Description
Celebrate the holidays with these festive Christmas Cake Ball Ornaments made from red velvet cake and cream cheese frosting, coated in colorful candy melts and decorated like beautiful ornaments to hang or enjoy as a sweet treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Balls
- Cooking spray
- 1 (15.25-oz.) box red velvet cake mix, plus ingredients called for on box
- 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups (170 g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of kosher salt
Assembly
- 1/4 cup Frosted Cheerios (about 70 pieces)
- 1 (12-oz.) bag green candy melts, melted
- 1 (12-oz.) bag red candy melts, melted
- 2 (12-oz.) bags white candy melts, melted
- Sanding sugar, for decorating
Instructions
- Prepare Cake Batter: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 13″ x 9″ baking pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl, prepare the red velvet cake mix according to the package directions, then pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake the Cake: Bake the cake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow it to cool completely.
- Make Frosting Mixture: In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and butter together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the confectioners’ sugar and mix until combined. Beat in the vanilla extract and a pinch of kosher salt.
- Form Cake Balls: Crumble the cooled cake into the frosting mixture and mix to combine thoroughly. Shape the mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls, producing about 34 cake balls. Arrange them on a baking sheet and refrigerate for about 1 hour until firm.
- Make Hooks: Place 34 Frosted Cheerios flat on a baking sheet. Take the remaining Cheerios, dip the bottom of each upright piece into melted white candy melts, and attach it to the center of a flat cereal piece on the baking sheet. Repeat for all Cheerios.
- Coat Cake Balls: Dip one-third of the chilled cake balls into the melted green candy melts, another third into the melted red candy melts, and the remaining third into the melted white candy melts. Tap off any excess coating. While the candy is still wet, sprinkle some cake balls with sanding sugar. Place back on the baking sheet and let set for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Decorate Ornaments: Transfer about three-quarters of the remaining white candy melts to a resealable plastic bag and cut a tiny corner off to create a piping bag. Pipe designs onto the coated cake balls and sprinkle with sanding sugar before the candy hardens. Dip the bottoms of the cereal hooks into the remaining white candy melts (reheat if necessary) and place them atop the decorated cake balls to complete the ornaments.
Notes
- Make sure the cake is completely cooled before mixing with the cream cheese frosting to ensure easy shaping.
- The sanding sugar adds a festive sparkle; use colored sanding sugar for extra effect.
- If candy melts begin to harden while decorating, gently reheat them in short bursts in the microwave to maintain a smooth consistency.
- Store cake ball ornaments in an airtight container in the refrigerator to keep them fresh for up to one week.
- These cake balls can also be served as individual treats without the cereal hooks if preferred.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cake ball ornament
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 25 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
