Halloween Cake Eyeballs (Printable view)

Chocolate-coated vanilla cake balls decorated as spooky eyeballs for Halloween gatherings

# What You'll Need:

→ For the Cake

01 - 1 box vanilla cake mix (approximately 15 oz) or 14 oz homemade vanilla cake
02 - 3 large eggs
03 - 1/2 cup vegetable oil
04 - 1 cup water

→ For the Filling

05 - 3.5 oz cream cheese, softened
06 - 3.5 oz unsalted butter, softened
07 - 7 oz powdered sugar
08 - 1 tsp vanilla extract

→ For Decoration

09 - 14 oz white chocolate or white candy melts
10 - 1.75 oz dark chocolate or black candy melts
11 - 1.75 oz blue or green candy melts OR colored icing
12 - Red gel food coloring or red decorating gel

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare and bake the vanilla cake according to package or recipe instructions. Allow to cool completely before proceeding.
02 - Crumble the cooled cake into a large bowl, breaking it down until fine, uniform crumbs form throughout.
03 - In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese, softened butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract together until smooth, creamy, and fully incorporated.
04 - Mix the frosting with the cake crumbs until fully combined and the mixture holds together when pressed, forming a moldable dough-like consistency.
05 - Scoop out tablespoons of the mixture and roll into 24 uniform balls. Place on a parchment-lined baking tray and freeze for 20 minutes to firm.
06 - Melt the white chocolate or candy melts gently until smooth. Dip each cake ball into the melted coating, ensuring complete coverage, then return to the tray.
07 - While the white coating is still soft, pipe or place a small amount of colored candy melt (blue or green) in the center of each ball to form the iris.
08 - Once the iris has set, add a small dot of dark chocolate or black candy melt in the center of each iris to create the pupil.
09 - Use red gel food coloring or decorating gel to draw thin, radiating lines around each eyeball to create realistic spooky veins.
10 - Allow all decorations to set completely at room temperature or in the refrigerator before serving. Best served chilled for optimal firmness.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • These creepy little treats disappear faster than ghosts at sunrise
  • The combination of moist cake and creamy frosting is secretly irresistible
  • They are easier to make than they look, I promise
02 -
  • Working quickly when dipping is essential because the cold cake balls will cause the chocolate to seize up fast
  • If your coating gets too thick, add a teaspoon of vegetable oil to thin it back down
  • The freezing step is not optional unless you want oval shaped blobs instead of round eyeballs
03 -
  • Wear gloves when dipping to keep fingerprints off the white coating
  • Keep a bowl of warm water nearby to dip your spoon in if the chocolate starts thickening

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