Has anyone use Ice Cream Cones for the Cake Ball Tree instead of foam??

Ice cream cones would make adorable mini trees! That is, if they lasted that long in my house...the kiddies love ice cream

Yes, sambugjoebear, hahaha, I know I'm an ice cream lover too!!! I was thinking on preparing them in the ice cream cones to give them away as individual gifts so they will be completely edible (instead of cupcakes)...hmmm so many ideas!!

I bought those boxes too! They are perfect for Holiday gifting I was saying to my good friend and very willing taste tester how much I want to make all the ideas swimming in my head but if I do, I could go broke funding the project! I've made some as Christmas gifts and I've given some away, but I think I need to pace myself! LOL

They do look great! Professional, all there... it's so easy! Normally, they are quite expensive, but at the sale price it's great. I probably should stock up for the rest of the year. lol

Yea I think I am going back during the week and pick up a bit more.. I would go today but the store is 45 mins away Maybe there will be some left later in the week when I go back. I think these will be perfect for the cake balls I plan on making.

For the ladies who have their own bake shop...is it okay to sell cake balls with liquor inside? Im thinking about offering the Bailey's ones to my clients

FullHouse, I tried your chocolate combo this weekend and it was awesome! Thanks again

CakesbyLJ, thanks so much for sharing your cake truffle trees, you inspired me . I made a cake truffle tree for my parents' Christmas Party. My mom loved it and said it was a bit hit.

http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1533908

FullHouse your truffle tree is beautiful!! Great job.
Are they hard to make? Time consuming? How do you transport it?
Sorry for all the questions.

FH, your tree turned out beautiful! I too am wondering abt transportation.

For eggnog you could use eggnog in your cake (Lorann makes an eggnog flavor too) You could also use eggnog creamer as binder or flavor your buttercream. I've used the creamer w/ a good flavor.

I dont have a bakery, but I'm thinking b/c of liquor license you could bake w/ it (b/c it cooks out) but not as a binder

Thanks. They are not hard to make, but it did take a while - esp. since I underestimated how many balls the tree would take and had to stop and make more. The trickiest part was getting the balls on the tree w/o ruining the coating. I ws having the hardest time, trying to use waxed paper to push them on, DH suggested needle nose pliers/wire cutters and things were much easier from there.
The tree was hot glued to the plate, but it wasn't a very strong hold. To transport it, I stuck a toothpick in towards the top and then hung long sheets of waxed paper over the toothpick to cover the tree, then stuck a grocery bag upside down over that. My parents picked it up and they are just around the corner. If it was for someone I need to be more formal with, I would use gift basket cellopane and wrap it just like a gift basket.

As far as the liquor, I don't know what the law is, but again, it was for my parents so it didn't matter. Only 60% of the alcohol bakes out of the cake batter, so there is still enough in there that I would let my kids have it. I only used about 2-3 tbs of rum in all the binder for 98 balls, so there isn't really much there. I used regular eggnog in the batter and binder, not creamer or oil. HTH.

Caribbean Cakes--

I love the idea of the ice cream cones for the trees. I'm also wondering if you could make "trees" out of prepackaged RKT --let them firm up and use them as trees as well. Hmmm something to ponder.

Aquamom,
I have thought about the RKT too, but I think they might get soggy if you leave them out too long.

I made my first batch of cake balls on Sunday and brought them to work on Monday, they were a hit! They asked for more

Thanks everyone for the great advice

I used the same size cone and only used 63 balls, mine are not nearly as close together as yours are, which is probably why it was easier to put them on. It does leave a space between the balls which I had thought of adding ribbon to. I also thought about doing the drizzles after I had attached the balls. Just sort of do swirls of different colors. Which would be fun, but I use the different colors to denote the different flavors.

The only things that come to mind about ice cream cones is it not being easy to push toothpicks into the cone-I would be afraid it would break, and I think it works better if you put the toothpicks in as you go so if you got half way and then cracked the cone it would not be a good day. Also I think that they might get soggy as well.

I see a couple of you are from Clarksville-Nashville TN area. Can I ask where you buy supplies? I am in Western KY about an hour from Clarksville and there isn't anywhere to purchase anything!!! Found chocolate online I like but hate paying walmart prices for sticks and other supplies.

I don't use sticks I just do balls so that makes most of my stuff available in the grocery.

I buy everything I can from Trader Joes cause it is where I shop and it is convenient and good and reasonably priced.

Next I go to GFS (Gorden Food Service) in cool springs. It is more like a restaurant supply. Again it is good and reasonably priced, just not as convenient for me. But there is one in Clarksville...


2809 Wilma Rudolf Blvd.
Clarksville, TN 37040
931-552-5501
Fax: 931-552-5528
Hours:
Mon - Sat 8:00 - 8:00
Sun 12:00 - 5:00

you may want to check out their web site as there may actually be one closer to you. http://gfs.know-where.com/gfs/

For the boxes I am looking at a couple of places online but have not tried either yet.

http://www.brpboxshop.com/cake_pads.html
http://www.nashvillewraps.com/candy-bags/mc-005.html

for display purposes I am starting to hit the "estate sale" trail again...great stuff at great prices but you gotta hunt!

Then if I am desperate I will go to Michaels, but it is sooo pricey.

Thanks CakebyLJ!

Demuralist- I am struggling with boxes myself. I keep looking at Nasvillewraps myself but I am a visual person and need to see what I am buying before I buy it. And there is nothing near me as far as stores....lol. Clarksville is the closest that has anything besides walmart and the grocery store.

Thanks for your help again!

This is such a wonderful thread, thanks to everyone for the great ideas. I have yet to make cake truffles & now I can't wait to do them.

I was just on Nashville wraps-glad to see they have some pack sizes under 100! I have requested their free catalog-I think their prices are pretty reasonable. I picked up some "to go" (ie: styled like chinese take out) boxes from Micheals-frosted plastic w/ a metal handle. They are all put together. Not sure if they are food-safe, will add a safe liner! They have pretty winter and christmas prints. They were $1.25 each-more than I wanted to spend, but I do not need 50 of any container and they are so cute/ easy to use!

Okay. Here's my first attempt at a cake ball tree. Lots of room for improvement, but you've got to start somewhere, right?!

http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1534511

I'm sure this has probably been covered somewhere in this thread, but I have a newborn and little sleep - so no time to read 32 pages to find it what do you all charge for cakeballs?