Cupcakes are sooo last year. So you want to know what the hot new trend is in wedding pastries is? A BALL! That right… a cake ball. It’s a mini cake rolled into a ball that can be devoured in 2 bites or less-depending on how dainty you want to be. They are taking the pastry shops by storm. Why has this ball of cake gained in popularity so much… It’s because they are customizable in whatever favor combination you can imagine, they are easy to make, cost effective and fun!
Basically you start with a boxed cake mix, one tub of frosting and one package of chocolate coating aka almond bark. You bake the cake according to the directions on the box, let it cool, crumble it up in a large bowl and mix in the frosting. Let this mixture refrigerate for 15 minutes and roll the mix into bite sized balls. Allow the cake balls to refrigerate once more for 15 minutes. While the cake balls are “chillin” put on a double broiler (a pan of hot water and a glass or metal bowl will do the trick) and melt the chocolate. Constant heat is the trick to a flawless cake ball coating. Take the cake balls out of the refrigerator and dip individually using a skewer or fork to hold the cake ball and get it in and out of the chocolate.
Now I made several varieties for the holidays including fruit cake, pumpkin pie, apple pie, pina colada, German chocolate cake, peanut butter chocolate, mint chocolate, and fun-fetti with strawberry. The possibilities are truly endless. I dipped some in white chocolate coating and some in milk chocolate coating. The tops of the cake balls can be sprinkled with sugars and sprinkles in the wedding colors. You can also create a cake ball menu allowing your guests pick their choices based on the toppings.
These are also great for the bride on a budget. Think about your guests being able to sample two or three flavors of cake for less than the cost per slice of cake. A family could produce multiple dozen in half a day. They can be placed in little cupcake holders or leave them “straight from the chocolate” and serve! They hold well in the fridge for about a week.
If you still want to have a traditional wedding cake, use the cake balls as your favors and add some to a candy station or set up a multi-tiered cake ball buffet for guest to pick up their own.
Either way you slice it… it’s a great idea that will be talked about long after your wedding is over. Cake balls are ideal because of their cost effectiveness, ease of production, and WOW factor. So when you’re at your cake appointment make sure to ask your pastry chef about them. You never know… you might just want to have a BALL!
