Cherry Cordial Cake Balls

Deb Wise
Updated
Get the recipe for Cherry Cordial Cake Balls.

Yes you can make your own cake bites (and these have a surprise inside). Boxed cake mix makes these super easy and approachable but feel free to use your favorite tender cake recipe (chocolate cake would work well too). Candy coating pieces, like CandiQuik dry shiny and hard but if you can’t find it you can use semisweet chocolate chips in their place. To use, combine 1½ cups semisweet chocolate chips and 4½ teaspoons vegetable oil in a medium-size microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH until melted, about 1 minute, stirring every 20 seconds.

Ingredients

  • 1 box white cake mix

  • 1 cup water

  • ½ cup vegetable oil

  • 3 large egg whites

  • ½ cup powdered sugar

  • 2 teaspoons unsalted butter, softened

  • 1-2 teaspoons whole milk

  • 20 maraschino cherries with stems, drained and patted dry

  • 1 (16-oz.) pkg. chocolate candy coating pieces (such as CandiQuik)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 13- x 9-inch baking pan.

  2. Beat cake mix, water, oil, and egg whites with an electric mixer on medium-low speed until combined and smooth, about 4 minutes. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool cake in pan 10 minutes; invert onto a wire rack and let cool completely, about 30 minutes. Cut cake in half.

  3. Stir together powdered sugar, butter, and 1 teaspoon of the milk in a medium bowl until mixture is smooth and creamy, stirring in up to 1 teaspoon more milk, if necessary.

  4. Crumble 1 cake half into bowl with powdered sugar mixture and stir until well combined.(Reserve remaining cake half for another use) Using your hands, shape tablespoonfuls of cake mixture into 20 balls. Press 1 cherry into each cake ball, pressing cake around cherry to completely cover and leaving stem exposed. Roll balls between palms to smooth cake coating, and place on parchment paper-lined baking sheets.

  5. Melt chocolate coating according to package directions. Dip cake-covered cherries in chocolate coating, covering completely and scraping off excess on side of bowl; return to baking sheet and set aside until chocolate sets, about 15 minutes. Layer between sheets of wax paper in an airtight container, and store in refrigerator for up to 5 days. Let stand at room temperature 20 minutes before serving. Note: You may use 2 (8-inch) square pans instead of 1 (13- x 9-inch) pan.

Yields: 20 cake balls (serving size: 1 cake ball)