Taste and Tell

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Strawberry Shortcake Cake Bites


We all know that I love cookbooks.  I own way too many of them, but can never pass up a chance to get my hands on a new one.  So when I was contacted to review Wendy Paul’s latest cookbook – 101 Gourmet Cake Bites – I was super excited!!

Ok, confession time, though.  I don’t always love cake bites.  I’ve said it before, but they are usually too sweet for me, which is probably a good thing because 1 is plenty.  But this book is SO FUN.  Forget your normal cake bites that are just decorated all fancy.  This cookbook is mostly all about what is on the inside.

I had originally planned on making the Bananas Foster Cake Bites, but when I went to make them, I found out that my husband had eaten the 2 bananas that I had put aside for the recipe.  Thank goodness my mother in law brought over a bucket-full of fresh strawberries from her garden just the night before!!  I was totally drawn to the fruity section of the cookbook – maybe because it is summer and there is such an abundance of great fruit out there right now.  But I can’t believe what a difference it made to add fruit to the inside of these bites.  No more boring cake bites!!

MY LATEST RECIPES

This cookbook is full of all sorts of amazing recipes.  There are so many different flavor combinations – you can bet that I’ll be trying out more of them.  There is also a section of decorated cake bites that are perfect for holidays or special occasions.  But the different flavors are what sets this cookbook apart from others for me!

Strawberry Shortcake Cake Bites
from 101 Gourmet Cake Bites

makes 26-40 cake pops

1 box white cake mix
3 eggs
1 teaspoon sea or kosher salt
3/4 cup half-and-half

1/3 cup fresh strawberries, mashed
3/4 cup Vanilla Buttercream (recipe follows)
white melting chocolate

Preheat the oven to 350F. Prepare a 13×9-inch baking pan by spraying with non-stick cooking spray.

Mix together the cake mix, eggs, salt and half and half. Batter will be thick. Pour into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 28-32 minutes. Cool completely.

In a large bowl, crumble the cooked, cooled cake. Add in the strawberries and buttercream. Using the back of a spoon, mix together all ingredients. Form into balls and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or in the freezer for 20 minutes. Dip in melting chocolate.

Vanilla Buttercream
from 101 Gourmet Cake Bites

makes about 3 cups

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 3/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
3-4 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Beat until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds. Stop the mixer and add in the sugar. Mix on low until mostly incorporated. Add in the vanilla and 3 tablespoons of milk, and start the mixer on low and work up to medium until completely incorporated. Add 1 more tablespoon of milk if the frosting is too thick.

All writing and photography is copyright © 2007-2015 by Deborah Harroun unless otherwise indicated. All rights reserved.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. I love vanilla cake doctored up with a french vanilla pudding and then colored tie dyed. 😀 I really hope I win this – thanks for the entry! I love your blog and subscribe via RSS! 😀

    Reply

  8. Cold chocolate cake. The Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Cake and Frosting recipe is my fave. Thanks!

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  11. I love anything with strawberries, raspberries or chocolate. So those strawberry cake bites look so good right now!

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  15. I’m not entering the giveaway as I live in Canada, but I just wanted to say this is the best looking cake bite I’ve ever seen. I, too, have never been that fond of them, but I would definitely try this. I hope you make the bananas foster one sometime too. :o) It really looks so delicious. Yum!

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  21. I would LOVE to win this book! I’m addicted to cake bites! My favorites cake flavor has to be by far your recipe for the “Cookies and Cream Cupcakes.” They are so addicting!

    P.S – I love looking at your blog for recipes for dinner!! My mouth always waters just reading the ingredients!

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  46. I agree, they’re usually too rich for me to eat as well. I’ll take a bite, but then either share with the hubs or choke down the second half. But then again, I’d rather make cake than eat it. I’m much more of a pie girl. 🙂

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  57. I’ve only ever made chocolate ones. But by the time I go through all the trouble to make them, they just don’t seem appetizing to me so I don’t ever end up eating them. The bananas foster ones sound delicious though.

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  58. It might be easier to tell you my least favorite…. nope – there isn’t one! Reading through this list, I am salivating….

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  63. ahh what a fun book–I love the strawberry shortcake variation and the bananas foster has me curious! My favorite cake is probably my mom’s famous Italian cream cake..wonder how that’d be in a cake ball 🙂

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  94. Deborah, you seriously want me to choose just one cake? That’s like choosing a favorite child.
    Wow, I woukd have to say lemon cake with raspberry frosting. It’s kinda weird because I’m such a chocolate girl but I’m not a big fan of chocolate cake.

    Call me weird!

    I love your cakes and so want this book won or purchased I’m a sucker for portions sizes and little things. 🙂

    Reply

  98. These would probably be my favorite even though I haven’t tried them yet! They look so good! I have a baby shower cake order for a little girl and these just might be included…thanks for sharing!

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  111. A small local bakery where I live makes cake balls and I really like her lemon ones. I’m not usually a fan of lemon things… but man they are good!

    Thanks. And good luck to me. 🙂 (big, hopeful smile)

    Reply

  122. When someone asks me what my favorite dessert is, the only appropriate answer to me, seems to be- “Whatever is on my plate!” lol. But I do love Chocolate cake and carrot with cream cheese frosting and…..
    Your Strawberry Cake Balls look soo scrumptious! Thanks for the chance to win 🙂

    Reply

  148. It’s so funny – we made “cake balls” as we call them 5 years ago as favors at my wedding – before all the rage. I’m thinking I should have written this cookbook!

    My favorite flavor is anything chocolate, and ALL chocolate.

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  161. My favorite cake is rum cake. I am asked to make this cake, and bring it to all kinds of functions. It’s so moist and so delicious, you get hooked on it after one bite!

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  164. My favorite cake bite flavor is chocolate but if I had to choose a flavor outside of cake…..OREO!!!! Yummy!

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  185. I know this is an old post, but I somehow missed it the first time around. Saw the mention on your Bananas Foster post and wanted to ask about the fresh berries … and the interesting cake recipe. I guess by adding the berries, you have to be really careful that the cake isn’t too moist already.

    How did you like these? Any idea how long they would last with the berries inside?

    Thanks so much. I am planning on trying all three – coconut, bananas foster and these in the near future. I was a die hard cake ball hater until I agreed to make some for a birthday party. Nothing fancy like yours, but I discovered that they aren’t so bad! 🙂

    Reply

    • @Martha, I’m not sure how long they would last. I only made a half batch, and they were gone within a day and a half!! The way the recipe is written, the cake batter is a bit more dense, so I didn’t notice that the berries made it too moist. If you try them out, make sure and let me know how you liked them!

      Reply

  187. I tried making your strawberry shortcake bites, but the balls are very wet an dense.. What did I do wrong?
    They taste great though!!!

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    • @Laura, I just remember mine having the consistency of any other cake bite, so I’m not sure what went wrong. I’m glad they tasted great, though!

      Reply

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