Confetti Cake Balls and a Giveaway

by Lora Wiley-Lennartz

It’s time for the Dede Wilson giveaway part 2. Today I am celebrating the release of  her new book, Cake Balls.

This is  a wonderful comprehensive guide and very easy to use. After covering fundamental techniques and tutorials, Dede provides basic recipes for both cake flavors and “binders” (frostings, ganache, pastry creams). She also offers tips on how to make cake balls from a mix if you are short on time. Then comes creative recipes such as Crème Brûlée Cake Balls,  Disco Cake Balls and Cranberry-Toffee-Walnut Cake Balls. And lastly, some really fun ideas on how to turn cake balls into Christmas Trees, Teddy Bears and Fairy Princess Ballerinas.

Following Dede’s recipe to the letter I was not disappointed. The cake recipe was delicious on it’s own. The finished product was a sweet and pretty treat.

I brought these to a Labor Day barbecue yesterday. Some of the other guests were snitching them off the platter before the steaks were even cooked on the grill.

Confetti cake balls are simply fun. Fun to make and fun to eat.

Now for the giveaway. One of you who comments below will receive your own copy of Cake Balls. Make sure you leave your comment by Monday, September 10th, 2012 bu 11:00PM E.S.T. and a winner will be picked at random.

There is also still time to enter to win Dede Wilson’s other great new book A Baker’s Field guide to Doughnuts.

Check out the recipe I made from the book, Heart Shaped Rose Petal French Crullers. Leave a comment on that post by Friday, September 7, 2012  and enter to win will a copy.
Confetti Cake Balls

Recipe ©2012 by Dede Wilson and used by permission of The Harvard Common Press
From Dede Wilson’s Cake Balls

Makes about 46 golf ball–size balls
 Ingredients:
1 batch White Cake, made with 1/4 cup rainbow sprinkles folded into the batter
     before baking
1/2 batch Confectioners’ Sugar Frosting, ready to use
1  1/2 pounds white chocolate, such as Callebaut or Valrhona Ivoire, finely chopped
1/4 cup rainbow sprinkles
46 miniature fluted paper cups (optional)
Directions:
1. Crumble the cooled cake and combine with 3/4 cup of the frosting. Test by compressing and tasting, and add more frosting only if needed for flavor and moisture. Roll into golf ball–size cake balls. Refrigerate until firm. This can be done 1 day ahead; store in an airtight container once they are firm.
2. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Melt the chocolate in the microwave or a double boiler. Dip the balls one at a time in the chocolate, encouraging any excess chocolate to drip back into the container. Place, evenly spaced, on the prepared pans. Scatter some of the sprinkles on top of each cake ball while the chocolate is still wet. Refrigerate briefly until the chocolate is set. Trim the bottoms, if needed. Place each cake ball in a paper cup, if desired.
Place in a single layer in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

White Cake
Lighter in texture, paler in color, and subtler in flavor than yellow cake, white cake is perfect when combined with delicate flavors such as Pastry Cream and White Chocolate Ganache. A golden brown, thin, somewhat crispy edge might develop during baking, which is hard to crumble. Feel free to cut it away before crumbling the cooled cake.
Makes one 9 x 13-inch base cake (about 10 cups crumbs)
Ingredients:
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
  • 1  1/2 cups whole milk, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into small pieces
  • 1  1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Directions:

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat the inside of a 9 x 13-inch rectangular pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl to aerate and combine; set aside.
3. Whisk together the egg whites and milk in a small bowl; set aside.
4. In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar gradually and beat until very light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl once or twice. Beat in the vanilla.
5. Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the egg white mixture. Begin and end with the flour mixture and beat briefly until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
6. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center shows a few moist crumbs when removed. The cake might just begin to brown along the edges. Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. The cake is ready to use. Alternatively, double-wrap the pan in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 1 day before proceeding.

