Cakes/ Recipes

chocolate cake balls

Surprise!

What you have before you is rather ridiculous…but at the same time, might just be my new favorite thing. Ever.

These chocolate cake balls came into fruition after I laid awake at night wondering what to do with extra flourless chocolate cake.

You know, the cake that fell on the floor.

Don’t worry, I didn’t use the cake that actually fell on the floor for this little project—I used the cake that was still safely right side up in the pan.

I mean, really…who do you think I am? (Raise your hand if you believe in the ten thirty second rule)

I’m so excited I can hardly type. Maybe that’s from the three cups of coffee I’ve already consumed today…or maybe it’s because I have a large cake in my kitchen with finger holes all throughout it. I don’t know.

Dexter just wishes he had some of that.

Basically, the idea here is very, very simple. You take old cake (flourless chocolate cake is best because it has the most fudge-like consistency), roll it into balls and then drench those balls in more chocolate before covering in rainbow sprinkles.

Friends, I’ll be honest with you. Most days, I may not have any idea what I’m talking about. I can’t cook rice. Every time I set out to exercise, I hurt myself. I have a gumdrop tree on my coffee table. However, if you only make one recipe ever on this site you must try this!

I’m taking it to the grave.

That was before I googled it and discovered others had already thought of it before.

Oh well, can’t win ’em all.

Chocolate Cake Balls

makes about 40 balls

1/2 recipe for Flourless Chocolate Cake

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

3 T butter

rainbow sprinkles

Bake cake in a nine inch cake pan for about thirty five minutes, or until cake pulls away from sides of pan. Let cool.

In a small saucepot, melt the butter and chocolate together on the stove. Keep warm.

Once cake is cool, scoop out balls and roll each in the chocolate. Immediately douse with sprinkles. Continue for all.

Store cake balls in the freezer.

Paws off.

You Might Also Like

  • Jessica @ How Sweet It Is
    December 10, 2010 at 8:45 am

    Stopping everything I’m doing (which is nothing) to go make these. Plus, you added sprinkles. You know me so well.

  • Alanna @ Blood, Sweat, and Cupcakes
    December 10, 2010 at 8:46 am

    Yum!
    Have you checked out Bakerella before?
    http://www.bakerella.com/
    So many cake balls ๐Ÿ™‚

  • Natalia - a side of simple
    December 10, 2010 at 8:52 am

    I’m stunned. I’m going to need to recover from the shock of this beauty before I can even attempt to bake it. Dexter, you’re actions are totally justified.

  • Allie (Live Laugh Eat)
    December 10, 2010 at 8:52 am

    Dexter shoulda finished the cake while he had the chance!

    Is it sad that I know where you got Dexter’s placemat? (don’t answer that)

  • The Blue-Eyed Bakers
    December 10, 2010 at 8:52 am

    Um yes please! Can we eat these instead of the salad we packed for lunch!? Delicious.

  • Evan Thomas
    December 10, 2010 at 8:52 am

    I’m speechless. I want this as a last meal.

  • Maria
    December 10, 2010 at 8:54 am

    I posted cake pops today:) These look rich and divine!

  • Heather (Heather's Dish)
    December 10, 2010 at 8:58 am

    you are so right, i KNEW i had to check in and see what you made this morning! holy heaven…

  • Mary (What's Cookin' with Mary)
    December 10, 2010 at 8:58 am

    you said… cake balls BAHAHAHAHHA I love it!!

    When I was a kid I used to remove the crust from bread and ball it up like the cake in your recipe… I think this is right up my alley. Now all I need is some cake.

    • Lisa A. A.
      December 10, 2010 at 12:31 pm

      I used to do that w/bread, too! Now, my kids do it, must be genetic!!

  • Stacy @ Every Little Thing
    December 10, 2010 at 8:58 am

    They look fantastic! Will definitely have to try these out. I’ve made Oreo balls before but these look better ๐Ÿ™‚

  • Victoria (District Chocoholic)
    December 10, 2010 at 9:01 am

    Yours are different because they use chocolate instead of frosting – call them “cake truffles” and they’re yours.

