocolate cake and peanut butter frosting rolled into a perfectly two-bite-sized ball and enveloped by a crunchy chocolate coating.
Chocolate. Peanut butter. Madness.
I just had to get up and go get one out of the refrigerator. I couldn’t take it anymore. Irresistible, I tell you!
If you want to be the most popular girl at your holiday party, bring these. But beware, people may try to hug, fondle and/or make out with you.
Seriously, avoid the mistletoe.
Happy Holiday Baking!
XO, Katie
Ingredients
- 1 chocolate cake from boxed cake mix, prepared according to instructions
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 package chocolate almond bark
- holiday sprinkles, for garnish
- 1-2 block white almond bark or 1/4 chip white chocolate chips for drizzle (optional)
- mini baking cups or candy cups (optional)
Instructions
- Bake as instructed in a 13x9 inch pan. Let cool completely before assembly.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, combine peanut butter and butter. Mix until well combined and smooth.
- Carefully add the powdered sugar and mix on low until incorporated.
- Line a baking sheet with wax or parchment paper and set aside.
- In the pan or in a large bowl, use a fork (or your hands) to shred cake into crumbs.
- Add about 3/4 of the icing and mix thoroughly with crumbled cake. Test your “dough” to see if it is sticky enough to form a ball without crumbling. Add more icing if needed. Place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (you could also do this the night before) – it will make it easier to roll into balls.
- Using your hands, roll cake mixture into 1 inch balls. Place on lined baking sheet. When done, place baking sheet in freezer and let cake balls chill for 30 minutes. This step is optional, but it helps the cake balls keep their shape and prevents crumbs from getting in the candy bark and thus, causing lumpy coating.
- While cake balls are chilling, microwave 1/2 a package of chocolate candy bark in a small bowl, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted.
- It’s time to dip! Coating cake balls is kind of an art. It takes practice so if your cake balls don’t come out looking perfect don’t worry about it! It took me several tried to develop a successful method. Regardless of what they look like, they’ll still taste magical. Promise.
- Place the cake ball into the bowl of melted candy coating and use a spoon the cover with coating. Lift the cake ball out of the coating with a fork and tap against the rim of the bowl to remove excess.
- Use a toothpick to gently push the cake ball back on to your cookie sheet. Make sure you push the cake ball from the bottom so you don’t smudge your coating.
- While the coating is still wet, give your cake ball a healthy sprinkling of festive sprinkles or wait until coating is dry and drizzle on melted white chocolate.
- Let the coating dry and viola! cake balls!
susie t. gibbs
Posted at 13:23h, 11 DecemberJust darling!! Love it!
xoxo
Susiet.
susie t. gibbs recently posted…I Fought The Slaw And The Slaw Won
Dina
Posted at 17:46h, 11 Decemberthey sound yummy and look festive!
Dina recently posted…Dutch Boterkoek
Melissa
Posted at 12:32h, 19 DecemberThank you for your great idea. Every year I bake lots of cookies, breads and cakes and make little boxes and give them to neighbors, teachers, friends etc. I’m always looking for new ideas and this one really caught my eye. I’m making these right now (chilling in the freezer) I can’t wait to try them and to gift them.
Happy holidays to you!
KWahlman
Posted at 14:45h, 19 DecemberWonderful! I’m so glad to hear you’re trying them, Melissa! I promise everybody will love them! Thanks for reading!
Maha
Posted at 07:37h, 02 SeptemberI found you via Pinterest seeing how perfectly round and lovely your cake balls were. I have to say, your cake balls reeled me in to your blog, your HP refs completely won me over. Subscribing to you immediately!
-This also 20-something living with her parents
KWahlman
Posted at 10:37h, 02 SeptemberThanks, Maha! Look forward to seeing more of you around these parts 🙂
MARIA DE LOURDES ARAUJO
Posted at 18:41h, 16 MarchHum delicia!!!! Amei todas as receitas, fotos perfeitas ,receitas muito bem explicadas. Parabéns!!!!!!!!!!
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Posted at 12:05h, 18 October[…] Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake Pops […]
Sarah
Posted at 17:13h, 30 DecemberHow should these be stored when finished? sealed on the counter, or in the fridge?
KWahlman
Posted at 12:38h, 01 JanuaryHi Sarah, I store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will stay good for up to a week. Thanks!
Pingback:[Halloween Cake Pops] | Cheese Lover Forever
Posted at 18:00h, 07 January[…] Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake Pops […]
Eclesio Pinheiro de Matos Filho
Posted at 09:11h, 27 NovemberI loved this recipe, I’m going to do it here for my children and my wife (strange is not it? Cooking man), but I’ll do and divulge
Lina
Posted at 18:04h, 22 DecemberHi ! Can you use semi sweet chocolate chips for dipping ? Do you think the covering will harden enough so it doesn’t stick to your fingers when you pick it up ?
Rose Martine
Posted at 22:26h, 31 DecemberWow! That looks super delicious! Great recipe! My hubby is a huge sucker for shrimp dishes!