Patriotic Cake Bites

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Patriotic Cake Bites are a sure-fire way to sweeten your summer holiday entertaining! These easy 3-bite treats are delicious cake, coated in white chocolate. Your kids will love to help make them

Until about a year ago I didn’t have any dessert recipes on the blog. I don’t eat them very often–only because I’m usually too full from my meal for dessert–so they were never high on the blog radar. But that’s no excuse to not share some of my favorites with you!

I’m still thinking about the Berry Burst Shortcakes I made last week. And nobody can resist my Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie!

A few months ago I took a cake pops class with April and her kids, and we had a great time making Easter cake pops.

So with the 4th of July coming up, I decided to celebrate the season with Patriotic Cake Bites

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

• It’s a great way to get your kids in the kitchen!
• You can easily make these ahead
• Make them as an alternative to a cake or cupcakes for a party

How can you not love these Patriotic Cake Bites! They are a great 2-3 bite treat, and are just the festive touch you need for the season.

TIPS FOR THE PERFECT PATRIOTIC CAKE BITES

Patriotic Cake Bites are a little time intensive. But the steps are easy, and the only part you need to do all at once is dipping and decorating. Save some time by making the cake the day before!

CAKE MIX

You can buy boxed Cake Mix and store-bought Frosting, or make your own. I don’t bake very often, so I buy both.

I use strawberry cake mix and cream cheese flavored frosting, so the cake tastes like strawberry cheesecake!

Don’t add too much frosting to the crumbled cake. Most boxed cake mix is already moist because of the added pudding. I add 3 Tablespoons of frosting for a whole cake, and that is plenty.

FORMING THE CAKE BITES

Use a cookie scoop to form the cake bites! This ensures a uniform shape and size, and you can release the scoop directly onto a baking sheet. You can roll the bites by hand, but that’s way more work.

A 1 3/8” Cookie Scoop will yield about 40 Patriotic Cake Bites from one 13″x9″ cake.

Let the scooped bites rest in the fridge for about 15 minutes, ESPECIALLY if you decide to roll the bites by hand. This chills the bites so they don’t fall apart when you dip them.

COATING THE CAKE BITES

Don’t use frosting for the coating! Yes, that’s what I did the first time, and spent the ENTIRE afternoon stressing about why the coating stayed so soft.

Melted chocolate is the way to go. I use Chocolate Melting Wafers because they are made to melt easily and smoothly.

Use good quality chocolate. There’s nothing wrong with generic brand chocolate, but if I’m going to satisfy my sweet tooth, I’m going to make it worth it. My favorite brand for Patriotic Cake Bites is Ghirardelli.

Work quickly! Melted chocolate starts to firm up in minutes, so have your work station set up and ready to go.

Melt the chocolate in a wide-mouth bowl, with enough chocolate for the cake bites to “float”.

• Add cake bites to bowl one by one
• Use a spoon to flip the bites in the chocolate
• Scoop bites out with a fork and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper

Add decorations as you go. I coat 2 cake bites in chocolate, decorate, repeat. This is a great place for the kids to help! The adults can coat the bites in chocolate, and the kids can decorate to their heart’s delight.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Bake cake according to box directions. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, transfer to a Cooling Rack, and cool for another 20 minutes. Crumble cake into a large bowl.

Add 3 Tablespoons of frosting to crumbled cake. Using your hands, combine well until the mixture holds together, almost like cookie dough. Rest in the fridge for 5 minutes

Using a 1 3/8″ cookie scoop, scoop cake mixture and transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. One box of cake mix will yield approximately 40 bites. Place bites into the fridge to chill for 15 minutes

Place chocolate wafers into a microwave-safe bowl, and melt according to package directions

Add cake bites one by one into bowl of melted chocolate. Turn to coat fully and carefully transfer back to baking sheet.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can I make Patriotic Cake Bites ahead? Absolutely! I make them 1-2 days ahead, and keep them in the fridge until needed. Take them out of the fridge about 30 minutes before serving.

How long will Patriotic Cake Bites last? Not long at any event for which I’ve made them! But seriously, they will last 4-5 days in the fridge in an airtight container

How much chocolate should I melt at one time? It depends on the size of your bowl, but I like to melt about 4 ounces at a time. That way I can add fresh chocolate as needed.

What do I do if I forget to add sprinkles before the chocolate sets? You can spoon a little more melted chocolate on top. It won’t look very pretty, but it works. And yes, I have made that mistake before!

MORE DELICIOUS DESSERT RECIPES

• Poached Pears with Parmigiano Reggiano and Ricotta
• Jelly Bean Rice Krispie Treats
• Chocolate Peppermint Truffle Bites

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