Name: Cake Ball Ornaments Recipe
Total time: 505 min
Ingredients: 4 ounces white fondant (about the size of a tennis ball); 1 cup powdered sugar; 1 1/2 tablespoons meringue powder; 1-2 tablespoons water; Bronze, gold, and white edible luster spray; 1 package vanilla cake mix (such as Pillsbury Traditional Vanilla Cake Mix; do not use an "extra-moist" type); 1 cup ready-to-spread cream cheese frosting; 1 1/2 pounds white, red, or green candy coating disks (such as Wilton Candy Melts Candy); 20 (4-inch) skewers; 1 (6-inch-thick) piece of sturdy plastic foam (such as Styrofoam); Gold, red, green, and white edible Luster Dust; White nonpareils (optional)

What better way to top a Southern Living white cake than with these festive cake balls. These charming (and edible) ornaments can be colored however you wish with melted candy coating disks. You'll need about 1 1/2 pounds of disks to cover 20 cake balls. Add Luster Dust in the ornaments' colors for a sparkly finish, if desired. Top this year's Snowy Vanilla Cake with these ornaments we can't guarantee they will make it to dessert.

Pam Lolley

Updated on January 6, 2022

Cake Ball Ornaments — Photo: Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Active Time:

1 hrs 55 mins

Total Time:

8 hrs 25 mins

Yield:

20 cake balls

Ingredients

4 ounces white fondant (about the size of a tennis ball)
1 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons meringue powder
1 - 2 tablespoons water
Bronze, gold, and white edible luster spray
1 package vanilla cake mix (such as Pillsbury Traditional Vanilla Cake Mix; do not use an "extra-moist" type)
1 cup ready-to-spread cream cheese frosting
1 1/2 pounds white, red, or green candy coating disks (such as Wilton Candy Melts Candy)
20 (4-inch) skewers
1 (6-inch-thick) piece of sturdy plastic foam (such as Styrofoam)
Gold, red, green, and white edible Luster Dust
White nonpareils (optional)

Directions

Make ornament caps by forming 20 pea-size balls from fondant. Lightly press each ball into the shape of a drum. Score sides vertically with a sharp knife; set aside to dry.
Form 20 pearl-size balls from fondant. Using a wooden skewer, poke a hole into middle of each ball, and gently shape into a slightly larger doughnut-shaped circle. Let fondant pieces dry completely, about 1 hour.
Place powdered sugar, meringue powder, and 1 tablespoon of the water in a small bowl; beat with an electric mixer on low speed until combined. Increase speed to high; beat until white and fluffy, adding up to 1 tablespoon water, 1 teaspoon at a time (if needed), until smooth and thick. Transfer icing to a piping bag with a No. 2 decorating tip.
Attach edge of 1 doughnut-shaped fondant piece to the flat side of each drum-shaped piece with a small dot of icing; cover with bronze edible luster spray. Let ornament caps dry completely, about 30 minutes.
Prepare cake mix according to package directions for 2 (8-inch) round pans; let cool completely on a wire rack. Crumble cake with fingers into fine crumbs in a large bowl. Add cream cheese frosting; stir until mixture is the consistency of cookie dough. Shape mixture into 20 (1-inch) balls; and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. (Leftover cake mixture can be used to make mini [1/2-inch] balls, if desired.) Cover and chill until firm, about 2 hours or up to 2 days.
Place candy coating in a medium-size microwavable bowl (or 4-cup glass measuring cup), and microwave until melted, about 1 minute and 30 seconds, stirring at 30-second intervals.
Dip 1⁄2 inch of blunt end of 1 skewer in melted candy coating; insert dipped end of skewer about three-quarters through 1 chilled cake ball. (Do not insert all the way through.) Place on parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining skewers and cake balls. Chill 30 minutes.
If needed, reheat candy coating in microwave 30 seconds. Dip chilled cake balls in melted candy coating, twirling and lightly tapping skewers on lip of bowl to create a smooth coating around cake balls. Stick skewers upright in the plastic foam; let cake balls stand at room temperature until hardened, about 20 minutes. Decorate with edible luster spray and edible Luster Dust. Let dry completely, about 30 minutes.
Pipe icing on cake balls in decorative patterns. Attach an ornament cap to the top of each colored cake ball with a small dot of icing. Add nonpareils, if desired. Let dry 1 hour. Carefully remove skewers from cake balls, if desired. Attach Cake Ball Ornaments to top and sides of cake, securing with icing or wooden picks.