  • Paige
    December 10, 2010 at 9:03 am

    I’m a student at UT and it seems like people have started to make cake balls for every party or get together this past year. I’m not a fan of boxed cakes, but they are a bit better when baked, mixed with a container of icing, and covered in chocolate. Most things probably would be better after that though.

  • AllieNic @ Frisky Lemon
    December 10, 2010 at 9:05 am

    Those look sooooo good! Too cute to eat… I made rum balls once using a very similar method….except that I mixed the cake part with some Captain Morgan…and then rolled in sanding sugar…delicious

  • Lauren at KeepItSweet
    December 10, 2010 at 9:05 am

    you can’t lose when it involves chocolate cake in any form

  • Jenna
    December 10, 2010 at 9:06 am

    cake balls…..we don’t get along! I’ve made them twice and stick, stank, stunk at making them look pretty! check out my hello kitty bust post…

  • Logan
    December 10, 2010 at 9:08 am

    Have you ever looked at the Bakerella blog? She even wrote a book about cake balls. Amazing stuff!

  • elyssa
    December 10, 2010 at 9:17 am

    exams schmams. im going to stop studying and give these a go! but first i have to make the cake and let it get old ๐Ÿ™‚ thats going to be a tough one …

  • Stacy
    December 10, 2010 at 9:17 am

    Any idea how long these will stay fresh in the freezer? Planning to bake Christmas cookies on the 18th and freeze most of them for the holiday.

  • Michele @ Healthy Cultivations
    December 10, 2010 at 9:23 am

    I’ve seen something similar to these… only somewhat different. I’ll be blogging about them the week of Christmas… probably on the 23rd.

  • Kate
    December 10, 2010 at 9:25 am

    Love your writing. Cute post!

  • Sahar
    December 10, 2010 at 9:26 am

    You.Are.Awesome.

  • Cathy B. @ Bright Bakes
    December 10, 2010 at 9:30 am

    I own a million and a half cookbooks.
    I have been a baker since I was ten.
    All that aside, the last 5 things I’ve baked have been off your blog….
    Is that weird?
    And now…all i want for christmas is a wrecked chocolate cake.
    Oh, and a morning with enough free time to make these cake balls!
    with sprinkles.
    love,
    cathy b. @ brightbakes

  • Brenna [fabuleuxdestin]
    December 10, 2010 at 9:30 am

    Looks delicious Jenna!

  • Averie (LoveVeggiesandYoga)
    December 10, 2010 at 9:32 am

    I have seen lots of holiday recipes going around with crushing up cake, rolling into ball, and then dipping them into (more) chocolate…and your recipe truly takes the cake! (pun intended)

    With sprinkles. I love sprinkles!!

    Hope you’re having a blast in Heavenly. Stay warm and have fun!

    ๐Ÿ™‚

  • Estela @ Weekly Bite
    December 10, 2010 at 9:33 am

    These look incredible!!!! And sprinkles make everything better ๐Ÿ™‚

  • Cait
    December 10, 2010 at 9:36 am

    You definitely have to check out the Bakerella blog. I made her cake balls and oreo balls (AMAZING) once and now my family asks for them all the time. Plus they are just so freaking cute!

  • christina
    December 10, 2010 at 9:38 am

    must.make.now.

  • Jessica @ The Process of Healing
    December 10, 2010 at 9:39 am

    I’ve seen cake balls before but never like THIS! Yum!

  • Nicole @ Geek Turned Athlete
    December 10, 2010 at 9:47 am

    OMG, these look so amazing! You had me at flourless. I completely believe in the 30 second rule, and it might be longer depending on when the last time I mopped the kitchen was. Sad, I know. ๐Ÿ˜‰

  • Mabelle @ Dance, Love, Dine
    December 10, 2010 at 9:58 am

    WOW That looks delicious. My sweet tooth (whom I thought was dead) is coming back to life with photos. yum! ๐Ÿ™‚

  • britt
    December 10, 2010 at 10:00 am

    yup! 30 second rule all the way!!
    and those cake balls look SO good!

  • Steph@stephsbitebybite
    December 10, 2010 at 10:04 am

    Oh no you didn’t! Now this is the only thing I can think of while I’m sitting at my desk being tortured. I just keep staring at the pictures! Good thing it’s Friday so I can go home and put on my elastic pants and get my butt in the kitchen ๐Ÿ™‚

  • Dee
    December 10, 2010 at 10:09 am

    Do you think dipping them into caramel sauce is a bad idea? I mean, instead of the chocolate icing.

