Buckeye Cake Balls

Remember cake ball truffles? Make peanut butter cake balls with homemade frosting and dip them in chocolate and you’ve made buckeye cake balls!

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It’s Halloween! But our trick-or-treaters came on Thursday (all 8 of them) so today is dedicated to the real event… Ohio State versus Penn State football! Yes, our house is divided one day a year.

This of course meant that it was time to unveil my buckeye candy variation of the season – peanut butter cake balls dipped in chocolate to obviously resemble a buckeye nut. 

Bob likes to argue with me that buckeye candies are actually “peanut butter balls” and that may be true if you fully dip them, but I see no fully dipped peanut butter balls here! Gotta leave that eye ;-).

You can smudge over the toothpick hole if you prefer, but that tastes more work than I feel like is necessary. Besides, I kind of feel like that little hole is a trademark of a homemade buckeye versus machine made.

But back to these cake balls. You quite literally bake a cake, regular boxed yellow cake, just as it says to on the box. Then once it is cool, you smash it to bits and mix it up with some homemade peanut butter frosting, rol into balls, and dip…

…Dip, baby dip.

Due to the cake bits, these buckeyes are not as rich as the originals, which means they are more easily devoured one after another. (Although if we are being honest, I never understand when people say they can only eat one of something if it is rich.)

Two years ago: Mummy Spinach Artichoke Stromboli

Four years ago: Apple Fritter Bread

Five years ago: Chocolate Covered Peanut Brittle

Six years ago: Caramel Apple Oreo Truffles

Nine years ago: Root Beer Sloppy Joes

BUCKEYE CAKE BALL;S

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Yield: 7 dozen (depending on size) Prep Time: 1 Hour

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 1 (18.25 oz) box yellow cake mix, plus ingredients on box
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp) unsalted butter
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp milk
• 6 oz. chocolate candy bark
• 6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 Tbsp shortening, optional

Directions

1. Bake the cake as directed on the box, using the 9x13-inch cake pan. Let cool completely.
2. While the cake cools, make the frosting: In a large bowl, beat together the peanut butter and butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar and milk and blend until fluffy.
3. Crumble the cake over the frosting and blend together until well incorporated.
4. Shape into balls using 2 teaspoons of dough for each ball (I used a small cookie scoop). Place on a wax paper lined pan, insert a wooden toothpick, and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
5. Melt chocolates (and shortening if using) together in a metal bowl over a pan of lightly simmering water. Stir occasionally until smooth, and remove from heat.
6. Remove balls from freezer. Dip into melted chocolate leaving a small circle uncovered at the base of the toothpick.
7. Return to wax paper, chocolate side down. Repeat with remaining balls.
8. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until set. Remove toothpicks and if desired, carefully smudge the holes left behind with fingertip.

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