Cranberry Pecan Cake Balls / #Cranberry Week

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 Welcome to #Cranberry Week!

I am so glad you are here!! This week I will be sharing three recipes with you, all of them containing cranberries in some way or another. I am joining a group of bloggers that are also sharing cranberry recipes. The week is for sharing inspiration and tasty ideas for a great Thanksgiving! Enjoy!

I created these Cranberry Pecan Cake Balls in the tradition of the dessert cake balls, but I really think they make amazing appetizers also. Instead of using icing to cover the cake balls, they are not covered at all, except for a few sprinkles. 

The batter can be made ahead of time, by 2-3 days, and refrigerated until you are ready to bake. I baked these muffins in an air fryer. It was quick and easy. Of course you can bake them in your oven, and I have included directions for both methods. 

Cranberry Pecan Cake Balls

(makes 20-25 cake balls)

(printable recipe at end of page)

3 cups all purpose Flour

1 cup Sugar

1 tbl. Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1/4 teaspoon baking Soda

2 teaspoons finely shredded orange peel

1 beaten Egg

1 2/3 cup Milk

1/4 cup cooking Oil

1 cup chopped fresh cranberries

3/4 cup chopped Pecans

bag of white chocolate chips

small sticks to hold cake balls

Sprinkles

In a large mixing bowl mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, orange peel and baking soda. Make a well in the center of the bowl, and set aside. 

In a medium size bowl mix together the egg, milk and oil, the chopped pecans and chopped cranberries. Pour contents of the bowl into the dry ingredients.

Set your air fryer or oven temperature to 350 degrees. I made these in muffin cups because we are in the middle of moving at the moment, and they are what I had available. They worked perfectly, and they took 5-6 minutes to cook. If you are using an oven, they should take approx. 12 minutes. Let them cool completely.

Make all of the muffins. I like this recipe because if you need to stop before you are done baking, just put anything perishable in the fridge and everything else in a zip lock bag or a container to keep the muffins fresh. Come back to them when you can!

Place muffins in the zip lock bag until it is about half full. Close the bag. From the outside first, begin to crush the muffins into small pieces. As the muffins transform into small pieces, place the pieces into a large mixing bowl. Continue to crush the cake into the small pieces until all the pieces are crushed and in the plastic bag.

While you are crushing the muffins, heat a cup of the white chocolate chips, on low, until they are melted.

As the white chocolate melts and then cools, start to add a little at a time to the crushed muffins in the bag. Integrate the white chocolate into the crushed muffins by squeezing on the outside of the bag to mix it all together. By adding a little at a time, you won't end up with a mushy cake ball. As you mix in the white chocolate you should see it disappear into the mix. You should also get a feel for how much more white chocolate you might need. You want the white chocolate to help form the ball. As you form the balls, the white chocolate should disappear into the ball itself. Refrigerate the balls if you need to stop until another time to finish these.

I wanted to add a bit of color to the pops, so I dipped the very bottom edge into a bowl of autumn nonpareils. I didn't want to dip the entire cake ball into frosting. The flavor of the cake is amazing and I was worried it would hide the flavor. This worked great. The nonpareils give a pop of flavor, but don't overshadow the incredible fresh flavor of the cake balls. Also, the nonpareils stuck to the cake balls with no frosting or anything to hold them on.

Thank you for stopping by today for day 1 of #CranberryWeek! I hope you are having fun checking out all the recipes. On Wednesday, stop by for a Cranberry Chutney recipe and on Friday, I will have a Cranberry and Brie Wonton recipe to share! YUM!

Scroll down for a printable recipe that makes this recipe easier to follow, and scroll down to find a list of all of my blogging friends that posted amazing cranberry recipes today! Have fun! 

Welcome to Cranberry Week! 

This week we are celebrating all things cranberry! We have delicious recipes from across the country to celebrate all things cranberry!

