This past weekend I had the pleasure of doing a little baking for a baby shower hosted by
Miss Ashley. I've made
glitter cake pops for her on a few other occasions, but we switched it up this time and went with pumpkin cake balls. OMG. They were delish. I'll admit I may have sampled one of the "ugly" ones. :) Apparently Ashley's guests were requesting the recipe so hence this post.
Now here is where I have to make a confession. My first attempt at baking these treats was an utter disaster. I tried to make
these fancy pumpkin cream cheese truffles from scratch, but I was left with a bowl of goop that could not be rolled into balls let alone coated in chocolate so back to Target I went.
Pressed for time and a bit depressed after the beating the KU football team took on Saturday morning, I was feeling lazy so I purchased
Pillsbury Perfectly Pumpkin cake mix and a jar of
cream cheese frosting. Wouldn't you know this is the one time people actually request my recipe.
How embarrassing. But hey, at least they will be easy to recreate?!
Just follow the instructions on the box, and once baked crumble cake in a large bowl and mix with about 1/2-3/4 of the jar of frosting. Roll into balls and coat with vanilla almond bark. If you want to make them look fancier, sprinkle with crumbled graham crack crumbs. For more detailed, step by step instructions for making cake pops you can check out a previous post I did a few months ago right
here (just omit the lollipop sticks). Happy baking friends!
Don't be embarrassed! Sometimes the easiest recipes are the best!
ReplyDeleteAgreed! It's always nice to whip up something quick and easy :)
DeleteI made these last night for my bosses birthday and they turned out great! Everyone loves them and is asking for the recipe! :)
DeleteI just made 40 of these things for Thanksgiving tomorrow.. mine were pretty ugly but they tasted good :)
ReplyDeleteYay! So glad you liked them, and I'm sure they looked great! :)
DeleteIs this any good because I want to make it and try it out first and If so than am going to share it with my friends and family! Their my best critics lol.
ReplyDeleteI think they are great! The problem is trying to find pumpkin cake mix this time of year :) I just checked their website and it says they are available Aug-Jan so hopefully they will start trickling into stores soon!
DeleteI used a box of Duncan Hines Decadent Classic Carrot cake mix instead of pumpkin.
DeleteSounds great! you could use a spice cake mix too!
DeleteYou said you used a "jar" of cream cheese frosting--what brand did you use? I've never seen frosting in a jar. Thanks in advance!
ReplyDeleteSorry I guess tub of frosting might have been a better description. :) I just used pre-made Pillsbury cream cheese frosting that you can buy at any grocery store in the baking aisle. Hope this helps!
DeleteHow do I get the frosting to the outside of the cake balls? It seems like you wrote to mix the frosting with the crumbled cake? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHey Holly! You mix the frosting with the crumbled cake to make "dough" to roll into balls. The coating on the outside of the cake ball is actually chocolate candy coating. You can buy it at any grocery store or Target/Walmart. It is usually called almond bark, and you can find it in the baking aisle near the chocolate chips. Hope this helps!
DeleteI am trying my hamd at this tonight with a little different twiat. I am buying a mini cheese cake from the wal mart deli, amd am going to put 1/4-1/2 of that in and a little less icing! Will let you know how it turns out because I am STOOOOOKKKKEDDD!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteHey Macy! Can't wait to hear how these turn out. They sound delicious!!
DeleteHow do you coat them with chocolate and not make a huge mess? I've never made cake balls before!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI think the key to coating them is the add a little bit of Crisco or chocolate thinner to the chocolate when you melt it. That will really help to coat it evenly. I usually fully submerge the cake ball in the bowl of chocolate and then use two spoons to kind of transfer it back and forth to get rid of the excess chocolate. Also gently tapping the spoon against the side of the bowl helps. Really, it is nearly impossible to make them perfect. Just sprinkle them with some pumpkin cake crumbs to hide any imperfections :)
DeleteUsing a toothpick was much easier for me than spoons
DeleteUsing a toothpick was much easier for me than spoons
DeleteA toothpick is a great idea! I'll have to try that.
DeleteI use corn cob holders
DeleteI use corn cob holders
DeleteI need to make a batch of these so I can try all these new techniques! :)
DeleteFreeze them for about an hour before dipping. This helps set the cake balls so they don't fall apart in your chocolate. I use white chocolate chips.
DeleteFreeze them for about an hour before dipping. This helps set the cake balls so they don't fall apart in your chocolate. I use white chocolate chips.
DeleteFreezing or refrigerating them makes it SO much easier!
DeleteI use a fork and tap it over the bowl.....
DeleteHow many bags of chocolate candy do I need for the coating? Will 1 bag do or do I need more? How much did you use?
