A hard candy shell on the outside and dense cake on the inside, these Red Velvet Cake Balls are delicious. These little bites of cake heaven are the perfect sweet treat for your day.
If you love these cake balls, then you should definitely try our Red Velvet Cake Pops and Vanilla Cake Pops.
Table Of Contents
Recipe Details
These Red Velvet Cake Balls are just the best. They take all the best flavors of the cake and put them into little bites that look as good as they taste. This popular Southern dessert is also one of my favorites for their delicious flavor and texture.
- TASTE: Sweet and chocolatey, these cake balls are so rich. The candy coating on the outside just gives it even more decadent flavor.
- TEXTURE: These Red Velvet Cake Balls are moist and dense on the inside. The outside has a deliciously hard chocolate candy shell.
- TIME: They take about an hour to make.
- EASE: This recipe is so easy and looks beautiful. You’ll have no trouble making these gorgeous desserts at home.
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
- Red velvet cake mix– I like the Betty Crocker brand the most.
- Vegetable oil– Or any other light-tasting oil
- Eggs– For leavening the cake and binding the ingredients together.
- Frosting- Pillsbury Creamy Supreme vanilla frosting is my favorite.
- White candy melts– We’ll also need some red for decorating.
- Dipping aid– This makes the candy thin enough that it is easy to drizzle on top of the cake balls.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Substitute the frosting- If you don’t have the one in this recipe, you can also substitute buttercream frosting or cream cheese frosting.
- Use a different dipping chocolate- Instead of white chocolate, you can use milk chocolate or dark chocolate.
- Substitute the dipping aid- To thin out the candy melts and make them smooth enough for a good coating on these cake balls, you can also use coconut oil or shortening.
- Make it gluten-free- Use a gluten-free cake mix to make these cake balls gluten-free. Or you can make your own cake mix using gluten-free baking flour.
How to Make Red Velvet Cake Balls
- Mix the cake batter. In a large bowl, combine the red velvet cake mix, vegetable oil, eggs, and water just until smooth.
- Bake the cake. Spray a 9×13 inch baking Pan with nonstick spray. Then pour the red velvet cake batter inside. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit as instructed on the cake mix box.
- Let it cool. Once the cake is baked, transfer it to a cooling rack and let it cool completely.
Pro Tip: To speed up the cooling process, cut the cake into a few separate pieces so it cools faster.
- Make the cake ball crumbles. Now crumble the cake into a large bowl and mix it with 2 tablespoons of the vanilla frosting using your clean hands.
- Scoop the cake balls. Now using a cookie scoop, scoop the cake balls and shape them into spheres. Then place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for 15 minutes.
- Melt the chips. In the meantime, melt the candy melts with the dipping aid chips.
- Dip the cake balls. Now using a fork or a slotted spoon, dip the cake balls into the candy melts and let them set on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Decorate. Then decorate with streams of melted red candy melts. Serve at room temperature.
Recipe Tips
- Mix the cake batter well- I find that using an electric hand mixer works best for getting out any lumps.
- Mix the frosting in thoroughly- A good way to know when you were done mixing is when there are no more streaks of white frosting visible.
- Allow the cake to cool- It’s best to let your cake cool completely, and for no less than an hour. If you start shaping your cake balls too soon, the cake won’t crumble well and will get too mushy when the frosting is added.
- Don’t scorch the chocolate- Make sure to melt it in 25-second intervals to avoid overheating and scorching the chocolate.
FAQs
How do you keep cake balls from falling apart?
Adding frosting to the crumbled cake before molding it into balls ensures that they hold together. And topping them with candy coating also keeps the balls intact.
Do you freeze cake balls before dipping?
Yes, you freeze the red velvet cake balls for about 15 minutes before dipping them. This keeps them from crumbling and makes it easier for the candy coating to cool and solidify on the cake balls.
Serving Suggestions
These Red Velvet Cake Balls are moist and sweet with a delicious chocolatey coating. They are delicious with cake pops, cookies, cakes, and coffee.
- Cake pops: Serve these cake balls with some Chocolate Cake Pops, Oreo Cake Pops (VIDEO), or Vanilla Cake Pops- Starbucks Copycat (VIDEO).
- Cookies: Pair them with some Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies, Double Chocolate Cookies (VIDEO), Chewy Nutella Cookies, or White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies.
- Cakes: Serve them alongside a slice of New York Style Cheesecake, Tiramisu Cake (VIDEO), Chocolate Mousse Cake, or Chocolate Honey Cake (Spartak Cake).