#CranberryWeek is an annual blogging event that is hosted by Ashley from Cheese Curd In Paradise

• Slow Cooker Cranberry Apple Crisp from Cheese Curd In Paradise
• Cranberry Pecan Quick Bread from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Roasted Cranberry Potatoes from Magical Ingredients
• Cranberry White Wine Spritzer from Our Good Life
• Oatmeal Cranberry Bars from The Fresh Cooky
• Orange Cranberry Bread from Devour Dinner
• Pear-Cranberry Sauce from The Spiffy Cook

   Cranberry Pecan Cake Balls from The Freshman Cook

   Cranberry Moscow Mule from Art of Natural Living

   Orange Cranberry Muffins from Life Love and Good Food

   Cranberry Almond Granola from Family Around the Table

   Easy Classic Cranberry Sauce from Kate's Recipe Box

Here's a printable copy of the recipe! Enjoy it, and let me know what you think!

cranberries, pecans, cake balls, white frosting, air fryer recipe, oven recipe, fall treats, appetizers, desserts, make ahead

dessert or appetizer

American

Yield: 20-25 cake balls

Author: The Freshman Cook

Cranberry Pecan Cake Balls

These fun cake balls are perfect as an appetizer or a dessert. They can be made ahead of time, making the day of your event a little less stressful.

Ingredients

Cranberry Pecan Cake Balls

• 3 cups all purpose Flour
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 tbl. Baking Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking Soda
• 2 teaspoons finely shredded orange peel
• 1 beaten Egg
• 1 2/3 cup Milk
• 1/4 cup cooking Oil
• 1 cup chopped fresh cranberries
• 3/4 cup chopped Pecans
• bag of white chocolate chips
• small sticks to hold cake balls
• Sprinkles

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, orange peel, baking soda. Make a well in the center of the bowl, and set aside. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.
2. In a medium size bowl mix together the egg, milk and oil, the chopped pecans and chopped cranberries. Pour contents of the bowl into the bowl with the dry ingredients.
3. Set your air fryer or oven temperature to 350 degrees. I made these in muffin cups because we are in the middle of moving at the moment, and they are what I had available. They worked perfectly, and they took 5-6 minutes to cook. If you are using an oven, they should take approx. 12 minutes. Let them cool completely.
4. Make all of the muffins. This recipe is great, because if you need to stop before you are done baking, just put anything perishable in the fridge and everything else in a zip lock bag or a container that will keep the muffins fresh. Come back to them when you can!
5. Place muffins in the zip lock bag until it is about half full. Close the bag. From the outside first, begin to crush the muffins into small pieces. As the muffins transform into small pieces, place the pieces into a large mixing bowl. Continue to crush the cake into the small pieces until all the pieces are crushed and in the plastic bag.
6. While you are crushing the muffins, heat some of the white chocolate chips, on low, until they start to melt and then mix them together.
7. As the white chocolate melts and then cools, start to add a little at a time to the crushed muffins in the bag. Integrate the white chocolate into the crushed muffins by squeezing on the outside of the bag to mix it all together. By adding a little at a time, you won't end up with a mushy cake ball. As you mix in the white chocolate you should see it disappear into the mix. You should also get a feel for how much more white chocolate you might need. You want the white chocolate to help form the ball. It should disappear into the ball itself. Refrigerate the balls if you need to stop until another time to finish these.
8. I wanted to add a bit of color to the pops, so I dipped the very bottom edge into a bowl of autumn nonpareils. I didn't want to dip the entire cake ball into frosting. The flavor of the cake is amazing and I was worried it would hide the flavor. This worked great. The nonpareils give a pop of flavor, but don't overshadow the incredible fresh flavor of the cake balls. Also, the nonpareils stuck to the cake balls with no frosting or anything to hold them on.

https://www.thefreshmancook.com/2021/11/cranberry-pecan-cake-balls-cranberry.html

All rights reserved for The Freshman Cook

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @thefreshmancook on instagram and hashtag it #Cranberry Pecan Cake Balls

 

  

Champagne Cake Pops

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It's almost New Year's Eve, and what better way to celebrate than with these tasty, festive Champagne Cake Pops! There is champagne in the cake, the frosting and the white chocolate coating! That makes these Champagne Cake Pops perfect for celebrating the biggest party day of the year!

These cake pops take some time to make, but if you need to spread out the work, they can be made in stages, making it an easy recipe!


