Great Balls of Cake!

Last weekend, we made cake balls. I have never had them before, but I think I'm in love. Chocolate, cream cheese frosting... more chocolate... be still, my heart. Cake balls are by no means a new idea, but I'm posting the steps--in photo form--here, just in case you've never had them either. Or is it just me who has missed out on over 20 years of ooey-gooey yumminess?

Bake a cake. Let it cool completely.

Take off your rings.

Crumble the cake into a bowl. Bonus points for using one of your favorite, but somehow seldom-used wedding gifts. This big hunk of a bowl.

Add almost a whole can of frosting.

Mix it in.

Decide the metal spoon just isn't doin' it for you and switch to your favorite wooden variety.

Line a baking sheet/jelly roll pan with waxed paper.

Use that little metal scoop you always wondered what to do with.

Plop a level scoop of goo into your hand. Give hubbs a mini-lesson on how to take a picture on your current camera settings. Well done, babe!

Roll into a uniform ball.

Put 'em on the paper-lined tray.

Take a picture. Just for fun. I love that darned bowl. Sigh.

Step back and admire your balls. I mean... um. Huh.

Melt chocolate bark or candy wafers in the microwave in 30-second intervals. Drop a ball into the chocolate and spoon the chocolate over the ball. Don't roll the ball around, or you'll turn it into mush. A mushed up cake ball is not desirable. (Oh--and never mind these ball-dipping pictures. It was night time, I refused to use my flash. I have too much Bokeh going on. It just wasn't one of my finer moments.)

Scoop up the cake ball, and then tap-tap-tap the spoon on the side of your container to remove excess chocolate.

Plunk it out onto some waxed paper. See the not-so-covered spots? I used an extra dollop of chocolate and smoothed the surface with the back of my spoon to fix 'em.

If you're feeling extra-creative, it doesn't hurt to drizzle some chocolate over the top...

...or package 'em in cute little boxes to send home with your darling sister-in-law and brother-in-law, who also helped by dipping the balls and entertaining Ryan by providing video-gaming company. I'm sure you can guess who performed which task.

The next day, when you're home alone with the baby and he's been napping too long, and you're bored as all get-out, it's fun to take a bite out of a cake ball and photograph the partially-eaten, delicious treat. Don't they look pretty? Don't you wish you could reach through your screen and just... eat one??