Patriotic Cake Balls

 

4th of July is around the corner, and of course I had to come up with a clever dessert to take to the office. Cake balls are always popular and delicious. So I thought, red white and blue cake batter and turn it into an American flag by coloring the chocolate. I also decided that I would go light on the food coloring for the red and blue cake by doing blueberries and strawberries. Now you do not have to do this, but I thought it was a fun idea. The recipe will work just fine with white cake mix divided into three amounts so food coloring can be added to two of the pans. I've also done homemade cake mix and icing, but it's time consuming and not exactly necessary for cake balls.

You will need:

3 cake pans greased (round or square)

3 Bowls for separating the cake/frosting

1 box (16.25oz) White Cake Mix

1 container (14oz) of Cream Cheese Frosting

Food Coloring

1 package of any white chocolate of your choice (I use the melting bark blocks)

*1/2 pint of Blueberries (too many blueberries will make it turn more of a purple)

*1/2lb of Strawberries (make sure they are ripe)

Sprinkles (preferably some with stars or at least patriotic colors)

Toothpicks or bamboo skewers for dipping

I also used a box lid and an empty egg carton for drying the cake balls.

*I did not make these into cake pops, but you can easily do so by buying some lollipop sticks at a craft store, dipping the tip in some of the melted chocolate and then pushing that into the cake ball before freezing so they stay in place.

*Optional

 

Preheat your oven to 350 Degrees.

Start out by following the cake mix directions and make one batch of cake. I used a 1/2 cup measuring cup and took 3 scoops (so a total of 1 1/2 cups mix) out of the mixer into one of the greased cake pans.

I took the same amount out and put it in a separate bowl and left the remainder 1 1/2 cups mix in the mixer.

*Now on the side, take a food processor (or blender if you do not have a food processor) and completely chop up the blueberries. Poor those into the bowl of cake mix that was set aside.

Now chop up the strawberries completely. Poor those into the cake mix in the blender.

Blend until well mixed and add in a few drops of red food coloring. Poor red mix into one of the cake pans.

 

Clean out your mixer bowl (so the die doesn't mix). Add the blueberry and cake mix (in the separate bowl) into the mixer bowl. Blend until mixed and add in a few drops of blue food coloring. Poor blue mix into the third greased cake pan.

 

Bake all three pans for 15-20 minutes (the white took less time than the blue and red due to the fruit).

 

 Keep an eye on them and use toothpicks to make sure they're ready.

Let the cakes cool and then crumble and separate into three bowls.

Mix in an even amount of cream cheese frosting in each bowl until a thick, yet mushy "dough" forms.

I like to make the cake/icing part a day in advance so I can refrigerate it. It seems to make forming the cake balls a lot easier.

Take a small piece of each dough side by side and form into a ball. Place each formed cake ball on a lined  baking sheet (wax paper, silpat, or greased pan).

Continue this until you have used all of the cake mix.

Freeze for about an hour.

 

Melt the chocolate right before dipping (in a double broiler or microwave). Or you can do what I do and make-shift a double broiler. Take the cake balls out of the freezer once the chocolate is melted.

You will have to do separate batches so you can have white, red, and blue chocolate.

Take a tooth pick or a bamboo skewer and poke into each cake ball. *You can use the bamboo skewers as cake pop holders if you choose. If you do want to do that, I recommend dipping the bamboo skewer in chocolate then placing it inside the cake ball, they tend to stay in better this way. I took the skewers out of most of mine since I was making a cake ball flag.  

Dip in the chocolate and place on either a Styrofoam block, a cardboard box lid with holes poked in it, or an empty egg carton with holes poked in the back. Put your desired sprinkles on the cake balls right after you dip, the chocolate will dry quickly.

I did stars for the blue to add to the "flag" effect. I also did blue sprinkles on the red to make them stand out and to create a "firework" effect.

  

You can either leave the skewer on or take them off (very carefully) and put the cake balls in a container.

I will be glad to answer any questions, I hope you enjoy!