Champagne Cake Pops

Cake Balls
1 box White Cake Mix
8 ounces Butter, melted
2 Eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 cup Spumanti Champagne

Frosting
16 ounces Butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon Salt
4 cups Confectioner's Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1/4 cup Spumanti Champagne

Cake Ball Frosting
2 bags (11.5 oz each) White Chocolate Chips
4-6 tablespoons Spumanti Champagne
Gold and Silver Straws
Gold and Silver Sugars or Sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl mix together the cake mix, melted butter, eggs and vanilla. Blend together with mixer. Add champagne and blend with mixer again.

Prepare a 9x11" dish to cook the cake. Butter or spray the pan  and then flour it. Add cake mix batter to pan.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until done when checked with a toothpick. Let cool on a rack.

Cut the cake into small pieces. Place pieces into a large ziplock bag. Smush around in the bag, breaking the cake pieces even farther apart.

Mix together the butter, salt, confectioner's sugar and vanilla. Add the champagne and continue to mix on low speed.

Add frosting to the bag of smushed cake pieces a couple tablespoons at a time. Continue to smush the frosting and cake together. When you think it is needed, add more frosting and smush together again. You will have leftover frosting. 

Use a 1 tablespoon scoop to make balls with the cake mix/frosting combo. Scoop the mix and roll between your hands to make them smooth. If you have vinyl gloves that are food safe, they are great to use because they help in obtaining a smooth cake ball. Place in a container with a cover and refrigerate after they are rolled. 

Melt white chocolate chips over low heat in a double boiler on top of the stove. Once chips are melted and smooth add champagne. It is important that the champagne be heated in the microwave or on the stove before adding it to the chips. I found the microwave works great. If the champagne is not heated, the chocolate will seize up, and become almost impossible to work with. The champagne has to be close to the temperature of the chips. Add the champagne a tablespoon at a time, until you find your desired taste. Mix together until well incorporated.

Use straws or sticks, or whatever you would like as a way to pick up the champagne cake balls. I used some gold and silver straws that I cut in half. 

Dip each cake ball into the white chocolate champagne coating. Allow the coating to drip off the bottom of the cake ball, so as to not have too much build up on the bottom. Place ball on wax paper. I dipped two of the balls, then I sprinkled the gold and silver sprinkles on, and put them back in the refrigerator.  Then I dipped two more and did it again until they were all finished. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Serve to your guests and have a Happy New Year! Welcome 2018!

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Author: The Freshman CookPin it

Champagne Cake Pops

ingredients:

Cake Balls
1 box White Cake Mix
8 ounces Butter, melted
2 Eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 cup Spumanti Champagne

Frosting
16 ounces Butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon Salt
4 cups Confectioner's Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1/4 cup Spumanti Champagne

Cake Ball Frosting
2 bags (11.5 oz each) White Chocolate Chips
4-6 tablespoons Spumanti Champagne
Gold and Silver Straws
Gold and Silver Sugars or Sprinkles

instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl mix together the cake mix, melted butter, eggs and vanilla. Blend together with mixer. Add champagne and blend with mixer again.
3. Prepare a 9x11" dish to cook the cake. Butter or spray the pan  and then flour it. Add cake mix batter to pan.
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until done when checked with a toothpick. Let cool on a rack.
5. Cut the cake into small pieces. Place pieces into a large ziplock bag. Smush around in the bag, breaking the cake pieces even farther apart.
6. Mix together the butter, salt, confectioner's sugar and vanilla. Add the champagne and continue to mix on low speed.
7. Add frosting to the bag of smushed cake pieces a couple tablespoons at a time. Continue to smush the frosting and cake together. When you think it is needed, add more frosting and smush together again. You will have leftover frosting.
8. Use a 1 tablespoon scoop to make balls with the cake mix/frosting combo. Scoop the mix and roll between your hands to make them smooth. If you have vinyl gloves that are food safe, they are great to use because they help in obtaining a smooth cake ball. Place in a container with a cover and refrigerate after they are rolled.
9. Melt white chocolate chips over low heat in a double boiler on top of the stove. Once chips are melted and smooth add champagne. It is important that the champagne be heated in the microwave or on the stove before adding it to the chips. I found the microwave works great. If the champagne is not heated, the chocolate will seize up, and become almost impossible to work with. The champagne has to be close to the temperature of the chips. Add the champagne a tablespoon at a time, until you find your desired taste. Mix together until well incorporated.
10. Use straws or sticks, or whatever you would like as a way to pick up the champagne cake balls. I used some gold and silver straws that I cut in half.
11. Dip each cake ball into the white chocolate champagne coating. Allow the coating to drip off the bottom of the cake ball, so as to not have too much build up on the bottom. Place ball on wax paper. I dipped two of the balls, then I sprinkled the gold and silver sprinkles on, and put them back in the refrigerator.  Then I dipped two more and did it again until they were all finished. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

