Peppermint Cake Balls

Cake balls are so spectacular, cute and perfect mix of moist and cake, but really they're pretty simple. You can make a cake ball for every occasion and if there is a blemish or mishap, cover it with sprinkles or drizzle over it. Tah..dah! No one will ever know. My husband asked me to make some peppermint cake balls, so I gave it a shot. They were a hit with us and family we had over for Christmas. 

Ingredients

1 box white cake mix plus the ingredients to make a cake per box directions

1 tub of cream cheese frosting (store bought)

1 bag of vanilla candy melts (sometimes it takes 1 1/2 bags) You can find these at Wal-Mart, Target, Hobby Lobby, Michael's)

1 tsp of peppermint extract

1 tsp of vanilla

crushed candy cane pieces for topping

Bake your cake per box directions and add in vanilla and peppermint extract. Bake in a 9x13 inch pan.  Once the cake has been baked and cooled, crumble your baked cake in a large mixing bowl.  Add 3/4 of the container of store bought frosting to crumbled cake.  Combine cake crumbles and frosting together. This process is easiest for me to use my hands to mix it together.  Form cake mix into round balls (ping pong sized).  Place each ball on a baking sheet lined with wax paper.  Once all of your balls are formed, place baking sheet in the freezer to firm (I normally freeze them for an hour or so.)

Once you're ready to start decorating your cake balls, leave them in the freezer and get everything else ready.  You want your cake balls really cold to help with the decorating.   I normally pull out 10 cake balls at a time. In a microwavable bowl, melt your candy chips (stir every 30 seconds until all melted).  Once  is melted, drop your ball into the melted and candy chips and coat. Then, get a spoon and pull it out... Now, here is the method that helped me so much, BANG YOUR SPOON ON THE EDGE OF THE BOWL TO GET ALL THE EXCESS OFF!!!!  Once covered, put back on to wax paper and immediately decorate with crushed candy cane (if you wait til they dry, the sprinkles don't stick).  Continue process. 

Once your cake balls have been dipped, sprinkled, decorated, place in the fridge until ready to serve.

These are a hit with anyone and everyone. You could also put them on sticks to make cake pops (this makes it easy for kids). Any time there is an event, my phone is ringing and they are requesting I bring cake balls! So, try them, you will LOVE them!!!