Cake Balls

Cake balls or cake pops - whatever we call them their awesome taste does not change. Had heard of them and seen many recipes but never ever got the time or opportunity to try them. What gave me the opportunity was my anniversary cake that went wrong.

Chocolate cake balls

Yes, I kind of over cooked my marriage anniversary cake. No doubt the taste was good but the texture had a problem. It was a bit too dry. Being a fairly large cake I did not know how to finish it when the idea of trying out these cake balls occurred  and I am glad I tried them. They prove to be a perfect gift for any occasion. With only a little bit of effort simple cakes can be transformed into mouth watering, great looking delicacies.

Let us make them now.

You need:

• One 10cm round chocolate cake or an equivalent size in any other shape
• 3 Tbsp Ganache or chocolate frosting
• Good quality dark cooking chocolate - not giving any specific amount here as there has to be enough to comfortably dip the balls completely. Once done there is bound to be left over chocolate which can be used for some other recipe.

Make it:
Break the cake into small pieces and crumble all of it. Some people prefer to whiz it in the mixer but it is perfectly fine if crumbled by hand. I have done it by hand.

Cake crumbs

With all lumps removed it is time to add the ganache or frosting, whichever one you are using. Mix very well to end up getting a cake dough. Something like this:

Chocolate dough

Now is the time to make the balls. Take small chunks of the dough and roll between palms to make small balls. The size is completely upon you as to what you prefer. Place the prepared balls on a parchment paper and leave in the fridge to cool a bit.

Cake balls without the chocolate coating

Once cool the balls are ready to be dipped in melted chocolate. One by one dip each ball in the melted chocolate and return to the parchment paper to solidify. When set you can decorate as desired. In this recipe  I have decorated with white chocolate piping poured from a piping bag.

Cake balls ready with decoration 

Similarly I have made cake pops by placing the balls on lolly sticks. The size is a bit smaller and there is an additional step of inserting the stick. This has to be done before the coating chocolate layer is applied. Follow the steps given here to make the pops.

• Make holes with the lolly sticks in all the cake balls.
• Dip each stick in melted chocolate and insert in the balls. 
• Place upside down on a parchment paper and allow the sticks to get firm in the balls. You can keep them in the fridge for some time.
• Once the sticks are firmly set dip each lolly one by one in the melted chocolate. Make sure to allow all the excess chocolate to drip off the balls.
• When you see the chocolate setting on the ball with no more dripping fix each stick on a thermacol or styrofoam sheet and allow to dry. Decoration with white chocolate can be done after the balls have set. If using any kind of sprinkles do it when the chocolate is not completely set. It will stick better.

Cake pop bouquet

Oreo Lollies

This was an absolutely fun activity. The all-popular Oreo biscuits were transformed into cute looking lollies. Not only did I enjoy doing this but my son gave his inputs as well. In fact most of the faces on these lollies were designed by him. This is a holiday activity for kids and adults to be done together. You could also make these as delicious Christmas gifts.

My Army of Oreo Lollies

The ingredients and measurements are not perfect but broadly you would need:

Brilliant combination of white and brown

• Oreo biscuits
• Melted dark chocolate
• Melted white compound (optional)
• Lolly sticks
• Styrofoam sheet

Make it:

• Separate the sides of all Oreo biscuits with the cream on one side and the other side blank.
• Drop a little bit of melted dark chocolate on the blank side. 
• Pick the cream layer (complete circle) on the chocolate.
• Press the lolly stick on to the cream.
• Cover the cream and stick with a little more chocolate.
• Place the other side of the biscuit on the chocolate and press firmly but not too firmly or else the biscuit will break. 
• Place on a flat surface and allow to set. Repeat with all other biscuits.
• It would be a good idea to place them in the fridge so that the biscuits become cold. This helps in the next step.
• Once set and cold take a lolly and dip in the melted chocolate. Allow all the excess to drip. Once you are certain that no more will drip and the chocolate is setting fix the stick on the styrofoam sheet and allow the chocolate to set until firm.
• If you wish you can do the decoration now with the white chocolate mix using a piping bag. 

With or without the decoration the taste is great. This is a great recipe for school fairs, festive gifts, birthday parties or to pep up a simple occasion. The great tasting Oreo goes to an all new level and the smile of the face of kids is unbeatable.