ReplyDeleteI think I actually used almond bark when I made these (which is basically the same thing, you can just purchase it at Walmart, Target, or any grocery store). With almond bark you will probably need 3/4 of the package to cover an entire recipe. I would say with the bags of candy melts that you can purchase at Hobby Lobby or Michaels, buy 2 just to be safe. You could probably get by with 1, but better safe than sorry :)
DeleteThanks!
DeleteNo la entiendo
ReplyDeleteThese are SO cute! I love the idea so much.
ReplyDeleteHighly recommended Movers in San Antonio information
Thanks! They are super easy to make too!
DeleteI bet these wld b good w carrot cake or red velvet cake..
ReplyDeleteMmmmm I bet both of those would be delicious!
DeleteChristmas time I do this with red and green Velvet's and use chocolate frosting with red and green sprinkles... They were a hit :)
DeleteChristmas time I do this with red and green Velvet's and use chocolate frosting with red and green sprinkles... They were a hit :)
DeleteI've tried red velvet before but adding green velvet to the mix is an awesome idea!
DeleteVery good with red velvet cake! I made the red velvet ones for 4th of July one year and ripped in white almond bark and then drizzled some blue dyed almond bark to make red white and blue. Huge hit. They did not last long at all! I think I'll try the pumpkin ones for my daughter's engagement party in 2 weeks. (:
DeleteI'll have to try those Fourth of July ones next year! They sound adorable! I've made some before where I've dyed the cake blue and then coated the outside with white almond bark and made them look like baseballs when the Royals went to the World Series. The possibilities are endless :)
DeleteYou can also get a spice cake or carrot cake mix, add a can of pure pumpkin (and that's it) to make the pumpkin cake if you can't find pumpkin cake mix for this :)
ReplyDeleteThat is an excellent idea! That pumpkin cake mix can be kinda hard to find!
DeleteI have a Duan Hines super moist spice cake mix I want to try, but do I only add the can of pumpkin or do I need to follow the directions on the box?
DeleteThanks!
To make the balls easier to roll, mix a small box of jello cream cheese pudding and put 1/3 of it and a little less frosting in the crumbled cake. It tastes better too!😊
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip! I can't wait to try this!
DeleteCan you clarify if you added the whole box of pudding mix, then 1/3 of the frosting, or 1/3 of the pudding mix? Thanks! Can't wait to try.
DeleteI would like to try to make these from scratch. Do you still have the original recipe? :)
ReplyDeleteI don't think I have it anymore. It's been a few years haha. I bet you could find any recipe for pumpkin cake though or even pumpkin bread and just mix it with some cream cheese frosting.
DeleteCould we freeze them and then after frozen dip them in the chocolate?
ReplyDeleteyup! that would probably make it even easier to dip than if they are just refrigerated!
DeleteWhy be embarrassed I think I will have to try it and like you love from scratch but sometimes you just have to go with the flow and break from what you do ..Thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteyea and you really can't beat the taste of these :)
DeleteI'm wondering if you could use some pumpkin pie filling and frosting together instead of all frosting? Your thoughts? I make a lot of truffle balls, Oreo and most other types of cookies and things but this will be my first attempt at CAKE lol
ReplyDeleteI've never tried that, but I don't see why it wouldn't work! As long as you refrigerate the cake balls for awhile before coating with chocolate you should be good! :)
DeleteAre you supposed to let the cake cool completely before you crumble it?
ReplyDeleteI usually crumble it when it is still warm, but either way will work!
DeleteAre you supposed to let the cake cool completely before you crumble it?
ReplyDeleteTo make these prettier, do these things. Use a cookie dough dipper, like the ice cream dipper that has a release on it. If your do this by hand, coat them and your hands with some powdered sugar. This will make them easier to handle. Might consider putting in fridge for a while to harden the cream cheese for easier handling, and when dipping, use a fork for dipping and a tooth pick for sliding them off the fork.
ReplyDeleteGreat tips! Thanks!
DeleteThis recipe sounds great.
ReplyDeleteIt's pretty fantastic! You'll have to try it :)
DeleteYou can also use chop sticks or skewers ...Sissy Vapes can u please share some cookie truffle ball recipes ...ty
ReplyDeleteYou can also use chop sticks or skewers ...Sissy Vapes can u please share some cookie truffle ball recipes ...ty
ReplyDeleteI'll have to try that!
DeleteHi! I have a quick question about the order of it.
ReplyDelete1. Bake the cake balls
2. roll them in the frosting
3. freeze them for an hour
4. cover with almond bark
--okk that might not be the best description, i guess im just looking for some clarification when it comes to frosting them, its after you bake them correct? and do you not bake them individually as balls? I am prolly overthinking this too much - ha! but a response would be greatly appreciated! :)
Correct! First bake the cake in a 9x13 pan as instructed on the box. Once baked you will crumbled the cake in a large bowl and mix with the frosting. You'll probably want to refrigerate the cooked "dough" for a little bit so it's easier to roll into balls. Once you've rolled it into balls refrigerate again for a little bit before costing with chocolate. Let me know if you have any other questions :)
DeleteCan someone explain step by step on how to do these. I do not see a recipe.