http://www.thefreshmancook.com/2017/12/champagne-cake-pops.html

Created using The Recipes Generator

Triple Chocolate Strawberry Cake Truffles /#SundaySupper

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Is there anything better than chocolate? OK. I know not everyone loves it like I do, but you have to admit, it's pretty good stuff! So, multiply it by three and you get my Triple Chocolate Strawberry Cake Truffles! Start with a deep, dark, chocolate cake, add a creamy homemade chocolate buttercream, toss in some beautiful, fresh, chopped strawberries and dip all of it in a rich, drizzly, milk chocolate ganache. Sprinkle with sprinkles for fun!

 Triple Chocolate Strawberry Cake Truffles  
(printable recipe at end of post)
Cake
1 cup Butter, softened
3 cups Sugar
4 eggs-divided
1 cup Cocoa
4 cups Flour
3 teaspoons Baking Soda
pinch of Salt
2 cups Buttermilk
2 teaspoon Vanilla


Chocolate Frosting 
1 cup Butter, softened
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
4 cups Confectioner's Sugar
3/4 cup Cocoa
3-5 tablespoons Milk
1 cup fresh strawberries, chopped  

Chocolate Ganache
12-16 ounces Milk Chocolate Bar
3-4 ounces Heavy Whipping Cream 
Decorative Sprinkles

Cream the butter until creamy. Add the sugar a little at a time, mixing after each addition.Separate the egg white and the yolks. Put the whites aside and add the yolks to the mix. Beat together. 

Place the cocoa in a 2 cup of larger measuring cup. Add just enough water to the cocoa to make a thick smooth paste. Mix until it is smooth. Then add water to the cup until you have 2 cups of cocoa mix. Add to the creamed mixture. It will no longer be thick.

Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add vanilla to the buttermilk. Add the dry mixture to the cocoa mix, alternating with the buttermilk. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites in to stiff peaks. Fold the whites into the batter.

Pour the batter in to a 13x9" greased and floured pan. Bake in a 350℉ oven for 15-20 minutes. This recipe only uses a little more than 1/2 of the cake batter. Refrigerate the remaining batter. Remove from oven and cool completely.

 

Make the frosting by mixing together the butter and vanilla. Add the confectioners sugar and cocoa a little at a time. 

 As the mix thickens, add milk a little at a time until you reach the consistency you want. Set aside.

Chop  strawberries into smaller than bite size pieces. Set aside.

Use your hands or a fork or knife and chop up the cake in to small pieces. 

Start adding the frosting to the crushed chocolate cake. Add a little at a time, until you have enough. You won't need all the frosting. The cake should be wet from the frosting.

Add the strawberries to the cake. Use a spatula or your hands to mix the strawberries into the cake and frosting.

Using a scoop, make balls of the mix and place on a tray. Refrigerate. Once the cake balls are cold, take them out of the fridge, and roll them into more compact balls if needed. Refrigerate.

To make the frosting, chop 12-16 ounces of milk chocolate.  Place in a double boiler and melt. Once melted, warm up a small amount of the heavy whipping cream. I like to use the microwave for this. Slowly add the warmed whipping cream to the melted chocolate, a little at a time until the chocolate is just slightly thinned. Dip cake balls in to the chocolate and keep refrigerated.

 Sprinkle with sprinkles and enjoy!

A big shout out to thank Amy, our host today, who blogs at  My World Simplified! Great job Amy!

