Triple-Chocolate Cake Balls

From: Better Homes & Gardens

serves

cooking time

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Prehead Oven
Ingredients
  1. 1 recipe Our Best-Ever Chocolate Cake*
  2. 1 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
  3. 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
  4. 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  5. 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  6. 2 tbsp milk
  7. 6 chocolate graham cracker squares, coarsely crushed (optional)
  8. 24 oz semisweet chocolate pieces (4 cups), for coating
  9. 1/4 cup shortening
  10. Unsweetened cocoa powder (optional)
What to do?
In a large bowl finely crumble the cake (it is easiest to cut the cake into quarters and work with one quarter at a time).

In a medium bowl beat the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and milk; beat together until smooth and creamy.

Scrape cream cheese mixture into the crumbled cake. Using a large spoon, mix until blended (at some point, it gets hard to mix with a spoon, so just reach into the bowl and use your hands). Mix in the crushed graham crackers, if desired. Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the dough; chill at least 2 hours or (up to 2 days).

To form the cake balls, line a few baking sheets with parchment or waxed paper. Using a medium-size cookie scoop or 2 level tablespoons, scoop out mounds of dough and shape into balls between your palms. As you finish a baking sheet, transfer it to the freezer and continue working with the dough. It is easiest to coat the cake balls if they are very cold, so keep them in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.

To coat the cake balls line another baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper; set aside. Set a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water (be sure that the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl). Add the chocolate pieces and shortening. Melt over gentle heat, stirring until smooth.

Drop the cake balls into the chocolate one at a time, lifting them out and placing on the prepared baking sheet when coated.

When all the cake balls are coated, transfer to the freezer for about 20 minutes to harden the chocolate. To serve, coat with cocoa powder. Serve chilled. Pass small skewers or lollipops sticks, if desired.

* You can also use a 2 layer size chocolate cake mix. It will make about 40 cake balls.