Confectioners’ Sugar Frosting
This is a very easy frosting and probably the kind you loved when you were a child. It is the most commonly used in home baking and has that nostalgia factor. Confectioners’ sugar–based frostings require a bit of leeway. If the frosting is too thin, add a bit more confectioners’ sugar; if too thick, add a little milk. The key to making this silky smooth and creamy is to beat it for a long time, until it’s ultrasmooth. This recipe halves easily for those recipes where a half batch is called for.
Makes about 2  1/2 cups
Ingredients:
  • 9 tablespoons (1 stick plus 1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut 
  •      into small pieces
  • 5 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar, plus extra as needed
  • 4  1/2 tablespoons whole milk, plus extra as needed
  • 1  1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions:

In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter until creamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add 1/2 cup of the confectioners’ sugar, beating until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl once or twice. Add the remaining 4 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, the milk, and the vanilla, and beat on high speed until silky smooth. The frosting is ready to use. It is best if used immediately, but it may be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days. (Bring to room temperature and rebeat  before using)

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18 comments

Linda V @ Bubble and Sweet September 14, 2012 - 12:27 am

Those confetti ball pictures look beautiful.

Reply
wendy@chezchloe September 10, 2012 - 7:11 pm

Wow. Festive… Perfect party snack.
I can only imagine the glycemic index on this post and last!
I'm trying to go just one day without sugar to prove I can. ouch.

Reply
Katrina September 8, 2012 - 12:50 am

so cute…I want to make some!

Reply
Sandie September 7, 2012 - 5:40 pm

Would <3 to have this book! Thanks for another great giveaway and the extra pounds I know I'm going to acquire from reading your blog! Just found you, and can't wait to sit down and go through the archives and see what I've missed! (mark Lipinski suggested your roasted peach Ice Cream with allspice caramel swirls, so maybe I will blame him for the extra pounds!)

Reply
weege September 7, 2012 - 12:05 pm

They look like Dunkin Munchkins. I know some people who will love these. I'll have to give them a try. But I must confess that the name keeps reminding me of Space Balls ("May the Schwartz be with you").

Always a pleasure to visit your site Lora. -Louis

Reply
RogueApe September 7, 2012 - 4:38 pm

These look they'd provide a delightful splash of color at a tea party. Festive, and delicious… the talk of the table. They look fun to bake and decorate too!!

Reply
Daniel September 7, 2012 - 11:38 am

Lora, your site is always such a visual treat! I'm no baker, but I still love to look. Hey, if you ever need a tester in the kitchen…

Reply
Lisa September 6, 2012 - 9:01 am

These cake balls are so gorgeous and so simple to make. I adore rainbow sprinkles. I know my chances of winning are slim since I already won a giveaway from you (can't wait for holiday season!), but hey..ya never know!

Reply
Potty Training September 5, 2012 - 11:58 pm

Thanks, this gave me some great idea for my daughters birthday next week. I want to bring in something for her class and these may be just perfect.

Reply
Jill @ MadAboutMacarons September 5, 2012 - 5:32 pm

These are so bright and colourful – my girls would adore these. The book sounds interesting and great fun – can you imagine I've never made a cake pop? Yet…

Reply
MotherWouldKnow September 5, 2012 - 1:23 am

I am obsessed by cake balls. (Should I be admitting that – its sounds so, well you know … 🙂 Your pictures are amazing and I would love to follow your lead. As soon as I get the book, I'm going to grab my sprinkles and get to work!

Reply
Paula September 5, 2012 - 12:21 am

Not entering the giveaway, just had to say how fun these look and no surprise that the guest were snitching a few before dinner:)

Reply
SprinkleBakes September 4, 2012 - 9:51 pm

Yummy! I love Dede's books! I use her "wedding cakes you can make" book all the time! Can't wait to check this one out.

Reply
sugarswings September 4, 2012 - 5:15 pm

fun!!!!

Reply
Diane September 4, 2012 - 9:00 pm

Wow these look festive and inviting!
I have never made cake balls( I might be the only one out there)These sure make me want to give her a try!
Beautiful photos to!

Reply
keshakeke September 4, 2012 - 8:40 pm

Your cake balls are so cute! I have made them before and they were not so cute!
keshakeke@aol.com

Reply
Erica September 4, 2012 - 1:35 pm

What a great idea for a party. I am totally going to make these 🙂

Reply
Joanne September 4, 2012 - 11:01 am

these cake balls are so cute and festive! And I love that they don't rely on cake mix or canned frosting.

Reply

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