Red Velvet Cake Balls
Make a bite-sized treat for your sweetheart this Valentine’s Day! Red velvet cake balls are rich, soft and coated with white chocolate. They are easy to make using boxed cake mix and cream cheese!
Valentine’s Day is next month and I’m getting a jump start on some fun desserts! Red velvet is a popular flavor for the holiday and while I usually tend to bake red velvet cupcakes, this year I decided to make cake balls. These moist little truffles are coated in a sweet white chocolate shell and topped with pink sprinkles. They’re perfect for bringing to a party or girl’s night!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Cake balls are easy to make with boxed cake mix and a few common ingredients.
- It’s a great use of leftover cake! Just crumble it up, add cream cheese and roll into balls.
- The bite-size makes this the perfect shareable sweet treat.
- Fit for any holiday, these truffles can be served for Valentine’s Day, Christmas, birthdays or simply just because you have leftover cake!
Ingredient Notes
- Red velvet cake: You can use leftover cake or quickly whip one up with boxed mix (I prefer Betty Crocker baking mixes).
- Cream cheese: Use full-fat cream cheese. I prefer this instead of cream cheese frosting because it offsets the sweetness from the cake and white chocolate.
- Melting wafers: I suggest melting wafers for dipping truffles because they yield a smoother chocolate.
Refer to recipe card for ingredient details and measurements.
Recipe Variations
Use a different chocolate. This recipe also tastes delicious with milk or dark chocolate!
Make heart shape truffles. Use your hands to form the dough into heart shapes. Freeze for an hour to ensure they keep their shape before dipping.
Swap out the sprinkles according to the holiday. If it’s Christmas, add red and green sprinkles. Meanwhile, the Fourth of July calls for red and blue!
Make cake pops. Place the dough balls on a popsicle stick before chilling and dipping in melted chocolate.
How to Make Red Velvet Cake Balls
- Bake the cake according to package instructions. For Betty Crocker, mix all the ingredients in one bowl. Transfer batter to a 9×13 baking pan and bake for 30 minutes. Cool completely.
- Make the dough. Break the cooled cake into large crumbles. Add the cream cheese and mix until combined.
- Scoop dough and roll into small balls. Place the balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
- Melt the white chocolate in the microwave on 50% power level. Stop to stir every 20 seconds until smooth. Use dipping tools or two forks to dip the balls into melted chocolate. Let any excess chocolate drip off. Return to parchment paper and add sprinkles.
Expert Tips
Cool the cake completely before making the dough. If the cake is still warm, the cream cheese will melt and it will be difficult to form the dough into balls.
Chill the dough balls before dipping. This trick helps prevent the balls from falling apart and guarantees they keep their round shape.
Review tips for melting chocolate. Chocolate can be finicky, but there are ways to make sure it turns out silky smooth when melted. Use a double boiler or 50% power level in the microwave to prevent burning. Never add water to melted chocolate!
Use dipping tools for easy dipping. I have this set and they work like a charm! It’s easy to tap off excess chocolate and transfer the truffles back to the baking sheet.
Make Ahead and Storage Tips
Make ahead the dough and store covered in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours. Alternatively, you can make the dough balls and store them in the freezer for up to a week. I suggest covered in plastic wrap or transferring to an airtight container so make sure they don’t dry out.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Freeze cake balls for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator to prevent condensation forming on the chocolate shell.
Recipe FAQ
Absolutely! As long as the recipe you used yields enough batter for a 13×9 pan or two 8-inch round pans then there should be enough cake to cream cheese ratio.
Add only enough cream cheese to hold the cake crumbs together. It helps to thoroughly mix the dough until smooth. I also recommend chilling the dough balls to keep their round shape.
Most likely it was overheated or seized up because water or steam was added to it. Let is cool, then add 1 tablespoon shortening or coconut oil when melting the chocolate to help thin it out. I find that cheaper varieties of white chocolate do not melt well.
Yes, but the cake balls will turn out sweeter. You will need the same amount, 1 cup (8 oz) frosting.
Related Recipes
Looking for more Valentine’s Day treats? Try these recipes next!
Did you love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below and if you REALLY loved it, consider leaving a comment further down the page.
Get the Recipe: Red Velvet Cake Balls
Ingredients
- One box (15 oz) Betty Crocker super moist red velvet cake mix, plus ingredients to make cake (listed below)
- ½ cup (120 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 cup water
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup (226 g or 8 oz) full-fat cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 cups white chocolate melting wafers
- Red or pink sprinkles for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare cake batter according to box instructions. Bake in a 9×13 baking pan at recommended temperature and time. Cool completely.
- In the cake pan, break the cake up into crumbles. You can use your hands or a fork.
- Add cream cheese and use your hands to mix into the cake crumbles until a dough-like consistency is reached. You can also use an electric mixer if preferred.
- Use a small cookie scoop to scoop the mixture. Roll into balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Freeze dough balls for 30 minutes or until firm.
- Meanwhile, place the white chocolate melting wafers in a heat-proof bowl. Microwave on 50% power level, stopping to stir every 20 seconds until smooth.
- Use dipping tools to dip chilled cake balls in the melted chocolate. Gently tap the dipping tool on the side of the bowl to remove excess chocolate. Transfer to baking sheet. Immediately add sprinkles if desired. Let the chocolate harden before serving or storing in an airtight container for later.
