It’s summertime, which means we’re entertaining every weekend and on the lookout for easy, delicious recipes that make our guests ooh and aah. This week, I decided to try out a recipe I usually associate with holiday season, but is also the perfect capstone for a cookout or picnic.
Around the December holiday season, Italian pastries would suddenly find themselves part of the landscape in ways they didn’t the rest of the year. As a child, I relished the times when mini cannolis, cream puffs, and delicately layered Napoleons would make their way into our house and promptly get shoveled into my mouth.
Rum balls and rumbabas were another favorite, and though I was young, my parents didn’t really bat an eye at holiday rum-soaked treat consumption.
These rum and Coke cake balls are a nod to my beloved childhood memories of rum-infused treats, but I think they are a bit more fun and accessible to make.
Cake balls are easy, forgiving (they don’t have to be perfect!) and lend themselves to so many flavor combinations. But these are not the cake balls you find at a kids’ birthday party. These are adult-only cake balls you will want to serve to guests for a slightly naughty, rum-laced indulgence.
What You Will Need:
- 1 batch Coca-Cola cake like this (you can also use whatever chocolate cake recipe you prefer)
- 1 ½ cups vanilla or chocolate frosting
- ½ cup coke
- ½ cup spiced rum (or more)
- 2 cups (around 12 ounces) dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (can also use coconut oil)
- Chocolate sprinkles
Directions:
- Bake Coca-Cola cake according to directions. Allow to cool completely.
- Crumble cake into a large bowl. Add frosting and mix using a wooden spoon until crumbly and incorporated.
- Add Coke and rum.
- Using a small cookie scoop, measure each cake ball. Using palms of hands, roll each ball until smooth and firm. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Pop in freezer for 25 minutes, or in the fridge for 1 hour. (You can also chill overnight).
- In a microwave-safe bowl, add chocolate chips and oil. Place in microwave for 20-second intervals, stirring in between, until chocolate is completely melted and shiny.
- Using a fork, dip each cake ball into melted chocolate and place back onto baking sheet.
- Top each cake ball with chocolate sprinkles. Pop back into the fridge until ready to serve.
