I don't know if this is the correct area to post this...but I tried the cake ball recipe for the first time. And yuck! What is wrong with that recipe?? How can everyone love them?

I followed the recipe to a T, and the stuff was complete mush. So I added at least one cup more cake crumbs and it still was the consistance of loose mashed potatoes. Well, I thought this is the way it's supposed to be...so I got my trusty cookie scoop and made the balls, put them in the freezer, and got my chocolate melted.

Well, when I put the chocolate on the balls, the first couple were ok, but then when the balls began to thaw even slightly, the crumbs just made the chocolate fall off, much like it would on a cake. I had so much trouble getting the choc to stick!

When they were all finished (after three trips to the freezer), they began to sweat. Ok, I thought thats normal, but the "sweat" never went away. So I thought they look like crap, but they have to taste good. I took them to work where there are a bunch of men and they'll eat anything. Even they didn't like them. They ate them all - mind you - but said it wasn't my best cake.

Anyway, I won't be making them again any time soon. I just don't understand the attraction???? Is my cake too moist to begin with? Is that the consistancy they are supposed to be? Chocolate the wrong temp? What?????

I am by no means an expert on cake balls but have found that sometimes they turn out great and others not so great.

The ones that seem to turn out the best (for me) are the ones that are a mix of choc and yellow or white cake. I found out that I can not add as much liquid as is called for. Just a splash to keep it together. I also add regular size choc and white choc chips. My favorite liquid so far is Kahlua. I use almond bark to melt and coat them with. No freezing required. Just set on the counter for a while until they firm up.

Hope this helps. They are addicting. I can pass the cake by but not these.

Sunlover,
I agree with you...cake balls are nasty! At least the way I made them.The texture was really weird. I thought they were going to be more "cakey", but they were chewy. I sold them at my shop(some people will eat anything) and they loved them My husband, who loves everything I make, said they were not my best. I think they are one of those things you either love or hate.

I'm so glad someone out there agrees with me. Yuck!
It'll be a pretty boring day when I try again.

I'm so glad someone out there agrees with me. Yuck!
It'll be a pretty boring day when I try again.

Ditto.

I created a post on this just a couple of weeks ago because I thought I must have done something wrong. I did change the liquid because I made them for my kids but... they wouldn't even eat them. See if you can find my post I think it was called "Don't like cake balls" something to that effect, some posters offered different ideas on what to do with scraps that sound delicious. I really like the idea of these so I definitely will try again and just come up with my own little experiment.


Rose

I added just a couple spoonfuls of peanut butter and some icing sugar and used the hook on the kitchen aid just like making bread dough. Found them very sweet, make your teeth tingle kinda sweet, but the kids loved them. Am saving up bits for the next school bake sale.

Sunlover,

The only cake ball I make, and I haven't made them for awhile because my kids usually eat the leftover cake tops after I level them but anyway, I always used chocolate cake and like some one said a "splash" of Amaretto Liquer and the mixed with my hands. Roll them in balls and then let them dry. Then dip in chocolate. After it has set pipe a decoration on them.

~luraleigh~

Sunlover,

The only cake ball I make, and I haven't made them for awhile because my kids usually eat the leftover cake tops after I level them but anyway, I always used chocolate cake and like some one said a "splash" of Amaretto Liquer and the mixed with my hands. Roll them in balls and then let them dry. Then dip in chocolate. After it has set pipe a decoration on them.

~luraleigh~

Sunlover,

The only cake ball I make, and I haven't made them for awhile because my kids usually eat the leftover cake tops after I level them but anyway, I always used chocolate cake and like some one said a "splash" of Amaretto Liquer and the mixed with my hands. Roll them in balls and then let them dry. Then dip in chocolate. After it has set pipe a decoration on them.

~luraleigh~

I have no idea what recipe you guys are using. . . BUT when I made cake balls a couple months ago for the first time, everyone who tried them, absolutely loved them! All I did was crumble up the left over cake pieces, added in buttercream little by little till I got the consistency I wanted and that's it! My nieces helped me roll them, which they loved b/c it was a funny, sticky, yummy, gooey mess. . . they also loved the fact that when we finished rolling them all, they got to lick their fingers. Afterwards we dipped them in chocolate and that was it.

All of you are talking about liquid and the mix being like soupy mash potatoes. . . maybe that recipe is incorrect??? My cake already had liquor in the batter, Anyway, if I did add any type of liquid to the mix - it would only be a couple of table spoons ( I had a LOT of cake crumbs) b/c it's obvious that too much would make it soupy.

Well, good luck, if you do try it again, just do cake crumbs and buttercream, GOOD LUCK

I've made cake balls according to Cookieman's recipe and everyone who tried them loved them. They thought they were truffles. You have to make sure that if you add liquid, do it a little at a time, as it varies with the moisture in the cake crumbs you are using. I added chocolate chips and nuts to mine and used French Vanilla coffee cream for one batch and rum for the others. I'm sure I'll make them again as soon as I get enough cake crumbs to make a batch.

You might try asking Peacockplace about the recipe she uses. She had posted quite a few photos of cakebals that she has done and they look just beautiful. She could probably help you out with the sweating chocolate. Just a thought...

Where can we find that recipe?

I think my disappointment was based on the fact that I had an idea in my mind of what I thought I was going to see and it was totally not. I was expecting more of a "cake" ball and not so much a "Candy". Does that make sense? More of like a donut. I can see how just adding "a little" something as glue would be wonderful. I still want something that tastes like cake but in a bit size package. (Easier to pop in your mouth). Mine was so wet that even being in the freezer didn't help and dipping in chocolate was almost impossible without them losing their shape. But I have not thrown in the towel. Now that I know what to expect, I'll take it from there.

Rose

Rose, keep trying. . . mine tasted exactly like you said, "little CAKE balls"
I've already gotten request for cake balls the next time I have left over cake scraps.

Happy Baking!

I JUST MADE CAKE BALLS THIS WEEKEND ,
THEY CAME OUT WAY TO MOIST, I WAS SO UPSET
THAT IN A PANIC I THREW THEM IN THE OVEN FOR LIKE 5 MINUTES OR SO I'M NOT SURE IT'S ALL A BLUR , BUT THEY DID DRY OUT NICELY, THEY TOOK THE CHOCOLATE WELL AND THE TASTE WAS KINDA LIKE A BROWNIE

When they are too 'wet' have you tried adding something dry to it? Like a little powder sugar?

Hey, TexasSugar, I tried adding powdered sugar to my attempt to make cake balls, and it worked but they became WAY TOO SWEET! You couldn't even eat one whole cake ball because it was like eating a handful of sugar.

My only problem with them is that my chocolate almond bark coating cracked in the refrigerator...

They are awfully sweet and rich....my husband really liked them but you really can't eat very many at all.