Cake Balls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*Note to my readers: I've been in the process of writing this post since before Christmas.  That being said some of the references are a little old.  IE the 5 hours I spent making cake balls was for a Christmas Party at church.  Just so you know!*

This post title deserves an innumerable amount of exclamation points to show my love for making cake balls!  Considering the fact that my blog is called As The Kitchen Burns I figured I should post some more about my hazardous baking habits.  Thankfully the 5+ hours I spent in the kitchen making these babies didn’t result in too much pain.  But first, before I get into that, a little about my cake ball history…

I had my first cake ball at my dear friend’s wedding.  It was one of the most deliciously delectable dessert delights I have ever had (how’s that for alliteration!) and not to mention so classy looking! I immediately HAD to know how it was done! I have a DEEP love of baking, it helps me relax, and someday I would love to have my own little bakery, but anyway, I was so excited to get my hands on a recipe and try them out on my own.  My first opportunity was for my wonderful cousin/friend’s baby shower.  I decided that they would be perfect for a baby shower because they were so little and adorable!  I used strawberry cake with funfetti frosting (the best in my humble opinion) and vanilla candy coating.  I was doing really well with the cake balls when I did a most horrendous thing!  I made the grievous mistake of using regular food coloring in candy coating.  GASP!  The water based food coloring immediately started separating the oil based candy coating, creating a grainy, gross looking candy coating.  I also overheated the candy, causing it to become hard and chunky.  Thankfully I was able to salvage some of the candy coating and the cake balls were a hit!

After that the botched baby shower batch I kind of took a cake ball hiatus/early retirement through the spring and summer.  I did pull out of retirement for a bridal and baby shower for two of my co-workers.  I thought they were rather unmemorable but my co-workers must have thought otherwise because when the Thanksgiving Potluck sign-up sheet at work made its way  around the office I was told that I must make cake balls.  And I came up with the Pumpkin Spice Cake Ball! It sure was yummy, but not my favorite by far.  No, my favorite thus far has been, wait for it, wait for it…..Triple Fudge Cake with Double Fudge Frosting, dipped in Peppermint Flavored Candy Coating!  Oh yes folks, it is just as delicious as it sounds.  I don’t mean to sounds prideful, but have you tried one of these babies?  In all seriousness though, I can’t stop eating them.   So now you have it, my short cake ball history.  So now for some pictures

This picture represents my preparations for battle (cue victorious battle music please)

Next you have my post-dipped, pre-decorated balls taking up crazy amounts of space in my fridge….

And finally, the finished product!

Now on to the kitchen burning part.  No I didn’t actually burn the kitchen at all.  But I got burned while dipping the cake balls.  And how can one burn themselves dipping cake balls you ask?  Let me tell you.  I spilled peppermint oil on my hand and didn’t immediately wipe it off.  And ya know what, when you don’t wipe off peppermint oil on your hand it starts to burn, like Icy Hot, but a whole lot worse.  And it makes your hand red.  And it makes your hand dry.  And it makes your hand chapped.  And it hurts. Did I mention that already?  Cause it did :-) But after a week I’m better now so no worries, my hand will live to make more cake balls again soon. 


Update:  I took a brief  break after Christmas but picked up my Cake Ball mantle for a Super Bowl Party.  Below are my pictures of the Steeler and Packer themed cake balls!

I apologize for my rather inferior photography skills... I'm saving up for a new camera! Also of note, my Packers cakeballs were not quite as pretty due to not cutting the right size hole in my frosting piping bag thingy (yes, that is the technical term).