Vanilla Holiday Funfetti Cake Balls

Christmas is here ..well, almost. In just a few days we will be unwrapping all of those perfectly wrapped presents under the tree, and enjoying all sorts of good food and cocktails with family and friends. This is what the holidays are all about, right?!

For our family, the days leading up to Christmas usually include finding time to take part in holiday traditions…last minute Christmas shopping, pictures with Santa for the nephews, watching our favorite holiday movies together, and one of our favorites…Baking. All. The. Things!

I’m sure it is no surprise to any of you that follow our blog that we definitely spend a lot of time around the kitchen whipping up some of our family favorite baked goods during the holidays. So, every now and then we find ourselves creating new and amazing recipes that most definitely end up here on the blog. Well…this year we did just that.

While we were cranking out a few batches of our original Chocolate Cake Balls (friends and family request them EVERY. SINGLE. CHRISTMAS. They are amazing!), we agreed that we need a delicious counterpart to perfectly compliment what has been a showstopper year after year. Where there is chocolate, there is a vanilla version that wow’s a crowd just as much, am I right?

Well, after a few failed batches and lots of taste testing, we finally found a winning combination that is sure to be requested on repeat just as much as the “OG” Chocolate Cake Ball. Today’s post features what is sure to become the “OG” Vanilla Cake Ball of your dreams. We included green and red holiday sprinkles inside and out to give them a “Christmas” theme. Feel free to keep them simple without sprinkles, or add any color of your choice. They are delicious either way.

So, grab your party pants and crank up the holiday tunes…we have more cake balls to make!

What You Need

Vanilla Cake

2 + 3/4 cups cake flour (spoon and leveled)

2 + 1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1+ 1/4 tsp salt

1 + 3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 Cup unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks)

3 large eggs, room temperature

1/2 cup sour cream (full fat)

1 + 1/4 cup whole milk (any type of milk will work)

1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

Vanilla Frosting

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1 Tbsp heavy whipping cream or whole milk

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

pinch of salt

3/4 cup Green and red sprinkles (or any color combination of your choice)

White Chocolate Coating

Ghirardelli White Chocolate Melting Wafers (24 ounces)

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1/2 cup Green and red sprinkles (or any color combination of your choice)

Step by Step

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with nonstick baking spray and set aside.
3. MAKE CAKE: In a medium bowl, sift and combine the cake flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
4. Using a stand mixer or handheld mixer, beat the unsalted butter until smooth and creamy on high speed. Add in the granulated sugar and beat on high again for about 2 minutes until fully incorporated and creamy.
5. Next, add in the egg whites and beat on high for another minute. Turn mixer off and scrap down the bowl with rubber spatula.
6. Turn mixer back on to medium speed and add in the sour cream and vanilla extract. Mix until incorporated.
7. Lastly, turn mixer on low speed and slowly add in the milk.
8. Turn off mixer, and hand mix a couple of time with your rubber spatula lightly (don’t over mix).
9. Pour batter into greased baking pan and bake for 40 minutes. To test if done, use toothpick in center and if it comes out clean remove from oven. If still wet, add 2 more minutes. Repeat until done. (Mine always bakes perfectly at 40 minutes, but every oven is different).
10. Let pan and cake cool completely on a wire rack.
11. MAKE FROSTING: In a large bowl with a stand mixer (or handheld), beat the butter on medium until creamy.
12. Next, add in your powdered sugar slowly until fully combined. Turn to medium and mix for one minute.
13. Turn mixer to low speed and add in your cream, vanilla extract and pinch of salt. Once combined increase speed to high and mix for 1-2 minutes until creamy and fluffy.
14. Lastly, fold in your green and red sprinkles and mix until combined.
15. CREATE CAKE BALLS: Once your cake is cooled, cut or break up with your hands into smaller pieces and add to a large mixing bowl. Add in your frosting and stir until fully combined.
16. Place your cake/frosting mixture in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight to chill.
17. Once your cake/frosting mixture has chilled, remove from the refrigerator. Start forming 1 inch balls (or 1 Tbsp in size) from your mixture and place each on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Return your cake balls to the fridge to firm up for another 2 hours (or, again, you can leave them overnight to chill and firm up).
18. Melt your Ghirardelli white chocolate melting wafers according to the package. The only note I have on this step is to not overheat. We started with 30 seconds, stirred, and then returned the chocolate to the microwave for another 30 seconds until the chocolate was melted all the way. You don’t want to overheat because it will make the chocolate too thin (or it will create a thickness that does not coat the cake balls with a smooth surface). Once melted, add in your vegetable oil and combine. Using a fork (or two), begin dipping each chilled cake ball into the chocolate. Let remaining chocolate run off back into the bowl and simply place each ball on the parchment paper to harden. This will happen pretty fast, so if you want to add sprinkles or any type of topping, add it right after you place each cake ball onto the parchment before it hardens. We let ours harden all the way, then followed up with extra white chocolate to create a fun drizzle on top, then some more holidays sprinkles on top (duh).

Vanilla Holiday Funfetti Cake Balls

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Ball Creation Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Servings 36

Ingredients

  

Vanilla Cake

• 2 3/4 cup cake flour spoon and leveled
• 2 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter softened
• 1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs room temperature
• 1/2 cup sour cream full fat
• 1 1/4 cup whole milk any type of milk will work
• 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

Vanilla Frosting

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened
• 2 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar sifted
• 5 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• 3/4 cup Green and red sprinkles or any color combination of your choice

White Chocolate Coating

• Ghirardelli White Chocolate Melting Wafers 24 ounces
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup Green and red sprinkles or any color combination of your choice

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with nonstick baking spray and set aside.

MAKE CAKE:

• In a medium bowl, sift and combine the cake flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• Using a stand mixer or handheld mixer, beat the unsalted butter until smooth and creamy on high speed. Add in the granulated sugar and beat on high again for about 2 minutes until fully incorporated and creamy.
• Next, add in the egg whites and beat on high for another minute. Turn mixer off and scrap down the bowl with rubber spatula.
• Turn mixer back on to medium speed and add in the sour cream and vanilla extract. Mix until incorporated.
• Lastly, turn mixer on low speed and slowly add in the milk.
• Turn off mixer, and hand mix a couple of time with your rubber spatula lightly (don’t over mix).
• Pour batter into greased baking pan and bake for 40 minutes. To test if done, use toothpick in center and if it comes out clean remove from oven. If still wet, add 2 more minutes. Repeat until done. (Mine always bakes perfectly at 40 minutes, but every oven is different).
• Let pan and cake cool completely on a wire rack.

MAKE FROSTING:

• In a large bowl with a stand mixer (or handheld), beat the butter on medium until creamy.
• Next, add in your powdered sugar slowly until fully combined. Turn to medium and mix for one minute.
• Turn mixer to low speed and add in your cream, vanilla extract and pinch of salt. Once combined increase speed to high and mix for 1-2 minutes until creamy and fluffy.
• Lastly, fold in your green and red sprinkles and mix until combined.

MAKE YOUR BALLS:

• Once your cake is cooled, cut or break up with your hands into smaller pieces and add to a large mixing bowl. Add in your frosting and stir until fully combined.
• Place your cake/frosting mixture in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight to chill.
• Once your cake/frosting mixture has chilled, remove from the refrigerator. Start forming 1 inch balls (or 1 Tbsp in size) from your mixture and place each on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Return your cake balls to the fridge to firm up for another 2 hours (or, again, you can leave them overnight to chill and firm up).
• Melt your Ghirardelli white chocolate melting wafers according to the package. The only note I have on this step is to not overheat. We started with 30 seconds, stirred, and then returned the chocolate to the microwave for another 30 seconds until the chocolate was melted all the way. You don’t want to overheat because it will make the chocolate too thin (or it will create a thickness that does not coat the cake balls with a smooth surface). Once melted, add in your vegetable oil and combine. Using a fork (or two), begin dipping each chilled cake ball into the chocolate. Let remaining chocolate run off back into the bowl and simply place each ball on the parchment paper to harden. This will happen pretty fast, so if you want to add sprinkles or any type of topping, add it right after you place each cake ball onto the parchment before it hardens. We let ours harden all the way, then followed up with extra white chocolate to create a fun drizzle on top, then some more holidays sprinkles on top (duh).