By Serena Bailey  | Staff Writer

Sometimes life doesn’t go according to plan, in ways both big and small. For example, this column was originally supposed to be about cake mix doughnuts. I had everything I needed and the cake mix came out of the oven looking perfect. I was excited. I was trying to bake something I’d never baked before and it was going exactly as planned. 

But in my excitement I got hasty. The cupcakes were cool, yes, but not cool enough. They broke as I tried to get them out of the pan. Only three or four came out intact and having a doughnut-like appearance. What was I going to do? I was late. I didn’t have another idea. I had been so excited about this one. Now all I had was crumbled cake and some icing – conveniently, the two ingredients you need to make cake balls. 

I don’t make cake balls often. They’re fun to eat and look at, but they get your hands all messy when you make them. They are very easy to make though. Crumble some cake, mix it with some icing, let it cool, shape it and dip it in more icing. 

The hardest part is choosing the flavor you want. I was working with carrot cake for this, a favorite of mine. I was introduced to it by my grandmother, who insists that carrot cake should always be eaten cold. She’s right, too. There’s something odd about the texture of warm carrot cake and the taste of warm cream cheese icing.

Carrot cakes are very suitable for cake balls. They have to be cold when you work with them. You can crumble the cake when it’s somewhat warm; it’s easier that way. It’s also easier to mix the first set of icing in when the cake is warm. But from there on out, the cold of the refrigerator is your friend. The cake balls are easier to shape and hold that shape better when the mixture is cold, especially when you’re rolling it around in melted icing. 

They’re such a nice treat to have on hand as well. Cupcakes are fun, but sometimes you don’t want a whole cupcake or you don’t want to deal with the small crumbs that always find a way to make a mess no matter what you do. 

I’m actually kind of glad my doughnut plan didn’t work out. Now I’ve got myself a batch of sweet treats for this rainy weather and to treat myself for making it through these next few weeks of class. 

What You’ll Need 

One box of cake mix, prepared to package directions 

One jar of icing

Wax paper/Tin foil

How To Make It 

1. Prepare the cake mix to package directions and allow it to cool.
2. Crumble the cake into a bowl and mix with 1/3 of a cup of icing until a dough-like texture forms. 
3. Let this mixture cool in the fridge for at least two hours.
4. Scoop out tablespoons of the mixture and shape them into balls. 
5. Put a couple spoonfuls of icing into a bowl and melt for 15 seconds in the microwave.
6. Using a fork, roll the balls around in the icing until covered and place them on a piece of wax paper or tin foil.
7. Let them cool in the fridge overnight and then enjoy!