Cake Balls

Right now I'm waiting for my cake balls to set up between steps.  What are cake balls....yummy bite-sized pieces of cake and frosting covered in a candy shell.  Wow!!!  I guess they're a Texan treat because I had never heard of them until we moved here.
I should have taken pictures of the steps, but didn't think about posting this until right now.  So, here's how to make cake balls.

1.  Bake a cake  (any cake you would like).
2.  Let cake cool for about 15-20 minutes then use to forks to shred the cake.  Then use your beaters to really finely ground up the cake.  Stick in freezer to cool while you make the frosting.
3.  Make frosting.  Mix 1 box powdered sugar with one cube of butter and a few TBLS of milk added here and there until it's the right consistency, and whatever flavoring you want.  Or, use a can of store bought.
4.  Mix the frosting and the shredded cake together.  (Use the whole can).  Stick it back into the freezer to set up.
5.  Line a plastic storage container with waxed paper.  Get out your little ice cream scoop or a melon baller.  Make little balls with the cake/frosting mixture.  Put waxed paper between your layers of balls...depending on how goopy the cake mixture is I sometimes have to put the storage container into the freezer between layers to let the balls set up a bit.
6.  Let your balls freeze up for an hour or two.
7.  Melt your candy coating.  If you are going to do the candy wafers you get in the wedding aisle at craft stores and elsewhere I suggest melting them in a double boiler.  However,  I've found chocolate chips (or whatever flavor of chips you like) works better.  The chips stay melty right out of the microwave longer and they don't go crazy if they come in contact with water like the wafers do.  The trick to getting the chips to set up properly is to mix 1 cup chips with a TBLS shortening when melting...it says so right on the bag.
8.  Set out some wax paper on your counter.  Dip the cake balls one by one into the candy coating, lightly tap against the side to remove excess coating and then either dip in a topping (like sprinkles) or set on wax paper to harden.  If you want to get fancy, you can melt a contrasting color of candy coating and drizzle on top of your balls.
9.  I put my cake balls back in the freezer to totally harden the candy coating and then leave them in there until I'm about ready to serve them.

Ta-da!!!  Cake balls are yummy...you get more of the best part of the cake in every bite...the frosting, of course.  Today, I'm making two versions.  I baked one devil's food cake.  Divided it in two.  And, mixed each half with a different kind of frosting.  I made one half with my regular chocolate butter cream (just like above with about 1/2 cup cocoa and a tsp of vanilla extract mixed in) and the other half with peanut butter frosting (just like above but reduce the butter to 1/2 cube and add about 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter).  I'm going to melt milk chocolate chips for dipping the chocolate-chocolate balls and I haven't decided whether to dip the peanut butter-chocolate balls in milk chocolate or peanut butter coating.  Either way, I'm going to drizzle on the contrasting flavor on the peanut butter-chocolate balls.

So, now I have to go melt some chips.  Hope all you non-Texan friends enjoy this little treat!