Peppermint Bark Cake Balls
If you’re a fan of peppermint bark, these cake balls are going to rock your holiday dessert trays. Rich bites of creamy chocolate peppermint cake balls are dipped in peppermint white chocolate and then sprinkled with crushed candy canes.
These Peppermint Bark Cake Balls were the happy result when my craving for chocolate cake met my annual holiday indulgence in peppermint bark.
Let’s just get this out of the way from the start, I have a weakness for cake balls. (You might see them also called cake pops, or sometimes when I’m feeling fancier, I might call them truffles.)
How To Make Cake Balls
I was first introduced to these heavenly little bites of cake and frosting about 15 years ago. I used to make them using the recipe that most people did, take your favorite cake mix and bake it.
Then break the finished cake into crumbs in a big mixing bowl, add a can of frosting and stir everything together. Scoop and roll into small balls and then dip each ball in chocolate. While I’d never turn down one of those cake balls, nowadays my preference is baking from scratch.
Chocolate cake is stirred together with a peppermint cream cheese frosting to make the creamy rich center of these cake ball truffles. Then each little ball is dipped in peppermint white chocolate and sprinkled with crushed candy canes.
The beauty of cake balls is seen in the fact that you can use any leftover chocolate cake: made from scratch, made from a mix, grocery store, or even leftover fancy cake from the bakery. I made a simple chocolate cake for a class I was teaching a few weeks ago and wound up with about half a 9×13 pan leftover.
When I saw it on the counter the next day, I couldn’t resist making a batch of cake balls to share with you. My kids went nuts for these Peppermint Bark Cake Balls. They’re the perfect dessert to keep in the freezer for unexpected guests or for an easy dessert.
Kitchen Tip: I used this bowl, this mixer, and this scoop to make this recipe.Get New Recipessent to your inbox!Sign me up!We never share your information with third parties and will protect it in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
Peppermint Bark Cake Balls
Ingredients
- ▢CAKE BALLS:
- ▢1/2 recipe for chocolate cake, about 6 cups of fine crumbs
- ▢4 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- ▢4 ounces butter room temperature
- ▢16 ounces powdered sugar
- ▢1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
- ▢COATING:
- ▢2 cups white chocolate chips
- ▢1/8 teaspoon peppermint extract
- ▢4 miniature candy canes crushed
Instructions
- Break the cake into several large pieces and use your fingers to create fine crumbs. In a separate large mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and peppermint extract. Add the cake crumbs and stir until well combined. Use a cookie scoop to portion into balls and roll between your hands to create smooth cake balls. Place on a parchment lined tray and chill in the freezer for at least 1 hour.
- Place the chocolate in a glass bowl and heat in the microwave for 90 seconds, as 50% power, do NOT heat at full power. Stir and heat an additional 30 seconds at 50% power. Stir again until smooth. Heat an additional 30 seconds, only if needed. Stir until smooth. Add the peppermint extract and stir to combine. Use two forks to dip the chilled cake balls in the melted chocolate and drain off any excess chocolate.
- Place the coated cake balls on the parchment and sprinkle with the crushed candy canes. Chill in the refrigerator until firm, at least 1 hour. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Enjoy!
Notes
This recipe is written to include (1/2) of an average chocolate cake, as I’ve linked to in the above ingredients. If you’d like to make a larger batch of cake balls (or if you simply have more leftover cake to use up), the other ingredients can be doubled accordingly.Measure the peppermint extract very carefully. Do not measure over the bowl. If you add even a few drops too much, the flavor will change from “mint” to “toothpaste.”
