Description
Delightfully cute and delicious Love Bug Cake Balls made from moist chocolate cake mixed with creamy frosting and cream cheese, coated with vibrant red candy melts, and decorated with pretzel antennae, candy eyes, and heart-shaped sprinkles. Perfect for parties or festive occasions, these bite-sized treats are both fun to make and irresistible to eat.
Ingredients
Cake Balls
- 1 Box chocolate cake mix (15 ¼-ounce) plus ingredients listed on the box: eggs, oil, and water
- 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
- ½ Cup chocolate frosting (store-bought)
- 4 Ounces cream cheese (at room temperature)
- 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract (pure)
Decorations
- 20 to 25 mini pretzel sticks (cut in half)
- 24 Ounces red candy melts
- 80 to 90 candy eyes
- Heart-shaped sprinkles
- Nonstick cooking spray (as needed)
Instructions
- Prepare the Cake Mix: Preheat your oven to the temperature specified on the cake mix box. Prepare a 9 x 13-inch baking dish by lining it with parchment paper or spraying it with nonstick cooking spray.
- Mix Ingredients: Prepare the chocolate cake mix according to package instructions, adding 2 tablespoons of light brown sugar to the mix for extra flavor and moisture.
- Bake the Cake: Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake as directed on the box. Once baked, allow the cake to cool completely on a wire rack to ensure it crumbles easily.
- Crumble the Cake: After cooling, crumble the cake into fine crumbs in a large mixing bowl using your hands or a fork for even texture.
- Make the Cake Ball Mixture: Add the cream cheese, chocolate frosting, and vanilla extract to the cake crumbs. Mix thoroughly using clean hands or a spatula until the mixture forms a moldable dough-like consistency.
- Form Cake Balls: Roll the mixture into 1-inch diameter balls. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Chill the cake balls in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm up.
- Prepare Antennae: While the cake balls chill, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Break mini pretzel sticks in half to form antennae.
- Melt Candy for Antennae: In the microwave, melt ¼ cup of the red candy melts in 20-second increments, stirring until smooth.
- Decorate Pretzel Antennae: Dip the tips of the broken pretzel sticks into the melted red candy melts. Attach a heart-shaped sprinkle to each dipped tip and place on the parchment-lined tray to dry and set.
- Melt Remaining Candy Coating: Remove the chilled cake balls from the fridge. Melt the remaining red candy melts in a microwave-safe bowl according to package instructions, stirring until smooth.
- Coat Cake Balls: Dip each cake ball into the melted red candy coating, covering it completely. Quickly press half a pretzel stick into each side of the cake ball to create the antennae.
- Set Cake Balls: Place the coated cake balls on parchment paper and allow the candy coating to set partially.
- Add Facial Features: Reheat any remaining red candy melts to use as edible glue. Attach candy eyes and heart-shaped sprinkles as noses to the cake balls, giving each love bug a charming face.
- Final Setting: Allow the fully decorated cake balls to set completely at room temperature or in the fridge before serving to ensure the coating and decorations are firm.
Notes
- Ensure the cream cheese is at room temperature for smooth mixing.
- Use parchment paper on baking sheets to prevent sticking and ease cleanup.
- When melting candy melts, heat gradually and stir often to avoid burning.
- Keep cake balls chilled before dipping to reduce melting or crumbling during coating.
- Customize decorations by using different colored candy melts or sprinkles for themed occasions.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
