Easter Cake Balls

Need an Easter dessert idea? Bite size Easter Cake Balls are perfect for this Spring holiday.

Cake Balls are sweet little balls of cake dough filling dipped in a melted chocolate or candy coating.

The candy coated cake is then decorated with a drizzle of melted candy coating and Easter themed sprinkles.

Cake Balls are the same delicious mini treat as cake pops but without all the fuss of a lollipop stick.

They are just as delicious and so pretty!

You can make so many variations of this popular treat by changing the flavor of the cake and frosting you use.

Easter Cake Ball Ingredients

You will need the basic cake pop or cakeball ingredients.Which are a box of cake mix, frosting and a candy coating like almond bark, candy melts or wafers or melting chocolate.

Pick a flavor of cake mix and a complimentary frosting, just like you would when baking a cake.

I am using a vanilla cake mix and vanilla frosting.

• cake mix: a box of cake mix any flavor. I used vanilla. Lemon or Carrot Cake would also be perfect flavors to use for a Spring time dessert.
• frosting: I used store bought but you could also use a homemade butter cream frosting.
• cake mix ingredients: eggs, oil and water
• candy coating for dipping: almond bark, candy melts, or melting chocolate.

Easter Cake Ball Decorations

Decorating can be as simple as drizzling melted colored candy coating and adding Easter themed sprinkles.

• cake ball decorations: melted and drizzled candy coating in pretty colors, Easter or Spring themed sprinkles and nonpareils. One of my favorite sprinkles brand is Sweet Tooth Fairy Sprinkles.

Special Equipment

You will need a container to melt the chocolate or candy coating in. There are a number of options available for melting chocolate.

Over the years I have used all of the equipment I have listed below.

You can check out my experience in melting chocolate when I first started making cake pops here on this how to dip anything in chocolate post.

• small dough scoop (optional)
• a small and deep cup in the microwave
• a double broiler on the stove
• a silicone candy melting bowl in the microwave
• an electric candy or chocolate melting pot. on a safe surface like the kitchen counter near an electrical outlet.
• a 16 oz. crock pot little dipper., which I used this time

Other supplies needed

• Crisco shortening or Paramount Crystals

Crisco vegetable shortening or Paramount Crystals are added and used to thin the chocolate or candy coating while melting.

This is the trick to getting a smooth outer coating.

Although this is not needed it helps with the dipping and coating so much so that I would never attempt to make them without it.

• Baking or cookie sheets

After dipping the balls you will place them on a cookie or baking sheet to allow the coating to harden.

• Parchment paper

After dipping you will place the coated balls on a cookie sheet to harden. You need to line the cookie sheets with parchment or wax paper so the bottom of the balls do not stick after the coating has hardened.

Do not skip this step or you will ruin the candy coating when remove them from the tray.

How to make Easter Cake Balls

Step 1 Making the cake: Preheat the oven to 325 F. degrees for non stick coated pans. Mix the cake ingredients following the directions on the box.

Bake the cake in a 9 x 13 inch baking pan for best results.

Following the directions on the box for this size cake pan. (See tips below for cake pan size).

Allow the cake to cool completely before starting the next step.

Step 2 Crumbling the cake: Crumble the baked and cooled cake into fine pieces. Start by cutting the cake into cubes in the cake pan and then dumping it into a large bowl.

Using a fork or gloved hands break the cubes of cake into smaller pieces until finally the entire cake broken down into fine crumbs.

Step 3 Combining the cake with frosting: To make the filling start by adding a heaping tablespoon of vanilla frosting to the bowl and mixing it into the cake crumbs.

Gradually add a scant teaspoon of frosting to the bowl as needed and work the frosting into the cake crumbs with a large spoon.

Mix it in until the cake crumbs start to hold together. Pinch off a bit of the dough and squeeze it together.

If the dough holds together as you squeeze and roll it into a ball you have added enough frosting.

Caution: Do not add a large amount of frosting to the crumbs at one time or the dough will be too soft and will not hold its shape as you roll the dough balls. The balls should be firm not mushy.

After each addition of frosting check the consistency. You will only need to add 1 to 2 tablespoons of frosting to the cake crumbs.

On rare occasions you may need to add a small amount more if your cake has dried out after baking.

Step 4 Rolling the cake balls: Roll all of the cake dough balls at once. Use the dough scoop or a spoon to scoop some of the cake dough, press the dough into the scoop to compact it.

Squeeze the handle to release the dough ball into your hand. Press the dough together has you quickly roll it between both hands into a small ball.

Once satisfied with the shape of the ball place it down onto the parchment lined cookie sheet.

Repeat until you have run out of dough. You should have about 35-45 balls of cake dough.

Bonus Tip: If you will not be immediately dipping the balls cover the tray with plastic wrap to keep them from drying out. At this point you can refrigerate the dough balls and dip them the next day.

But if you do this remove them from the refrigerator at least an hour before dipping so they come to room temperature before dipping.

Step 5 Melting the candy coating: How long it takes for the candy coating to melt will depend on the method you use to melt the chocolate.

If using the microwave it may only take five minutes or so.

If using a candy melting pot or little dipper crock pot it can take about an hour. Plan accordingly.

