Cake Ballin'

Come on admit it. At one time or another in your life you have found yourself faced with the prospect of eating a grocery store sheet cake and saying yes. Be it at an office party/kindergarten graduation/best friend's cousin's bat mitzvah reception, you saw it in the corner of the room awaiting it's pomp and circumstance and then quick demise. Your thighs say no, but your eyes say yes. Then finally the moment of truth. The songs have been sung, the cake has been cut, plates are being passed. You pass up the first plate ("oh no, that's way too big"), you even pass up the second. But then the third piece you're responsible for taking or passing, it's just perfect. Somehow against all odds, it seems that every single flower that was on that ginormous cake is now nestled on your plate. Fate has intervened. There is no way you can pass this little piece of perfection. You dig in.

For me, it's all about the frosting in this scenario. The cake is inevitably a disappointment so you've set the bar for that low, but the frosting, you always hope that it can carry the team. Heaven forbid that if your beloved frosting has that tell-tale taste of food coloring and playdough which so often mars a beautiful grocery store creation. There is only one way to salvage this situation. Throw the cake away? You are sadly mistake my friend. The obvious answer is to think back to what your 7 year-old self would do. She would take the back of her fork and squish the cake and frosting together until there was a disgusting looking paste and then enjoy the fruits of her labor. This my friends is not doubt the way that the cake ball was born.

Whip up a cake today and prove me wrong that this isn't the best way to eat a sheet cake. Kudos to Scho for introducing this concept to me via her friends at Bakerella.

Today I was in the mood for Red Velvet Cake Balls, but I have also made delicious cake balls using the Red Wine Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting recipe from the lovely ladies at We are Not Martha. The tartness of the red wine was a fantastic complement to the sweet duo of frosting and chocolate shell.

You're going to judge me, but I can take it. While I have made many a sheet cake from scratch, there are times (you can count them on one hand) where I have used a boxed cake mix. This my friends was one of those times. I like to think I make up for my transgression by making my own frosting.

Cake Balls!

Directions for the easiest recipe you have ever attempted. Seriously, cake + frosting = cake balls!

1) Using your favorite cake recipe (or least hated cake mix), bake a 13x9 sheet cake and let cool COMPLETELY. I made red velvet.

2) Whip up a batch of your favorite frosting (or buy a tub on aisle 7). The best pairing for red velvet is most certainly cream cheese frosting and lucky for you that is the easiest frosting to make from scratch. 

Cream Cheese Frosting
- 16 ounces cream cheese (obvi I use 1/3 less fat)
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter at room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 4 teaspoons vanilla your aunt smuggled back from Mexico (or whatever you find on aisle 7)

Cream together cream cheese and butter using an electric hand mixer (or a standing mixer if you have it). On medium speed mix in powdered sugar one cup at a time until thoroughly combined. Add vanilla one teaspoon at a time until thoroughly combined. When your frosting looks perfect (don't get lazy and leave any lumps, you will regret it), cover and put in fridge to chill until you are ready to start ballin'.

3)  When your cake is totally cool and not a moment sooner, get out a knife and rip that sucker up into a large mixing bowl. Seriously, you want it to look like this. 

4) Mix frosting into bowl of cake crumbs using a good spatula, combining well. 

5) Let mixture chill in fridge for at least 30 minutes-1 hour (or longer if need be). 

6) Using cookie dough scoop or melon baller to measure roll little your cake balls into semi-precious little lumps and drop onto wax covered cookie sheet. Repeat 75 times (yes this recipe makes 75 cake balls). 

7) Let cake balls chill in freezer until you are ready to dip in chocolate. 

8) To cover cake balls in chocolate, melt semi-sweet chocolate chips one cup a time in microwave for approximately 1-2 minutes depending on microwave, stir until completely melted.

9) Using two spoons roll cake ball around one at a time in the melted chocolate until it's completely covered in a thin layer of chocolate. Return cake ball to wax lined baking sheet. Repeat 75 times. Sprinkle with sprinkles if desired.

10) You can chill cake balls in the fridge or the freezer depending on your preference. The last time I made them my friends stashed them in the freezer early in the party and shared them as a treat with people they liked (secrets, secrets are no fun).

Serve chilled, frozen or at room temperature. 

Scho's beautiful Fourth of July cake balls from last year, my cake-spiration

Guiness Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Thanks to Arielle for the mysterious introduction and serious pressure to actually publish today. Here goes for nothing for my inaugural blog post:

Saturday night was my beer geek boyfriend's 31st birthday party, and also an early St. Patrick's Day celebration for those of us who can no longer spend twelve hours drinking on a Thursday. For the occasion I found a recipe that combined both of our great loves - beer and chocolate.

Guiness Chocolate Cake
Adapted from BonAppetit.com
Makes one two layer nine inch cake



For the cake:
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 1/4 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups plus 3 tablespoons sugar
3 large eggs
3/4 cup stout
2/3 cup freshly brewed coffee, room temperature





For the cream cheese frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
8 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut in pieces, room temperature
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla


Cake Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Butter and flour two nine-inch cake pans lined with parchment paper
3. Melt the chocolate in a metal bowl over simmering water, stirring until smooth. Set aside.
4. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
5. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy
6. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each
7. Add the stout, then the coffee. (Batter gets liquid-y at this point, don't worry)
8. Add the flour in three portions; beat until smooth and creamy
9. Pour batter evenly into the prepared cake pans
10. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
11. Leave the cake in the pans for 20 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack to cool. Remove the parchment rounds.
12. Trim the domes off the cake layers once entirely cool. Use a serrated knife.

Frosting Directions:
1. Place cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl
2. Beat to soften the cream cheese
3. Gradually add butter, and continue beating until smooth
4. Sift in confectioners sugar, continue beating until smooth
5. Add vanilla, stir to combine
6. Make sure the frosting is at room temperature, and cakes are cooled, then frost your cake.

I asked Martha for some tips on frosting, and then got to it.




My comments on the recipe:



1. Don't skip the parchment paper. Even if you don't keep 9" circles of parchment paper stocked in your kitchen (I mean, who doesn't do that?) then trace the 9" bottom of the pan on to a regular sheet of parchment paper and cut it out.


2. Have fun with the stout. I used regular ole Guiness because I didn't want to waste a delicious, expensive beer on a cake that I wasn't sure would even taste like beer. Guess what...it tastes like beer! So go for the good stuff. Next time I will use Brooklyn Brewery's Black Chocolate Stout.


3. Warn fellow eaters THIS CAKE HAS BEER IN IT. Because otherwise they will think you seriously messed up your chocolate cake.


4. If cream cheese frosting is not your thing, chocolate ganache would be yummy too. Or add some Bailey's to the cream cheese.

5. I tripled the frosting recipe because I wanted to have enough to do a beautiful frosting job. This left me with a tupperware full of leftovers, but I didn't hear any complaints from guests who dug in with a spoon. Doubling the recipe will yield plenty.

Eat, drink and be merry...Happy St. Patty's!


Elizabeth