Description
These spooky Cake Ball Brains are a fun and creepy treat perfect for Halloween or any themed party. Made from moist chocolate cake mixed with vanilla frosting and encased in a thin, colorful shell of white candy coating, each brain is filled with a fruity preserve for an eerie, gooey center. Crafted using brain-shaped molds, these treats are both visually impressive and deliciously indulgent.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Ball Mixture
- 1 baked chocolate cake (9 x 13-inch sheet cake or two 8-inch round cakes)
- ¼ – ½ cup vanilla frosting
Candy Coating and Decoration
- 30-38 ounces melted white candy melts or melted and tempered pure white chocolate
- Optional: black, pink, or green oil-based candy coloring
Filling
- ⅔ cup cherry, raspberry, or strawberry preserves or dessert sauce (about ¾ teaspoon per brain)
- Red liquid food coloring
Instructions
- Prepare the cake mixture: Cut off the edges of the chocolate cake and discard them. Break the center of the cake into small pieces in a bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Add ¼ cup of vanilla frosting and mix until the mixture holds together into a soft ball. Add more frosting as needed to achieve the right consistency. Set aside this cake ball mixture.
- Color the candy coating: If desired, stir drops of oil-based candy coloring into the melted white candy coating to tint it for your brain molds.
- Create the candy shell: Spoon melted white candy coating into each cavity of the brain mold. Spread around the coating evenly to form a thin shell. Wipe away any excess coating around the mold edges. Freeze molds for 5 minutes (if using candy melts) or refrigerate for 15 minutes (if using tempered white chocolate) until firm.
- Prepare the filling: Mix red liquid food coloring into the fruit preserves. Strain the preserves to remove any seeds or fruit pieces to create a smooth filling.
- Fill the molds: Spoon approximately ¾ teaspoon of the colored fruit preserve into each candy-coated brain cavity.
- Add the cake ball mixture: Scoop about 2 tablespoons of the cake ball mixture and press it gently into each brain mold cavity on top of the fruit filling, leaving enough space for a final candy coating layer.
- Seal the brains: Spoon more white candy coating over the cake ball mixture in each mold and smooth out the surface. Wipe off any excess coating on the mold edges to ensure clean unmolding.
- Set the final coating: Freeze for 5 minutes if you used candy melts or refrigerate for about 10 minutes if you used tempered white chocolate until fully set.
- Unmold and serve: Carefully remove the cake ball brains from the molds. Store in an airtight container for up to one week.
Notes
- Use oil-based candy coloring to tint the candy melts; water-based colorings may cause the coating to seize.
- Straining the fruit preserves ensures a smooth and realistic ‘gooey’ filling without seeds or lumps.
- Adjust the amount of frosting to get the ideal cake ball consistency—too dry will crumble and too wet will be sticky.
- Store the cake ball brains in an airtight container in a cool place or refrigerator for up to one week.
- Tempering the white chocolate leads to a shinier finish and better snap, but candy melts are easier to handle for beginners.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cake ball brain (approx. 35 g)
- Calories: 160
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 90mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 23g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 1.5g
- Cholesterol: 15mg
