This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
These Cake Ball Drops are the perfect New Year's Eve dessert to serve for your New Year's festivities! They are so delicious and couldn't be more appropriate to enjoy while watching the ball drop!
Serve with champagne flutes filled with cold milk for the perfect nightcap!
I am happy to share that I partnered with Dairy Council of Florida to bring you this sweet treat!
Cue "Auld Lang Syne" and get those champagne flutes ready! These cake balls are about to drop!
I love New Year's Eve. It's sad to end the year but exciting for what's to come ahead and gives us a fresh start with things.
To make these New Year's festive, I added some edible silver and gold glitter, food-safe cake sparklers, and milk flutes! It's an easy way to turn these cake drop balls into a fun and delicious sweet treat both the kids and adults can enjoy while waiting for the ball to drop!
Ingredient Tips
- Boxed Cake Mix: I LOVE and only recommend Betty Crocker's yellow boxed cake mix. It's the best.
- Cream Cheese Frosting: I don't like to go generic here since the ingredients are minimal so grab the best one you can find. Funfetti works too!
- White Candy Melts: I do not recommend using any white chocolate. Wilton's candy melts are MADE to melt smooth and silky so order some off Amazon if you can!
- Gold/Silver Glitter: These colors are festive and fun! Make sure it's EDIBLE!
Instructions
- Bake your cake according to instructions. Make sure to leave out a little oil to prevent the oil from leeching from your cake balls.
- Once the cake has slightly cooled, add to a mixer along with the frosting until well mixed.
- Use a mini ice cream scoop to scoop uniformly sized cake balls into your hand.
- Roll them using your palms until perfectly rounded and smooth.
- Pop in the fridge to chill.
- Melt candy melts while waiting.
- Use a toothpick to dip your cake balls into the chocolate and tap to remove excess chocolate.
- Drop onto a sheet of parchment paper or nonstick pad.
- While still wet, patch up the hole and add sprinkles of choice!
- Let chocolate harden completely before storing.
NOTE: You can print the FULL recipe with all ingredients & detailed instructions below!
Cake Ball Tips
- Use the Wilton Candy Melts chocolate melting pot so you do not need to reheat your chocolate 20 times in the microwave. You can be sure you won't scorch your chocolate too!
- Candy melts are better than using a standard white chocolate.
- White almond bark will work too!
- I like to use EZ Thin candy melt aid to help thin my chocolate more. This will make it much easier to dip.
Storing Tips
Storage depends on the frosting you use. Follow the frosting package or recipe guidance; if the frosting requires refrigeration, keep the cake balls refrigerated in a sealed container.
You can freeze the "naked" cake balls (balls without chocolate) for months but once you coat them in the chocolate, you have to keep them in the fridge or on the counter.
FAQ's
Make sure to chill your cake balls for at least 30-60 minutes so they harden. If they are too soft, they will break apart. Also use enough frosting.
Make sure to use enough frosting so it sticks together!
Other Recipes To Make For New Years:
Stuffed Dates With Goat Cheese
Filet Oscar Crostini Appetizer
Candied Pecans With Brown Sugar
New Years Eve Cake Drop Balls
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Bake cake mix according to instructions using just 2 tablespoons of butter or oil. (Too much butter/oil will cause it took seep out of your cake balls later.)
- Allow cake to cool and break up cake using your hands or add in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment.Tip: To make it easier and give you super smooth cake balls, puree cake in a food processor before mixing with frosting.Add cake to a large bowl with your cream cheese frosting and mix well.
- Use a mini ice cream scoop to scoop cake into uniform size balls. Roll balls between the palms of your hands until smooth and round. Place cake balls on parchment paper on a flat baking sheet or dish and place in the fridge for 30-60 minutes to harden up a bit.*Don't stack them without parchment paper or they will stick to each other.
- In the meantime, melt your candy melts. You can use the the microwave and melt in 30 second intervals mixing in between until thin and smooth. I recommend using the Wilton Candy Melt pot or a mini crock pot to make this easier!Now is when you want to add in your EZ Thin if using.*Make sure not to overheat or your chocolate will scorch!
- Using a toothpick, poke one ball and dip it into the chocolate so it is fully coated. Dip on an angle so the cake ball does not fall off the skewer.While holding the cake ball UPRIGHT, swirl and tap the toothpick gently against the side of the bowl to allow excess chocolate to drip off for 10-20 seconds.Use another toothpick to help release the cake ball onto parchment paper and then use the toothpick to "patch up the hole" with a bit more chocolate.
- While your chocolate is still wet, add gold/silver sprinkles. Repeat with remaining cake balls.
- Allow your cake balls about an hour to cool and then store in a sealed container for about a week.
Nutrition
Notes
- Skip the generic brands for this recipe! Using brands like Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker make a huge difference in flavor.
- A mini crock pot is great for keeping your chocolate warm without having to reheat it over and over again.
- Using candy melts or any melting wafer will give you thin chocolate which will make dipping your cake balls much easier.
- You can freeze your naked cake balls (before coating) for 2-3 weeks until your ready to dip them.
- If your cake balls fall off the toothpick, they are too soft and need to be refrigerated a bit longer.
Tried the recipe? I'd love to hear your thoughts below!