i LOVE this recipe. i discovered it last summer, and because all of my friends hadn't ever heard of cake balls, they were in love with them. just about everyone who tries them loves them, and they are actually quite easy to make.
i like using this red velvet cake recipe, which comes from www.pinchmysalt.com:
2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder (unsweetened)
2 oz. red food coloring
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon baking soda
preheat oven to 350 degrees. butter and flour a 13x9 cake pan.
sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl; set aside. in a small bowl, mix food coloring and cocoa powder to form a thin paste without lumps; set aside.
in a large bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about three minutes.
beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla and the red cocoa paste, scraping down the bowl with a spatula as you go.
add one third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beat well, then beat in half of the buttermilk. beat in another third of flour mixture, then second half of buttermilk. end with the last third of the flour mixture, beat until well combined, making sure to scrape down the bowl with a spatula.
in a small bowl, mix vinegar and baking soda. quickly add it to the cake batter and stir well to combine. pour batter into cake pan and put it in the preheated 350 degree oven.
bake for 25-30 minutes. check early, cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
while the cake is baking, make the frosting. i like to use a cream cheese frosting. you can buy container, or you can make your own. here is a recipe i like to use:
12 oz. cream cheese (1 1/2 packages), softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter (one stick), softened
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
pinch of salt
with an electric mixer, blend together cream cheese and butter until smooth.
turn mixer to low speed and blend in powdered sugar, salt and vanilla extract.
turn mixer on high and beat until light and fluffy.
keep the frosting out, and as soon as the cake is done, break it into pieces and mix it into the frosting (i forgot to take pictures of this part, but it will be a red, soft mixture). refrigerate this mixture for about 10 minutes, just so it is hard enough to roll into balls.
prepare cookie sheets lined with wax paper.
roll the cake mixture into balls, and place balls on cookie sheet. place the balls in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes, just so they can harden enough to be covered in chocolate.
while the cake balls are hardening, melt about 30 oz. of semisweet chocolate in a double broiler. once it is melted and the cake balls are hard enough to be dipped (but still soft and squishy) dip them one by one in the chocolate, and place them back on the wax papered sheets.
put these balls in the freezer and let them harden.
the cake balls should also be stored in the freezer, and taken out for about 5 minutes before being served or eaten. enjoy! be careful... they're rich!
songs i was listening to:
annuals- carry aroundpeaches- i feel creamcharles hamilton- brooklyn girlswe are scientists- after hoursthe bird and the bee- fucking boyfriendyeah yeah yeahs- heads will roll
