Book Review: Cake Balls: More Than 60 Delectable and Whimsical Sweet Spheres of Goodness by DeDe Wilson; Harvard Common Press

Just as delightful to eat as they are portable and fun to make, cake balls have been making appearances across the country in bakeries, upscale restaurants, children’s parties, and weddings. Innovating mom and prolific home baker, blogger, and author, Dede Wilson ushers in this popular trend in baking with over 60 delicious and decadent recipes.

What is a Cake Ball?

Cake balls are a combination of crumbled cake and frosting rolled into generous bite-size rounds and then dipped in a coating, usually dark, milk, or white chocolate. There is a cake ball for every party, holiday, bake sale, and any other occasion, and these sweet treats are sure to be a standout in an array of ordinary baked goods.

Cake Balls begins with nine basic cake recipes and ten basic frostings, ganaches, and glazes, which Wilson spins, with some design tricks and extra ingredients, into 63 distinctive creations, each handsomely photographed in full color.

DeeDee helps us ditch those recipes that call for boxed caked mix and canned frosting, which I love. She approaches cake balls the right way with from-scratch cake and frosting! There are a variety of cake balls in this book, and such a variety- this is definitely a must own book for anybody who would love to learn or add to their recipes.

Ch.1 Baking & Creating Fabulous Cake Balls provides the basic cake ball making techniques, tools, and ingredients. Also includes:

How to create your own unique cake ball recipe, All about cake ball decorations & Storage Tips

Ch.2 The Basic Recipes is split into two sections. The first section is basic cake ball recipes while the second covers frosting, pastry cream, ganache, and other “binders” to combine with the cake recipes (base).

Ch.3 The Cake Balls -More than 50 recipes for fabulously delicious cake ball recipes.

Ch.4 Cake Ball Creations 10 recipes that teach us to use cake balls to make show stopping desserts on a grand scale.

 

The Recipes

The recipes include kid-friendly ideas, such as Jam-Filled Cake Balls, Smores, and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cake Balls; sophisticated treats like Cocoa-Dusted Truffle Cake Balls and Cranberry-Toffee-Walnut Cake Balls; and whimsical creations like Teddy Bears, Cake Ball Pumpkins, and the statement-making Cake Ball Tower, made of cream puffs. Wilson offers inspiration for baking pros with tips for original cake ball inventions, and guidance for rookies and bakers-on-the-go with tips on making cake balls from a mix.

I had so much fun with this book. The cake balls look so delicious yet so beautiful. The perfect treat for many occasions. There were so many of the recipes that made my mouth water like crazy.

Cappuccino Cake Balls, with additional details on making a Mochaccino Cake Ball.

Rocky Road Cake Balls which is made with a fudgy brownie base. (yum)

German Chocolate Cake Balls

Peppermint-White Chocolate

There are just so many more that I could mention. I can’t wait to try all of them. The book is absolutely amazing and I am so glad I’ve added it to my recipe book collection, it’s priceless.

It’s something not only that we can do, but that we can get help from our kids. They remember the small stuff, and just baking some amazing cake balls and playing a game after or something. Let them help you choose the cake mix or which type of frosting as well. We will definitely be doing this!

Download the recipe for Confetti Cake Balls

Download the recipe for Apple Pie Cake Balls

Download the recipe for Crème Brûlée Cake Balls

The Cake Ball decorations are super adorable. Whether it’s a Christmas Tree at your Christmas party, a princess for your daughter, Egg for Easter, or Pumpkin for Halloween.. they have it all. I love them!

Get Yours: Cake Balls: More than 60 Delectable and Whimsical Sweet Spheres of Goodness

$12.31

Harvard Common Press Independent publisher specializing in cookbooks, childbirth & parenting,

Jessica Renee