Every holiday provides us with an excuse to bake themed desserts, but more importantly, every holiday gives us the opportunity to eat these themed desserts.
With America’s birthday just days away, it is time to rewrite the classic red velvet cake with a twist: red velvet cake balls (or cake poppers, if you will).
Let’s get patriotic!
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Cooling Time: 35 minutes
Assembly Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours
Servings: 24 cake balls
Ingredients:
CAKE
4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
¾ cup sugar
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons red food coloring
½ cup buttermilk
1 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons apple cider vinegar (tastier and more American than traditional white vinegar)
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
FROSTING
2 ⅓ cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons butter, room temperature
4 oz. cream cheese
COATING
½ lb. white chocolate or vanilla candy coating
Blue and red food coloring
Blue and red colored sugar
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325°F and butter and flour 9-inch cake pan.
2. To prepare the cake, cream butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add egg and beat for 30 seconds on medium.
Photo by Megan Prendergast
3. In a small separate bowl, mix the unsweetened cocoa powder, pure vanilla extract and red food coloring to make a thick, dark paste. Add paste to butter-sugar mixture and mix on medium until combined. The mixture should be a deep red color.
Photo by Megan Prendergast
4. Add half of the buttermilk to batter and mix. Then add half of the flour and mix. Scrape down bowl with rubber spatula. Add remaining buttermilk and mix again, and finally, add remaining flour and mix on medium for about 1 minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl halfway through.
Photo by Megan Prendergast
5. Add apple cider vinegar, baking soda and salt and mix on medium for about 1 minute.
Photo by Megan Prendergast
6. Pour batter into prepared cake pan and bake for 27 minutes, or until skewer comes out clean.
7. While cake is baking, prepare the frosting by creaming sugar and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Then, add the cream cheese and beat.
Photo by Megan Prendergast
8. Let the cake cool completely, then break into small crumbs and place in bowl. Add ¾ of the frosting and mix with rubber spatula. If mixture is too dry, you may add more frosting.
Photo by Megan Prendergast
Photo by Megan Prendergast
9. Using clean hands, scoop tablespoon sized globs of dough and mold into balls. Place these in the refrigerator while you prepare the candy coating.
Photo by Megan Prendergast
10. Melt the candy coating in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds. Using a skewer, submerge each cake ball in the candy coating and set on parchment paper.
11. Decorate cake balls with colored sugar or dyed candy coating. Then, place in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes to harden the shell. Cake balls are best served at room temperature and can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Photo by Megan Prendergast
Photo by Megan Prendergast
12. Enjoy!