Wilson - Cake Balls

The Harvard Common Press
535 Albany Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02118
www.harvardcommonpress.com

Copyright 2012 by Dede Wilson
Photographs 2012 by Sabra Krock

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Printed in China
Printed on acid-free paper

Food photography and prop styling by Sabra Krock; props selected by Ed Gallagher; food styling by Cynthia Groseclose

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Wilson, Dede.
Cake balls: more than 60 delectable and
whimsical sweet spheres of goodness / Dede
Wilson.
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN 978-1-55832-762-7 (hardback)
1. Cake. 2. Cooking, American. I. Title.
TX771.W469 2012
641.86'53dc23
2011039030

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10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

To Juanita Plimpton & Mary McNamara
MY LIFE MUSES

Thank you to Maureen and Eric Lasher and the Harvard Common Press team for knowing a great idea when they see it.

Thank you to Wilton Brands, Inc., for their fabulous cake decorating and baking products.

Thank you to my enthusiastic tasters who offered helpful critiques: David, Mary, Wally, Julie, Annie, Steve, Anne, Juanita, Tom, Harry, Adrienne, Claudia, Dave, and my gym ladiesJennifer, Joan, Hannah, Caryn, and Christie.

Maybe cake balls have already come into your life, just as cookies and cupcakes have. If not, get ready for fun and deliciousness! It is a rare occurrence for a new baked good to appear, and that is just one reason cake balls are so exciting. They are also easy and fun to make and eat and yet unique unto themselves.

Cake balls are, simply put, a combination of cake, a binder (like frosting), and a coating (usually chocolate). Perhaps you have seen versions on the Internet and elsewhere calling for boxed cake mixes and canned frosting (see for my take on this method). My approach to cake balls is taste-based, and in this book I guide you with from-scratch cake and frosting recipes, stressing high-quality ingredients. My cake balls look like a cross between a gussied-up doughnut hole and a large candy truffle. Their preparation can be as simple as using yellow buttermilk cake, vanilla frosting, and a coating of pure white chocolate, or they can be something quite elegant with deep, dark chocolate cake, fresh raspberries, dark chocolate ganache binder, and a coating of bittersweet chocolate embellished with more berries. You will find both of those recipes in this book, as well as fun renditions like Confetti Cake Balls, Cappuccino Cake Balls, Zesty Lemon Cake Balls, and many othersmore than 50 in all!

As with all of my books, my aim is to be your helper in the kitchen. I want you to have the most enjoyable and mouthwatering experience possible. I love hearing from readers; if you have any questions or want to share stories and pictures, please do not hesitate to contact me at .

This book is set up to be as user-friendly as possible. Whether you want to make cake balls from scratch, try a cake mix, or create a cake ball with flavors of your own choosing, I have provided guidelines to ensure great results.

CHAPTER 1: BAKING AND CREATING FABULOUS CAKE BALLS provides you with the basics to begin making these tiny, tasty treats. Here you will find information on creating your own flavor combinations; a brief section on ingredients, equipment, and techniques; descriptions of purchased decorations that will greatly enhance your cake balls; and storage tips.

CHAPTER 2: THE BASIC RECIPES is where the fun begins; it is divided into two sections. The first part provides you with basic cake recipes, while the second has frostings, ganache, pastry cream, and other moist binders to combine with the cake bases. All of these basic recipes are used in Chapter 3 in complete cake ball presentations, but you can also mix and match them as you please when devising your own flavor combos. Chapter 2 also contains a section on making cake balls using cake mixes and prepared frostings. When time is short, this is an option to consider, and I make suggestions for how to customize this approach to make the finished cake balls uniquely yours.

CHAPTER 3: THE CAKE BALLS is the heart of the book, where you will find more than 50 complete recipes for cake balls, including seasonal Red, White, and Blue Cake Balls; classics like Red Velvet; and soon-to-be favorites like Mocha Toffee Crunch, Boston Cream, and Confetti. Thinking outside the box, I also bring you Crme Brle Cake Balls and The Crunchie-Munchie, featuring potato chips, pretzels, and caramel popcorn.

CHAPTER 4: CAKE BALL CREATIONS brings you 10 recipes that show you how to use cake balls to make show-stopping desserts on a grand scale. How about a cone-shaped tower made of cake balls or a cake ball sundae party? These ideas and more are found in this chapter.

Last but not least, there is a RESOURCES section, which details purveyors that offer the ingredients and equipment you need for these recipes.