These lemon cake balls are bite-sized delights that make the ultimate dessert for any special occasion. The tangy and sweet flavor of lemon cake combined with the luscious cream cheese then dipped in a vanilla candy coating.
Love easy dessert recipes like this? Be sure you try these wonderful Chocolate Coconut Balls or these popular Oreo Balls or these out-of-this-world Butterfinger Balls.
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Lemon Cake Balls with Cream Cheese
This lemon cake truffles recipe is perfect for those who love light and fruity desserts…especially in the summertime. They are super easy to make using only a few simple ingredients!
Using a whole lemon cake or leftover cake, you can make this melt-in-your-mouth delicious treat very easily. Dip them in a white candy coating and drizzle with melted yellow candy wafers for a festive twist.
The best part is that you can change up the recipe with any flavor boxed cake mix you prefer. These cake bites are versatile and a huge hit at any party or celebration like a baby shower, or even just as a sweet treat to enjoy.
You may just want to make a batch to eat now and one to freeze for later!
Ingredients Needed
Lemon cake mix – pick any favorite brand of yours plus the ingredients listed on the box which is usually just eggs, water and vegetable oil
Cream cheese – a whole block softened to room temperature
Vanilla melting wafers – for adding the pretty white coating.
Yellow candy melts – optional drizzle if desired.
Variations
- Any flavor cake mix can be substituted in this recipe. Use a yellow cake mix or white cake mix and then add ¼ – 1 teaspoon of lemon extract instead.
- Add in ½ cup of freeze dried strawberries or blueberries to the cream cheese mixture.
- Sprinkle with a little white or sanding sugar or lemon zest.
- Roll in or sprinkle with coconut flakes.
- Make lemon cake pops by inserting a lollipop stick into each cake balls after chilling the dipped cake balls.
How to make this Easy Lemon Cake Balls Recipe
Step 1: Preheat oven per box mix directions and follow the cake mix according to the box instructions on the back.
Step 2: Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Step 3: After baking the cake, allow it to cool completely in the pan on a wire cooling rack. Once the baked cake has cooled, crumble the whole cake with a fork or your hands.
Step 4: In a large bowl, add the cream cheese and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy.
Step 5: Add the crumbled cake to the blended cream cheese and mix together on low speed until completely combined. (scrape down the side of the bowl with a spatula as you blend).
Step 6: Using an 1 ½ inch cookie scoop, scoop dough and roll in your hands to make a smooth ball. Then place each dough ball on the lined cookie sheet.
Step 7: Place the full baking tray in the refrigerator for at least 1.5 – 2 hours to chill and hold their shape when dipping.
Step 8: After chilling, place the vanilla melting wafers in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 30 second intervals at 50% power level, then remove from the microwave and stir. Repeat for another 30 seconds and then stir again until completely melted. (Repeat one more time if necessary but be very careful not to over cook them or they will seize, thicken and be unusable. The heated bowl will continue to help melt them. (you can also use a double boiler on the stove-top method stirring until fully melted and smooth. Again, be careful not to overheat or get any water or condensation in the melting wafers or it may seize up and harden.
Step 9: Using a fork, dip cake ball on at a time into the melted vanilla. Gently tap the fork on the edge of the bowl to remove excess coating.
Step 10: Place the dipped cake ball onto the parchment paper. Repeat dipping all of the cake balls.
Step 11: Place the yellow candy melts in a small plastic bag or piping bag and melt in the microwave for 30 seconds at 50% power level. Squeeze the bag and then repeat again until they are completely melted.
After melting, cut the corner off of the baggie and drizzle over the cake balls and place the baking sheet back in the refrigerator and allow to harden for at least 15 minutes.
Tips
- Using high-quality melting wafers like Ghirardelli or Wilton, instead of white chocolate chips is best. But you can swap the melting wafers for white chocolate chips or almond bark, if preferred.
- Again, be very careful not to overheat the wafers. Whether using the double boiler method or microwave method, heat the melting wafers on a low heat. High heat can result in the chocolate seizing, drying out, and clumping.
- Don’t skip the step of chilling the formed balls or the cake balls may crumble when coating with the melted vanilla.
- Stir in a teaspoon of vegetable oil in to the white melted vanilla wafers for a little extra shiny coating.
- Add any sprinkles or other toppings before the chocolate dries.
Tips for Decorating Lemon Cake Truffles
Decorating lemon cake balls can be a fun and you can get as creative as you’d like.
- Use different types of coatings such as melted chocolate, sprinkles, chopped nuts, or shredded coconut for added texture.
- Using a piping bag or squeeze bottle, add different designs, swirls, or dots on top of the candy coating.
- Sprinkle with sanding sugar or powdered sugar.
How to Store Cake Balls
Store any leftovers of these sweet cake ball treats in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to a week. If you need to store them for a longer period of time, you can freeze them for up to a month. To thaw them, simply take them out of the freezer and place them in the refrigerator overnight.
Lemon Cake Balls
Ingredients
- 15.25 ounce box lemon cake mix plus ingredients listed on the box
- 8 ounce block cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 10 oz vanilla melting wafers
- ¾ cup yellow candy melts
Instructions
Make the Cake
- Preheat oven per box mix directions and follow the cake mix according to the box instructions on the back.15.25 ounce box lemon cake mix
- Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- After baking the cake, allow it to cool completely in the pan on a wire cooling rack.
- Once the baked cake has cooled, crumble the entire cake with a fork or your hands.
Make the Cake Balls
- In a large mixing bowl, add the cream cheese and beat with an electric mixer on medium high speed until creamy.8 ounce block cream cheese
- Add the crumbled cake to the blended cream cheese and mix together on low speed until completely combined. (scrape down the side of the bowl with a spatula as you blend).
- Using an 1 ½ inch cookie scoop, scoop dough and roll in your hands to make a smooth ball. Then place each cake ball on the lined cookie sheet.
- Place the full baking tray in the refrigerator for at least 1.5 – 2 hours to chill and hold their shape when dipping.
- After chilling, place the vanilla melting wafers in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 30 seconds at 50% power level, then remove from the microwave and stir. Repeat for another 30 seconds and then stir again until completely melted. (Repeat one more time if necessary but be very careful not to over cook them or they will seize, thicken and be unusable. The heated bowl will continue to help melt them. (you can also use a double boiler on the stove-top method stirring until fully melted and smooth. Again, be careful not to overheat or get any water or condensation in the melting wafers or it may seize up and harden.10 oz vanilla melting wafers
- Using a fork, dip each cake ball on at a time into the melted vanilla. Gently tap the fork on the edge of the bowl to remove excess coating.
- Place the dipped cake ball onto the parchment paper. Repeat dipping all of the cake balls.
- Place the yellow candy melts in a small ziplock bag or piping bag and melt in the microwave for 30 seconds at 50% power level. Squeeze the bag and then repeat again until they are completely melted.¾ cup yellow candy melts
- After melting, cut the corner off of the baggie and drizzle over the cake balls.
- Place the tray back in the refrigerator and allow to harden for at least 15 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclosure
Nutritional facts are estimates and are provided as a courtesy to the reader. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates. Nutritional values are calculated via a third party. Changing ingredients, amounts or cooking technique will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
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