  • Kylie @ A Hungry Spoon
    December 10, 2010 at 10:22 am

    Pure genius! These look so delicious–especially with the extra-fudgy flourless chocolate cake ๐Ÿ™‚ I actually saw a “Cake Ball” cookbook at Barnes and Noble a few weeks ago–an entire cookbook devoted to creative ways of making and decorating cake balls. But who needs a book when you make look this simple?!

  • Kandyce
    December 10, 2010 at 10:26 am

    I love those!! Only twist I do is I make mine out of red velvet cake and dip them in chocolate bark ๐Ÿ™‚ So they harden and makes a little less mess for others to enjoy.

  • Faith @ lovelyascharged
    December 10, 2010 at 10:26 am

    Yum! Looks like mini donut holes but soooo much better…richer, too, I’m assuming ๐Ÿ™‚

  • Amanda (Eating Up)
    December 10, 2010 at 10:36 am

    Sprinkles make everything better!

  • nicole
    December 10, 2010 at 10:38 am

    I just made a pan of brownies last night, and of course I dug in before cutting them properly so I have some jagged pieces. I bet that would work just as well as the cake because they’re super moist too. Genius!

  • Kim
    December 10, 2010 at 10:41 am

    Our local farmer’s market has a baker’s stand that sells these… except they are on sticks, which makes them 100 times better. They have a peanut butter version that is seriously the best thing I have ever eaten.

    Anyway, this goes on my list of things to bake for Christmas!

  • Shutupandrun
    December 10, 2010 at 11:00 am

    I NEVER would have thought of this in a million years. Such a great idea. That’s why I read your blog. My kids will die for these sprinkle chocolate balls.

  • Jenny
    December 10, 2010 at 11:10 am

    these look awesome! oh, the places you can go with this.

  • kate
    December 10, 2010 at 11:20 am

    these look AWESOME but my friends and i made something similar and I DIED when they were done.
    they were cake balls too but instead of just cake covered in chocolate you mix the cake with icing. We used the box kind and store bought icing and they came out amazing but I’m sure they’d be even better with homemade ingredients. You can use any combination of cake and icing, and they will probably be good…red velvet and cream cheese is my personal fav

    -Bake a cake and let it cool in the fridge.
    -When it’s cool crumble it into a bowl and mix with all the icing. Cover and put in fridge for at least three hours
    -When it’s cool, form into balls. Put in freezer (we did it overnight)
    -When they are firm enough (you should be able to stick a toothpick in them without it slipping off), melt any kind of chocolate chips (we used dark chocolate) over a double boiler and then dip balls in melted chocolate.
    -You can then roll them in whatever…sprinkles, peppermint, nuts, coconut, ect
    -Put back in freezer to harden chocolate
    -Eat a million and love your life

  • Tracey @ I'm Not Superhuman
    December 10, 2010 at 11:22 am

    These look great. And I’m not just saying that because the alternative appears to be cat food.

  • Kelsey Geist
    December 10, 2010 at 11:27 am

    Love these! I made them last year and they were so good! These are delicate little treats that hit that chocolate spot.
    Yum!

  • Maria (The Fitted Apron)
    December 10, 2010 at 11:52 am

    They look so cute and yummy!

  • lee @ College Foodie Finds
    December 10, 2010 at 12:29 pm

    this is super creative! It would be cute to make little christmas balls with red and green sprinkles!

  • Rachel @ The Avid Appetite
    December 10, 2010 at 1:04 pm

    Just when I thought cake couldn’t get any better…

  • Camille
    December 10, 2010 at 1:18 pm

    This looks epic! Who cares if you weren’t the first, you probably did it best!

  • Stephanie Rose
    December 10, 2010 at 1:23 pm

    yes! I’ve been waiting for a cake ball post…totally making these now

  • Moni'sMeals
    December 10, 2010 at 1:53 pm

    Brilliant, all it needs is a stick!

    You should drink 3 cups of coffee more often. ๐Ÿ™‚

  • Mama Pea
    December 10, 2010 at 2:03 pm

    Bad kitty. Good balls.

