the one with the ugly cake bites

I didn't try cake bites until my freshman year of college--2 years ago. But since then, they have been one of my absolute favorite desserts because, well, they're delicious. 

duhhh.

So the other day, I was on Pinterest trying to decide what pumpkin-themed dessert to make since it's officially pumpkin-dessert-season, and I saw these Pumpkin Cake Truffles (how many times can I say "pumpkin" in one sentence?)

delicious looking, right?!

So I tried to make them, and this is what happened . . . 

They took forever and they turned out so ugly! I didn't even do the butterscotch drizzle because I wasn't about to spend any more time on them.

However, don't judge a book by its cover, and don't judge a cake bite by its chocolate covering . . . they were DELICIOUS and I'm pretty sure Russ and I have gained approximately 50 pounds in the past few days eating them.

moral of the story?

Don't use chocolate chips for the chocolate covering. Apparently this is a widely known fact if you do a quick internet search . . . something I learned just a few minutes too late. Now you'll never have to make the same mistake :)


**ashleynicole



Find the original recipe here

Find my version (same recipe, slightly different format) below:




Pumpkin Cake Bites

Ingredients for Cake:

• 2 c. flour

• 1 tsp. baking soda

• 1 tsp. baking powder

• 1 tsp. salt

• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon

• 1 tsp.  ground ginger

• ¼ tsp. nutmeg

• ¼ tsp. ground allspice

• 1 c. packed light brown sugar

• 1 c. white sugar

• 2 sticks (1 c.) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten

• 15 oz. pumpkin puree

Instructions for Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 9×13 cake pan with cooking spray. 

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice; set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, and eggs. Beat on medium speed until well combined.

4. Add dry ingredients, and mix on low until smooth. 

5. Fold in pumpkin puree. 

6. Pour the batter into prepared cake pan.  Bake 25 to 30 minutes—until the cake springs back when touched, and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cake cool completely.

Ingredients for Cake Bites:

• Pumpkin Cake, cooled completely

• 1.5 c. cream cheese or vanilla frosting

• 24 oz. white chocolate //edit// (Don't use straight chocolate chips. They will be too thick. However, my sister used half vanilla flavored almond bark and half white chocolate chips to get better flavor, and it worked great for her.)

• ½ c. butterscotch chips 

Instructions for Cake Bites:

1. Line a cookie sheet with parchment or wax paper. 

2. Crumble cake into a large bowl. Add the frosting. If mixture seems crumbly or dry, add remaining frosting. Mix well; you shouldn’t see any streaks of frosting.

3. Using a small cookie scoop, portion cake mixture onto prepared cookie sheet and shape into small balls.  Refrigerate until firm.

4. Melt white chocolate in a double boiler over medium heat.

5. Remove 6-8 balls from the refrigerator at a time, and dip balls in melted chocolate. Place on wax paper-covered baking sheet and refrigerate until firm.

6. Melt the butterscotch chips in a small bowl in the microwave. Stir ~¼ cup of the remaining melted chocolate into the butterscotch chips. Transfer to a small plastic baggie with the corner snipped off. Drizzle the butterscotch over the cake truffles. Let cool completely. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  

7. Makes approx. 60 cake bites.

Cake Bite Tips:

1. Use a cookie scoop to make the balls.

2. Make sure your chocolate does not get too hot, keep the water barely at a simmer.

3. Your cake balls should be cold, but not frozen. Frozen cake balls + very hot chocolate= cracked cake truffles.

4. An easy way to dip cake bites is to stick a toothpick about half way in to the cake ball, dipping it in the chocolate, and let the excess chocolate run off. When you feel the cake ball start to loosen from the toothpick, drop onto a sheet of wax or parchment paper.
5. Use a crock pot set to low to keep the chocolate nice and melted (instead of a double boiler.)

6. Don't use straight chocolate chips for the outer covering. Just don’t.