Sunday Supper Mother's Day Food Ideas

Chocolate Treats

• Hot Fudge Ice Cream Cake by Pies and Plots
• Toasted Almond Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies by Helpful Homemade
• Triple Chocolate Strawberry Cake Truffles by The Freshman Cook
• White Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• White Chocolate-Filled Snickerdoodles by Fantastical Sharing of Recipes

Entrees

• Double Pork Stuffed Pork Roast by Food Lust People Love
• Italian Stuffed Caprese Chicken by My World Simplified
• Japanese Chicken Curry by What Smells So Good?
• Lightened-Up Shrimp Scampi by My Savory Spoon

Sides and Salads

• Mom’s Easy Clam Dip by Cricket’s Confections
• Salmon and Capers Panzanella Salad by And She Cooks
• Swedish Creamy Potato Casserole (Jansson’s Frestelse) by Sunday Supper Movement

Sweets

• Berry Chantilly Trifle by The Crumby Cupcake
• Blackberry Cobbler with Brown Sugar Pecan Biscuits by Soulfully Made
• Lemon Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries by Our Good Life
• Lemon Cooler by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
• Mom’s Southwest Georgia Pound Cake by Family Around The Table
• Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp by Caroline’s Cooking
• Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote by Wholistic Woman

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board. Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement. The Recipe Box -->

Author: The Freshman Cookprint recipe

Triple Chocolate Strawberry Cake Truffles

INGREDIENTS:

Cake

• 1 cup Butter, softened
• 3 cups Sugar
• 4 eggs-divided
• 1 cup Cocoa
• 4 cups Flour
• 3 teaspoons Baking Soda
• pinch of Salt
• 2 cups Buttermilk
• 2 teaspoon Vanilla
• 1 cup fresh strawberries, chopped

Chocolate Frosting

• 1 cup Butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 4 cups Confectioner's Sugar
• 3/4 cup Cocoa
• 3-5 tablespoons Milk

Chocolate Ganache

• 12-16 ounces Milk Chocolate Bar
• 3-4 ounces Heavy Whipping Cream
• Decorative Sprinkles

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cream the butter until creamy. Add the sugar a little at a time, mixing after each addition.Separate the egg white and the yolks. Put the whites aside and add the yolks to the mix. Beat together.
2. Place the cocoa in a 2 cup of larger measuring cup. Add just enough water to the cocoa to make a thick smooth paste. Mix until it is smooth. Then add water to the cup until you have 2 cups of cocoa mix. Add to the creamed mixture. It will no longer be thick.
3. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add vanilla to the buttermilk. Add the dry mixture to the cocoa mix, alternating with the buttermilk. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites in to stiff peaks. Fold the whites into the batter.
4. Pour the batter in to a 13x9" greased and floured pan. Bake in a 350℉ oven for 15-20 minutes. This recipe only uses a little more than 1/2 of the cake batter. Refrigerate the remaining batter. Remove from oven and cool completely.
5. Make the frosting by mixing together the butter and vanilla. Add the confectioners sugar and cocoa a little at a time.
6. As the mix thickens, add milk a little at a time until you reach the consistency you want. Set aside.
7. Chop strawberries into smaller than bite size pieces. Set aside.
8. Use your hands or a fork or knife and chop up the cake in to small pieces.
9. Start adding the frosting to the crushed chocolate cake. Add a little at a time, until you have enough. You won't need all the frosting. The cake should be wet from the frosting.
10. Add the strawberries to the cake. Use a spatula or your hands to mix the strawberries into the cake and frosting.
11. Using a scoop, make balls of the mix and place on a tray. Refrigerate. Once the cake balls are cold, take them out of the fridge, and roll them into more compact balls if needed. Refrigerate.
12. To make the frosting, chop 12-16 ounces of milk chocolate. Place in a double boiler and melt. Once melted, warm up a small amount of the heavy whipping cream. I like to use the microwave for this. Slowly add the warmed whipping cream to the melted chocolate, a little at a time until the chocolate is just slightly thinned. Dip cake balls in to the chocolate and keep refrigerated.
13. Sprinkle with sprinkles!

http://www.thefreshmancook.com/2017/05/triple-chocolate-strawberry-cake.html

Created using The Recipes Generator

Fun, Fat Tuesday Cake Balls

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Today is Fat Tuesday! You know, the last day to party hard before the 40 days of Lent begin. So, in the spirit of parties, I am hoping that you can fit some of these fun, Fat Tuesday Cake Balls into your celebrating!