  • ana
    December 10, 2010 at 3:41 pm

    this is awesome!! i literally just made some like this last night!

  • Cara Craves...
    December 10, 2010 at 4:48 pm

    I think your kitty might get a little sick if he eats that cake ๐Ÿ™‚
    Those cake balls looks great. I am glad that you found a way to use the leftovers…and
    in such a creative way!

  • Christy
    December 10, 2010 at 5:09 pm

    http://www.bakerella.com/

    ran across this link on huffington, reminded me of this morning’s post!

  • Karla
    December 10, 2010 at 5:15 pm

    I made cake balls this past week!!! 150 of them! I made them into 30 gift boxes, so fun Check them out http://myweightin2010.blogspot.com/2010/12/post-361.html

  • Kristen @ That Hoosier Girl
    December 10, 2010 at 5:31 pm

    I’m loving the frosting to cake ratio! And sprinkles make anything taste just that much better, don’t they?!

  • jessica
    December 11, 2010 at 6:32 am

    I did something similar a while ago when I had cupcakes that I filled too high and the batter ran off the pan onto the bottom of my oven! Although the tops were a mess the rest was fine, not wanting to let all those chocolate cupcakes go to waste I scraped ’em out, mix them with a little peanut butter, covered ’em in chocolate and called it a day.

  • Lisa
    December 11, 2010 at 10:47 am

    I love this idea! The cake balls recipes are all over the internet, and Bakerella’s creations are adorable…BUT…I didn’t like the cake balls taste at all because of the canned frosting. Your idea is genius; delicious, honest to goodness homemade with no cake mix or canned frosting. I’m looking forward to trying your version. have fun skiing. ( :

  • valen
    December 11, 2010 at 11:50 am

    Yeah I had the idea as well years ago and then I found Bakerella. So much for MY idea.

  • Liana @ femme fraiche
    December 11, 2010 at 12:09 pm

    Well now I’m just gonna have to bake a cake, eat none (some) until it gets old and make these little bundles of heaven!! With sprinklessss! You got the little girl in me hooked.

  • Christine (The Raw Project)
    December 11, 2010 at 2:45 pm

    Aw, a reason to finally try to bake a vegan chocolate cake – my hubby will be so thrilled. Thanks! ๐Ÿ™‚

  • Paige @ Running Around Normal
    December 11, 2010 at 3:58 pm

    Oh now these just look downright gorgeous!! I really wish I had some leftover cake right now…

  • Kristy
    December 12, 2010 at 1:54 am

    Done!! Made these yesterday afternoon, absolutely fantastic!! Thanks for the recipe!

  • kristin @ the expat diaries
    December 12, 2010 at 6:12 am

    Wow…cake truffles! Wish I had some cake hanging around waiting to be rolled up and coated in icing and sprinkles….

  • Laura @ Backstage Pass
    December 12, 2010 at 8:50 am

    These look delicious!
    C.C. Adams Bakery (here in Milwaukee) features cake balls… my favorite are the Red Velvet, naturally. Love this idea to use a richer cake / coating!

  • Lacey @ Lake Life
    December 12, 2010 at 7:09 pm

    Those look so good! I really wish baking didn’t seem so tedious to me ๐Ÿ™

  • chris
    December 29, 2010 at 6:00 am

    dude, that’s crazy – i made these things on christmas eve (along with your buttermilk fried chicken) and they were AMAZING and SO EASY to make. they’re like cupcake truffle balls. i used milk chocolate cake and milk chocolate frosting with dark chocolate coating & sprinkles… so decadent & fabulous!
    *also, have you tried the “Oreo Truffle” recipe? they’re outstanding. particularly if you use the storebought mint oreos…. delicious!

  • roasted beet and goat cheese quinoa โ€” Eat, Live, Run
    June 17, 2011 at 4:41 am

    […] then I remembered my love affair with chocolate cupcakesโ€ฆand cake ballsโ€ฆand homemade oreosโ€ฆ.and the idea went to hell. Oh […]

  • Delilah
    July 3, 2011 at 10:08 pm

    I am planning on making this tomorrow. Would it be fine if I use Hershey’s chocolate bars instead of the chocolate chips?