- Beverages: Enjoy these Red Velvet Cake Balls with a Pumpkin Spice Latte, Brown Sugar Boba, Iced Caramel Macchiato, or Hot Chocolate.
Make This Recipe in Advance
Make ahead: You can make these cake balls in advance. They store well at room temperature and will keep for up to 1 week.
Storing: Just store these Red Velvet Cake Balls in an airtight container and in a cool, dry place so they don’t melt.
Freeze: You can freeze these red velvet cake balls, but only undipped. So, if you are in the process of making them, stop once they have been shaped and freeze them for about 15 minutes, or until firm. Then, place them in a ziplock freezer bag and store them for up to 6 weeks.
More Tasty Cakes!
Full Recipe Instructions
Red Velvet Cake Balls
Red Velvet Cake balls are the perfect sweet treat. Each bite has a hard chocolate candy outside with a dense chocolate cake inside. And they look so pretty!
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Servings: 38 cake balls
Calories: 73kcal
Ingredients
- 15 oz red velvet cake mix
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cup water
- 2 tbsp Pillsbury creamy supreme vanilla frosting
- 1 12 oz white Wilton candy melts + extra red color for decorating
- 1 Tbsp dipping aid
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the red velvet cake mix, vegetable oil, eggs, and water just until smooth. I find that using an electric hand mixer works best.
- Spray a 9×13 inch baking Pan with nonstick spray. Then pour the red velvet cake batter inside. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit as instructed on the cake mix box.
- Once the cake is baked, transfer it to a cooling rack and let it cool completely. To speed this process up, cut it into a few separate pieces so it cools faster.
- Now crumble the cake into a large bowl and mix it with 2 tablespoons of the vanilla frosting. Do this using your clean hands. A good way to know when you were done mixing is when there are no more streaks of white frosting visible.
- Now using a cookie scoop, scoop the cake balls and shape them into spheres. Then place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for 15 minutes.
- In the meantime melt, the candy melts with the dipping aid chips. These chips will help thin out the candy melts for a smooth coating. Make sure to melt in 25-second intervals to avoid overheating and scorching the chocolate.
- Now using a fork or a slotted spoon dip the cake balls into the candy melts and let them set on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Then decorate with streams of melted red candy melts. Serve at room temperature.
Notes
Best way to thin out candy melts
To thin out the candy melts and make them smooth enough for a good coating on these cake balls, you can also use coconut oil or shortening. But, honestly, dipping aid chips work the best.
Can I make them in advance?
Yes! You can make these cake balls in advance. They store well at room temperature and will keep for up to 1 week. Just keep them in an airtight container and in a cool, dry place.
Nutrition
Calories: 73kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 99mg | Potassium: 42mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 19IU | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg
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Hi, I’m Dina, so glad you stopped by! I believe life is too short for bad coffee and boring meals. With my easy to follow step-by-step recipes, you’ll be surprised at how quickly a wholesome and delicious meal can come together. I hope you find something you enjoy!
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Elder Chester L Taylor says
Thank you for sharing. I needed this idea for my church fundraiser
I will be doing this soon.
Dina says
You are very welcome! I hope everyone at the church fundraiser loves these red velvet cake balls! Let me know how it goes. 🙂
Elizabith Hawley says
These cake balls are so tasty but, can you the cake in the microwave?
Dina says
Hi Elizabeth 🙂 Very happy to hear you enjoyed these cake balls! I have never tried making a cake in a microwave and I won’t recommend it. Thank you for your feedback!
Dee says
Made these for Christmas & was a hit. I used the cream cheese icing instead of vanilla.
Dina says
I am so glad you enjoyed these red velvet cake balls, Dee!
Kathy Miller says
What are dipping aid chips and where do you purchase them?
Dina says
Hi Kathy 🙂 Dipping air chips are to help thin out the chocolate to make it easier to work with. You can get them from Michaels or Amazon. I hope you love this recipe! 🙂
Francesca says
These red velvet cake balls are such a treat. I always make them for Christmas time and Valentine’s Day! They always disappear so fast 😍. Thank you for the easy to follow recipe!
Dina says
Thank you so much, Francesca! I am thrilled that these red velvet cake balls are always on repeat around the holidays 🙂
Momsdish says
Dina, what an awesome recipe. I love the close up the cake ball. This would be such a fun activity with kids!
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you, Natalya! My kiddos definitely enjoyed making these delicious treats.