Description
Celebrate patriotic holidays with these delightful Patriotic Chocolate Cake Balls. Soft, rich chocolate cake is mixed with a creamy buttercream, rolled into bite-sized balls, and decorated with red, white, and blue sprinkles and icing for a festive, crowd-pleasing treat perfect for parties and gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Ingredients
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 10 ½ tablespoons (2/3 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup red, white, and blue sprinkles
Buttercream Frosting Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 to 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Red and blue icing color
Instructions
- Prepare the Chocolate Cake Batter: In a large bowl, combine the granulated sugar, unsweetened dark cocoa powder, baking soda, and kosher salt. Add softened unsalted butter, egg, and vanilla extract. Mix well until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the all-purpose flour, mixing until combined into a chocolate cake batter.
- Bake the Cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Pour the batter into a greased and floured cake pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely before proceeding.
- Crumble the Cake: Once the cake has completely cooled, crumble it into fine crumbs using your hands or a fork in a large mixing bowl.
- Make the Buttercream Frosting: In a separate bowl, beat the softened butter until creamy. Gradually add 1 to 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, beating until fluffy. Stir in vanilla extract. Divide the frosting into two portions and tint one portion red and the other blue with icing colors.
- Mix Cake Crumbs and Frosting: Add the plain buttercream frosting to the cake crumbs and mix thoroughly until the mixture holds together and can be easily shaped.
- Shape Cake Balls: Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Chill the balls in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm up.
- Decorate Cake Balls: Using red and blue icing from the tinted frosting, decorate the cake balls as desired. Roll some cake balls in the red, white, and blue sprinkles for a festive finish.
- Serve and Enjoy: Arrange the decorated cake balls on a serving platter and serve chilled or at room temperature for the best texture and flavor.
Notes
- Ensure the cake is completely cooled before crumbling to prevent soggy cake balls.
- Adjust powdered sugar in frosting to achieve desired consistency for mixing and decorating.
- Store cake balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- You can substitute sprinkles with edible glitter or colored sugar for alternative decoration.
- For a firmer cake ball, refrigerate longer before decorating.
