Pumpkin Shaped Chocolate Cake Balls

I made these fall treats for a Halloween party, but they are really perfect for anytime you need to make a fall treat.

Pumpkin Shaped Chocolate Cake Balls

So, if you are like my boyfriend, you can't hear "cake balls" without laughing. And ya know what, he has given me an appreciation for that, so I won't think you're immature and judge, I mean cake BALLS... tee hee hee. With that said, if you aren't from Boston (the original parent trap reference, anyone?) you have seen cake balls and cake pops everywhere. These are nothing new, but just a cute and easy idea to make them fall-friendly.

Ingredients:

1 Box Devil's Food Chocolate Cake Mix
1 Can of Cream Cheese Frosting
2 Bags of Orange Candy Melts (or 1 bag of pink and 1 bag of yellow)*
1 Bag of Green Candy Melts *

Directions:
Bake the cake according to box directions. Let cool completely. Break cake apart and in a large mixing bowl crumble cake by rubbing it together. You need it to be completely crumbled, not just broken apart. Mix the can of frosting into the crumbled cake. It is gonnna get messsy. I just used my hands. You will probably have to wash your hands before making the balls. Roll into golf ball sized balls onto a cookie sheet. Freeze for about half an hour or until they are fairly hard enough to dip into the candy without falling apart.

Place wax paper down on a table or cookie sheet.

Melt your orange candy melts (either double boiler style or in the microwave stirring at 15 second intervals).
Now this is the tough part- figuring out the best way to dip the balls into the candy melts. I used a toothpick, but some suggest using a fork and coating with a spoon. I found that using a fork it was difficult to make the balls smooth. So, for my method, stick a toothpick into the frozen cake ball and dip into the melted orange candy and use a spoon or fork to help fully coat the ball. Take the ball out of the candy and place on the wax paper to dry. Do this with all of the cake balls.

To make the stems: Melt your green candy melts. Take the melted candy and place in a ziploc bag. Cut a SMALL hole in the corner of the bag. Squeeze out the green candy on the top of the orange ball, covering the hole made from the toothpick, making the stems.

If you want to make them into jackolanterns, use black writing icing. DO NOT USE GEL ICING. I made that mistake. It don't work.

Let dry. Voila!

*You can buy Wilton Candy Melts from Michaels or other craft stores like Hobby Lobby. If you go the day before Halloween, you will be left with the yellow and pink = orange option :)