Cake bites have been all the rage for a few years now. I made them once before, around the time I first started this blog, and I found them a real pain to dip. But a few weeks ago, I found myself with extra cake bits after leveling the layers of Boy-o's cake. They nearly filled a mid-sized tupperware, and I felt guilty throwing them out, so I combined them with some leftover frosting and set to work.
Remember, the layers of the cake were red/white zebra, so when crumbled, they had a vaguely pinkish tint. My leftover frosting was vanilla, tinted deep red, so when I mixed the frosting into the cake crumbs, the whole thing turned red. I added enough frosting for the cake crumbs to really hold together, and then rolled them into small balls, which I flash froze. I figured white chocolate would both complement and conceal the red cake, and it did!
This time, dipping the cake bites went more easily. First, I used more chocolate, so it stayed warmer, and therefore runnier, which made it easier to coat the bites. It also meant there was enough depth for the bites to be reasonably submerged, so I could maneuver them more quickly. I tried using dipping forks as well as the toothpick method (stab the cake bite with a toothpick, submerge it completely, place it on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, and remove the toothpick, covering over the hole that's left behind). Ultimately, I kind of dropped each bite into the chocolate, turned it to coat (or dripped chocolate over the top with a spoon), and quickly retrieved it with the dipping fork, shaking off the excess. In no way have I mastered dipping, and I am still very impressed by those who manage to achieve smooth, round results.
To decorate, I sprinkled on some Christmas sprinkles, which looked nice with the red and white. Easy-peasy and very cute. These would be great for Valentine's Day. Again, I remain extremely impressed by Bakerella and the adorable decorations she has the 1) skill and 2) patience to accomplish.
These looked very cute and tasted really good - despite my general dislike of white chocolate - and they were gobbled up by Josh's office.
Remember, the layers of the cake were red/white zebra, so when crumbled, they had a vaguely pinkish tint. My leftover frosting was vanilla, tinted deep red, so when I mixed the frosting into the cake crumbs, the whole thing turned red. I added enough frosting for the cake crumbs to really hold together, and then rolled them into small balls, which I flash froze. I figured white chocolate would both complement and conceal the red cake, and it did!
This time, dipping the cake bites went more easily. First, I used more chocolate, so it stayed warmer, and therefore runnier, which made it easier to coat the bites. It also meant there was enough depth for the bites to be reasonably submerged, so I could maneuver them more quickly. I tried using dipping forks as well as the toothpick method (stab the cake bite with a toothpick, submerge it completely, place it on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, and remove the toothpick, covering over the hole that's left behind). Ultimately, I kind of dropped each bite into the chocolate, turned it to coat (or dripped chocolate over the top with a spoon), and quickly retrieved it with the dipping fork, shaking off the excess. In no way have I mastered dipping, and I am still very impressed by those who manage to achieve smooth, round results.
To decorate, I sprinkled on some Christmas sprinkles, which looked nice with the red and white. Easy-peasy and very cute. These would be great for Valentine's Day. Again, I remain extremely impressed by Bakerella and the adorable decorations she has the 1) skill and 2) patience to accomplish.
These looked very cute and tasted really good - despite my general dislike of white chocolate - and they were gobbled up by Josh's office.
A couple of notes:
- Several sites I've seen suggest you need to use cream cheese frosting. I have no idea why. Any flavor that complements the color and taste of the cake should be fine.
- As for how much frosting to use, the estimates I've seen all mention approximately 3/4 of a can of store-bought frosting with one box of cake mix. I was working with unmeasured leftovers, so I just added a little at a time until the consistency looked right. You do want it to be fairly damp so the bites will hold together well. I made some others to which I did not add enough frosting, and not only were they harder to dip, they tasted dry. Part of what is so appealing about the cake bites is that they are really (cringe) moist. If you can still see the individual crumbs, the mixture probably needs more frosting.
- Finally, I also tested out Bakerella's method for cupcake bites, and I have mixed feelings about them (and no pictures). To shape them into little mini cupcakes, you have to make each scoop really bit. For me, these should be two-bite treats. As cute as the cupcake bites are, I thought they were just too big.
Would I make cake bites again? Probably not an entire batch. However, as a way to use up leftover cake and frosting, absolutely!
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Blessings-
Amanda