Description
Minty chocolate holiday cake bites deliver delightful winter celebration magic in small, irresistible portions. Each compact morsel blends rich chocolate with cool mint, promising festive cheer that melts perfectly on palates craving seasonal comfort.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 box chocolate cake mix
- 4 ounces (113 grams) cream cheese, softened
- 12 ounces (340 grams) semi-sweet or dark chocolate, chopped or in chips
Flavor Enhancers:
- ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil or shortening (optional, for smoother coating)
Decorative Ingredients:
- Crushed peppermint candies or holiday sprinkles
Instructions
- Prepare a decadent chocolate cake following package instructions, allowing it to cool completely to room temperature.
- Transform the cooled cake into fine, uniform crumbs using your hands or a food processor.
- In a spacious mixing bowl, combine the cake crumbs with softened cream cheese, aromatic peppermint extract, and a delicate pinch of salt.
- Knead the mixture thoroughly until it forms a cohesive, pliable dough with consistent texture.
- Gently shape the dough into compact, uniform spheres approximately one inch in diameter.
- Arrange the cake balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, ensuring they are not touching.
- Chill the formed balls in the refrigerator for one hour or place in the freezer for a quicker 30-minute firming process.
- Create a smooth chocolate coating by melting chocolate and coconut oil together using a double boiler or microwave, stirring until glossy and fully integrated.
- Carefully immerse each chilled cake ball into the molten chocolate, ensuring complete and even coverage.
- Return the chocolate-coated bites to the parchment-lined sheet, immediately garnishing with crushed candy canes or festive sprinkles.
- Allow the chocolate to set by refrigerating for 30 minutes until firm and glossy.
- Store the finished holiday cake bites in an airtight container, keeping them refrigerated for up to one week or frozen for two months.
Notes
- Cake Crumb Texture: Ensure the cake is completely cool and crumbled into fine, even crumbs for a smooth, consistent filling that holds together perfectly.
- Temperature Matters: Chilling the cake balls before dipping in chocolate prevents melting and helps create a clean, professional-looking coating.
- Chocolate Coating Trick: Gently tap the dipped cake bite on the bowl’s edge to remove excess chocolate and create a smooth, even shell.
- Dietary Adaptations: Swap regular cake mix for gluten-free or vegan alternatives, and use dairy-free cream cheese to make these bites suitable for different dietary needs.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 275
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 250 mg
- Fat: 27 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 4 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg