Red Velvet Cheesecake Balls (Print Version)
Creamy cheesecake mixed with red velvet crumbs, chilled and coated in chocolate for festive bite-sized treats.
# What You Need:
→ Red Velvet Cake Base
01 - 10.5 oz red velvet cake, fully baked and cooled (store-bought or homemade)
→ Cheesecake Filling
02 - 7 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
03 - 1.4 oz powdered sugar, sifted
04 - 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
→ Chocolate Coating
05 - 8.8 oz white chocolate (dark or semisweet may be substituted)
06 - Red food coloring, a few drops (optional, for tinting the coating)
→ Decoration
07 - Red velvet cake crumbs (optional)
08 - Sprinkles (optional)
# How-To:
01 - Break the fully cooled red velvet cake into fine, even crumbs using your hands or a food processor. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
02 - In a separate bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract together using an electric mixer or whisk until the mixture is completely smooth and free of lumps.
03 - Fold the cream cheese mixture into the cake crumbs and mix thoroughly until a soft, pliable dough forms that holds together when pressed.
04 - Using a small cookie scoop or tablespoon, portion out the dough and roll each piece between your palms to form a smooth ball. Arrange all balls on a parchment-lined baking tray.
05 - Refrigerate the shaped balls for at least 1 hour until they are firm enough to handle without losing their shape during coating.
06 - Melt the white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, or gently melt over a double boiler. Stir in red food coloring if a tinted coating is desired.
07 - Dip each chilled ball into the melted chocolate, allowing any excess to drip off before returning it to the parchment-lined tray.
08 - While the chocolate coating is still wet, immediately garnish with red velvet crumbs or sprinkles as desired.
09 - Allow the chocolate coating to fully harden at room temperature or in the refrigerator before serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- No baking required beyond the initial cake, so it is genuinely foolproof even on your laziest day.
- The creamy cheesecake center hidden inside that chocolate shell will make people think you spent hours you definitely did not spend.
02 -
- If the mixture feels too wet to roll, add a few extra cake crumbs, and if it is too dry, a tiny splash of milk will fix it.
- Do not skip the chilling step, because warm balls will slide right off the fork and leave you with a mess in your chocolate bowl.
03 -
- Use a small cookie scoop to portion the filling so every ball is the same size and they set evenly.
- Keep a tall glass of hot water nearby to dip your fork into between coatings, because warm chocolate slides off the fork much more cleanly.