How much frosting to add?

The amount of frosting you add to cake crumbs to shape the cake dough balls can vary from batch to batch.

The moistness of the baked cake plays a huge roll in the amount of frosting needed.

The brand of cake mix used along with the amount of time between baking the cake and mixing the crumbs with the frosting will dictate how much frosting will be needed.

Step 6 Methods of melting the chocolate: If using Almond bark cut the cubes and chop them before placing them in the melting pot.

If using the microwave for melting check out my How to Make Cake Pops for more tips and tricks.

Step 7: Dipping the cake balls in chocolate: Use a plastic fork with the center tines removed or a candy dipping tool to dip each ball into the melted chocolate until it is completely covered.

Gently tap the fork or dipping tool on the edge of the bowl or melting pot to allow excess chocolate to drip off the ball.

Carefully and gently slide the coated ball off the fork onto a prepared cookie sheet pan.

How to decorate cake balls

Decorating this Easter treat is very easy to do.

You can create beautiful holiday treats with colored candy coating and holiday themed sprinkles.

After you dip the balls in chocolate coating you have two options for decorating.

• Option 1: You can immediately drizzle the outside with colored melting chocolate and add the sprinkles.
• Option 2: Or you can dip the balls in the white chocolate and allow it to harden before you drizzle the colored candy coating and add the sprinkles.

Both options work very well. The only difference is that you have to wait for the outer candy coating to harden. If you are short on time and need don't have time for the decorating this option works well.

Bonus tip: If you are new to making cake pops, cake balls and working with melted chocolate coatings I suggest you allow the outside coating to harden before decorating.

You have to work fast when you are working with the smaller amounts of colored candy coating. It tends to harden quickly.

This can get a little overwhelming when you first learn to work with melted chocolate or melting candy coatings.

Step 7 Decorating: Fill three disposable decorating bags or plastic sandwich bags with colored candy melts. Do not cut the tips off yet.

You will need ½ cup of each color.

Arrange all of the decorating supplies, the cake dough balls and melted white chocolate within reach on a work surface.

1. Place one bag at a time in the microwave to melt.
2. Set the microwave to 20 seconds. After 20 seconds massage the candy melts.
3. Take note how melted they are.
4. Return the bag to the microwave and this time set the timer for 10 seconds.
5. Again remove the bag and massage the bag. Make sure there are no lumps at all left. If the candy is melted set it aside. Repeat with all three colors.
6. If there are still unmelted pieces return to the microwave and this time set the timer for 5 seconds. Cook and massage the bag.
7. Once it is melted cut an tiny tiny opening at the tip of the bag. Squeeze and drizzle the chocolate in a pretty pattern over each cake ball.
8. Immediately spoon some sprinkles over the melted chocolate so they stick. Set the trays aside and allow the decorations to harden.

Melting tip: Melt each color in the microwave slowly. The small amount of melts will only need 30 to 50 seconds to melt. Some colors may take longer to melt or melt faster.

Once the coating chocolate and decorations have hardened trim the excess around the bottoms with a sharp straight edged knife.

Place each cake ball in a mini paper liner before serving.

How to store Easter cake balls

Store the decorated treats in a single layer in an airtight container. For multiple layers place a sheet of parchment paper between the layers to prevent them from becoming damaged.

If you need to store them for more than a day place the container in the refrigerator.

Remove them an hour before serving so they come to room temperature.

Serving Ideas

This easy Easter dessert can be served on small cake or dessert stands on a dessert table.

You can also buy mini gift boxes to share with your guests or give as hostess gifts.

Recipe FAQ's

Recipe Expert Tips

• Baking the cake: Use a 9 x 13 inch cake pan instead of two round cake pans for the best results. Do not over bake the cake. The top bottom and edges should be golden brown. If the cake is over baked the edges with be hard and crunchy. It will be impossible to crumble those cake pieces completely.
• Crumbling the cake: I use a fork to crumble the cake. Over the years I have made hundreds of these bite size dessert balls and have found the a regular fork works the best.
• Frosting: If using a homemade buttercream frosting the cake pops will need to be refrigerated except when serving.
• How much frosting to add: Only add enough frosting to moisten the cake crumbs enough so they will hold together in a ball shape. Too much frosting and the balls of dough will be too soft and hard to dip. Not enough frosting and the dough balls will crumble and not hold their shape.
• Rolling the cake dough balls into perfect and even ball shapes: I like to use a small cookie dough scoop. You can use a regular teaspoon but if you want all of the balls of dough to be the exact same size investing in a dough scoop is well worth it.
• Dipping: Do not dip cold refrigerated cake dough balls into warm melted chocolate or candy coating. The chilled dough will cause the warm coating to crack as it hardens. Always bring cake balls or pops to room temperature first.
• Decorating: Decorating the bite size dough balls can be simple. Use theme colored candy melts and drizzle over the harden chocolate. Add sprinkles or colored decorating sugar.
• Easter Cake Ball flavor ideas: Lemon, Carrot Cake or Red Velvet cake are good choices, but you can use whatever flavor combination you like.

More Spring Recipes

Check out some of the other Spring themed Easter dessert ideas below.

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