Strawberry Cake Balls (Made with Cake Mix!)
Hey there, and welcome back, friends.
You are in for a sweet treat!
Strawberry Cake Balls
Strawberry cake balls combine two of the best things: strawberries and cake! They are a fun treat to serve for dessert or snacks, and they are always a crowd-pleaser. These bite-sized treats are bursting with strawberry flavor.
These sweet treats are easy to make. You only need some cake mix and cream cheese, then mix them together and dip them in chocolate.
There’s something special about strawberries (here are all of my strawberry dessert recipes), and this snack is bursting with them. I used freeze-dried strawberries, so you get a fresh, bright strawberry flavor instead of an artificial flavor from a strawberry-flavored cake mix.
These little cake balls are a little addicting. You can’t eat just one! Enjoy them with your family and share them at your parties.
Strawberry Cake Ball Ingredients
Use a few simple ingredients to make these delicious cake balls.
- vanilla cake mix (I used Betty Crocker)
- some cream cheese
- freeze-dried strawberries
- Ghirardelli vanilla melting wafers
- Wilton red candy melts
How to Make Strawberry Cake Balls
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. You will need to heat treat the cake mix to eliminate any bacteria before starting.
To heat treat the cake mix using the oven, spread the cake mix onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Then remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
As the cake mix cools, place the softened cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl and beat with a hand mixer on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy.
Add the cooled cake mix into the bowl and fold it in with the cream cheese a few times with a rubber spatula. Then finish mixing with your hand mixer on medium-high speed until fully combined and you get a dough consistency. I like to fold with a spatula first to help avoid a flour mess.
Fold in the freeze-dried strawberries until thoroughly combined.
Cover the cake mix dough with plastic wrap and allow it to chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
Once chilled, line two baking sheets with parchment paper and use a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop the dough and place it onto the baking sheets. Roll each of them into smooth and even balls with your hands. Set aside and allow them to expand for about 15 minutes. Otherwise, you are more likely to experience cracking of the coating.
Prepare a double boiler to melt the vanilla melting wafers on the stovetop over low heat. Alternatively, you can use a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on a low setting for 30 seconds increments, stirring between each time, until fully melted. I prefer the double boiler method as it helps to keep the melted wafers at the right temperature.
Place one dough ball on a fork and dip it into the melted vanilla wafers. Lift it out and tap the fork gently on the edge of the bowl or pot to help remove any excess coating from the dough ball, then place the coated balls onto the lined baking sheet.
Repeat for the rest of the dough balls and space each one 2 inches apart. Before the coating dries, sprinkle the crushed freeze-dried strawberries on top of half the prepared dough balls.
Place the red candy melts separately in small microwave-safe piping bags and microwave on a low setting until fully melted.
Cut a small piece of the tip of the piping bags and then drizzle onto the remaining already coated cake balls.
Allow to set completely before serving. Enjoy!
How to Roll into Cake Balls
Chilling the dough helps to make it easier to roll into balls. When you remove them from the refrigerator and roll them, the balls will continue to expand. If you dip them into the melted wafers before they have had a chance to expand, you are more likely to experience cracking. Let it sit for about 15 minutes after rolling into balls.
How to Store Cake Balls
Keep your cake balls in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to 7 days. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months. Unthaw them at room temperature.
Can I use any Flavor of Cake Mix to make Strawberry Cream Cheese Cake Balls?
You can use any flavor of cake mix. The flavor of the cake mix will change the flavor of the strawberry cream cheese cake balls.
Can I use any kind of melting wafers?
You can use any melted wafers you like. I prefer to use high-quality melting wafers like Ghirardelli vanilla or dark chocolate to coat the balls. I like to use Wilton-colored candy melts just for decorating as I find it challenging to reheat and begin to clump faster than Ghirardelli wafers.
How to Heat Treat Cake Mix in the Microwave
If you do not want to heat treat the cake mix in the oven, you can also heat treat it using the microwave. Microwave it in a microwave-safe bowl for 3 minutes, stirring the cake mix every 30 seconds to ensure it is evenly heated and to avoid any hot spots.
More Snacks to try
- Easter Cake Pops
- Valentine’s Day Chocolate Truffles
- Chocolate Truffles
- Irish Cream Chocolate Truffles
- Coconut Date Balls
What do you think of this yummy strawberry cake ball recipe? What would you serve with these cake balls? Let me know in the comment section below.
If you share across social media, make sure to tag #aclassictwist, so I can see your beautiful creation come to life!
Happy baking, friends!
Strawberry Cake Ball Recipe
Strawberry Cake Balls
Strawberry cake balls combine two of the best things: strawberries and cake! They are a fun treat to serve for dessert or snacks and they are always a crowd-pleaser. These bite-sized treats are bursting with strawberry flavor.
Ingredients
- 15.25 ounce vanilla cake mix (I used Betty Crocker)
- 8 ounce cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- ½ cup freeze dried strawberries, roughly chopped
- 2 10 oz bags Ghirardelli vanilla melting wafers
- ½ cup Wilton red candy melts
- Crushed freeze dried strawberries for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. You will need to heat treat the cake mix to get rid of any bacteria before starting.
- Once the oven is heated, spread the cake mix onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Then remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
- As the cake mix cools, place the softened cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl and beat with a hand mixer on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy.
- Add the cooled cake mix into the bowl and fold it in with the cream cheese a few times with a rubber spatula. Then finish mixing with your mixer on medium-high speed until fully combined and you get a dough consistency. I like to fold with a spatula first to help avoid a flour mess.
- Fold in the freeze-dried strawberries until fully combined.
- Cover the cake mix dough with plastic wrap and allow it to chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
- Once chilled, line two baking sheets with parchment paper and use a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop the dough and place it onto the baking sheets. Roll each of them into smooth and even balls with your hands. Set aside and allow them to expand, for about 15 minutes. Otherwise, you are more likely to experience cracking of the coating.
- Prepare a double boiler to melt the vanilla melting wafers on the stovetop over low heat or you can alternatively use a microwave safe bowl and microwave on a low setting for 30 seconds increments, stirring between each time, until fully melted. I prefer the double boiler method as it helps to keep the melted wafers at the right temperature.
- Place one dough ball on a fork and dip it fully into the melted vanilla wafers. Lift it out and tap the fork gently on the edge of the bowl or pot to help remove any excess coating from the dough ball, then place the coated balls onto the lined baking sheet.
- Repeat for the rest of the dough balls and space each one 2 inches apart. Before the coating dries, sprinkle the crushed freeze-dried strawberries on top of just half of the prepared dough balls.
- Place the red candy melts separately in small microwave-safe piping bags and microwave on a low setting until fully melted.
- Cut a small piece of the tip of the piping bags and then drizzle onto the remaining already coated cake balls.
- Allow to set completely before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
Chilling the dough helps to make it easier to roll into balls. When you remove them from the refrigerator and roll them, the balls will continue to expand a little bit. If you dip them into the melted wafers before they have had a chance to expand, you are more likely to experience cracking. Let it sit for about 15 minutes after rolling into balls.
You can use any flavor cake mix and any kind of melted wafers you like. I prefer to use high quality melting wafers like Ghirardelli vanilla or dark chocolate to coat the balls. I like to use Wilton colored candy melts just for decorating as I find it is difficult to reheat and begins to clump faster than Ghirardelli wafers.
If you do not want to heat treat the cake mix in the oven, you can also heat treat it using the microwave. Microwave it in a microwave safe bowl for 3 minutes, stirring the cake mix every 30 seconds to ensure it is evenly heated and to avoid any hot spots.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
20Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 234Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 204mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 0gSugar: 18gProtein: 2g