DeleteThank You!
Choose any boxed cake mix (for these I used Pillsbury Perfectly Pumpkin). Make cake according to box, and bake the cake in a 9x13 pan as instructed. Once baked crumble the cake in a large bowl using 2 forks until it is a fine crumb. Mix with approximately 1/2 to 3/4 jar of store-bought frosting (I used cream cheese frosting in this recipe). Mix until a "dough" forms. You'll probably want to refrigerate the cooked "dough" for a little bit so it's easier to roll into balls. Once cool, remove from the fridge and roll into 1" balls. After rolling into balls refrigerate again for a little bit before coating with chocolate. If you look at the very bottom of the blog post there is a link to a detailed step-by-step for how to make cake pops. Let me know if you have any other questions :)
DeleteI would use Wilton Candy Melts instead of almond bark. They van be found at Michael's craft stores.
DeleteI never have luck with candy melts. Another option is white chocolate chips and 1/3 bar of paraffin. Melt paraffin at very low temperature (I put burner on "warm") then add chips. If you get this too hot it will thicken.
DeleteI'm so making these! Thanks for sharing. I love baking also and love truffles, but the one time I made some Thin Mint cookie truffle and half of them were not eaten, but these will sure be a hit during this fall season! I will try to find a sugar-free frosting to make it a little less "sinful".
ReplyDeleteOreo truffles are super easy.
ReplyDeleteYou crush a full package of Oreos , add a block of cream cheese and mix until fully incorporated. Freeze for about 10 min , use a cookie scoop or your hands roll into balls whichever size you prefer using cookie sheets and parchment paper . Makes about 40-50 with bite size balls. I use wiltons candy melts white chocolate and I separated into two batches left one in freezer prep your chocolate in a glass and use toothpicks for no mess easy clean up and perfect truffles if they get too soft you just stick them back in the freezer. Any cookie you can turn into these truffles everyone loves them I normally keep in the freezer for a quick easy treat but you can also keep them in the fridge as long as they are eaten quickly I have made chips ahoy ones that tasted like cookie dough ! I'm sure you could do this recipe like this with pumpkin cookies and real cream cheese . Makes them super creamy !
I need to try make your truffles with Chips Ahoy asap! I've done Oreo's before, but never even thought about using other cookies. Such a great idea!
DeleteNutter Butter cookies are great to use, too!!!
Delete1) I love cake pops. These will be perfect! :) Wasn't sure what the best stuff to get would be.
ReplyDelete2) Read your bio. Cats are the best.
These are my most favorite cake pops! I buy a bunch of pumpkin cake mix and stock up for the year. ...and I totally agree. Cats are the greatest :)
DeleteJennifer the pumpkin box you recommend is a cookie mix so do i bake them as cookies and then crumble them?
DeleteI can't find anything in the stores called "almond bark". Does it have an almond flavor or is it just another way to say white chocolate?
ReplyDeleteI can't find anything in the stores called "almond bark". Does it have an almond flavor or is it just another way to say white chocolate?
ReplyDeleteLook on the baking isle next to the choc chips, its like a big flat candy bar usually on the top shelf...hope that helps
DeleteI prefer to make my cream cheese frosting taste SOOO much better! But on lazy days I'll pull out a jar ;) lol
ReplyDeleteHow many does this make?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWe have a tree nut allergy in the house so almond bark is out for me, does white chocolate taste good as well or would a powdered sugar glaze work since your freezing to get firm?
ReplyDeleteCan you tell me approximately how many cake balls you get from one cake mix?
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Should be approximately 24 cake balls!
DeleteHI
ReplyDeleteI have attempted these cake balls a few times..and each time is a huge failure! what do you put them on to dry? Mine have Not looked so pretty, with lumps and bumps in the chocolate... please let me know... thanks!
I usually set them on a cookie sheet to dry. One helpful tip - when you are crumbling the cake mix before you mix with the frosting, try removing the harder outer edges of the cake and the top (the parts that bake a darker golden brown color). Those parts of the cake don't really crumble that well so they could be causing lumps.
DeleteQuick question.....can these be made with the Perfectly Pumpkin Cookie Mix vs. cake mix?!?
ReplyDeleteI've never tried making them with the cookie mix. You could try it, but I think the cake mix is best! :)
DeleteThanks Jennifer! I bought the mix you have noted above, which is actually a cookie mix?!?!
DeleteI went ahead and added another egg, few sprinkles of flour and water until the batter looked 'cakey' then cooked it in a 9x13 until it was cooked through. Tastes great, and worked great too!
Thanks for sharing your recipe!