• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Start here
  • Baking 101
  • Recipes
  • Shop
  • Cart

The Bake School logo

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Start here
  • Baking 101
  • Recipes
  • Shop
  • Contact
  • Cart
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Start here
    • Baking 101
    • Recipes
    • Shop
    • Contact
    • Cart
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Confections

    Published on: December 4, 2020 by Janice; Updated on: January 26, 2022 Leave a Comment

    Christmas cake balls

    27 shares
    • Facebook
    • Yummly
    • Email
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Fruitcake balls made from crumbled leftover fruitcake ready to be coated in white chocolate

    Don't let that fruitcake go to waste! Turn leftover fruitcake into these Christmas cake balls, cake truffles dipped in melted chocolate. Your family will love these, probably more than the cake itself.

    Fruitcake balls made from crumbled leftover fruitcake ready to be coated in white chocolate

    Personally, I love fruitcake and this white fruitcake is my all-time favourite. The recipe makes a lot of Christmas cake, and though I love to eat fruitcake daily for breakfast during the holidays, there's always a little leftover.

    A plate of Christmas cake balls dipped in white chocolate and ready to be eaten.

    The recipe for the cake makes several loaves, so usually we wrap one in marzipan and frost it generously with a brandy frosting. The rest, we leave plain so that we can transform it into Christmas cake balls (like cake pops, but minus the wooden stick).

    Ingredients to make Christmas cake balls from leftover fruitcake, rum, and white chococlate.

    What you need to make these

    Making cake balls like these fruitcake balls could not be simpler. You just need three things!

    1. leftover cake, in this cake some sort of fruitcake or Christmas cake, unfrosted
    2. a liquid, like rum since it's the holidays, but milk with a splash of vanilla also works great like for these birthday cake truffles
    3. chocolate for melting and coating the cake balls so that they hold their shape and to help preserve them longer
    Leftover fruitcake broken into pieces and placed in the bowl of a food processor to make fruitcake balls.Grinding up leftover fruitcake with rum to make Christmas cake balls.

    Special equipment

    I highly recommend using a food processor to make cake balls, though you could technically finely chop or even grate leftover cake on a box grater, I suppose. The goal is to turn the cake into fine crumbs, then add a liquid to bind them together to make balls.

    Shaping fruitcake balls dough made in the food processor before them dipping in melted chocolate.

    Using leftover cake to make cake balls

    Making cake truffles from leftover fruitcake is very easy. I like to use the food processor to combine the leftover fruitcake with a little alcohol (or you can use milk or cream, or even water for an alcohol-free version), then you pulse and process until the mixture resembles wet sand.

    Shaping fruitcake balls dough made in the food processor before them dipping in melted chocolate.

    You know the consistency is good if you can form a ball by working a heaped spoonful of the mixture with your hands. Too much liquid will ruin these because they won't hold the shape. You want just enough moisture to be able to gather the crumbs together and hold them, but not so much that they are wet, soggy, and falling apart. 

    Christmas cake balls scooped onto a sheet pan and ready to be dipped in melted white chocolate

    Once the fruitcake truffles are formed, you can then dip them in melted chocolate. Let them harden and then store them in the fridge or freezer for later. The principle behind these Christmas cake truffles is the same as for the birthday cake truffles. Both of these are great treats to store in the freezer for when the craving strikes.

    Dipping Christmas cake balls in melted white chocolate to coat them.

    We make these fruitcake balls every year, along with these amaretto booze balls. They also make great edible homemade gifts that you can send in the mail without worrying about them falling apart. They ship very well.

    White chocolate-covered fruitcake balls on a plate, ready to be eaten.
    Save Recipe Saved! Print Pin

    Christmas cake balls

    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Transform leftover fruitcake into Christmas cake balls with this easy recipe! Everybody loves these fruitcake truffles coated in chocolate, even the people that hate fruitcake!
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine British
    Keyword Christmas cake balls
    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Total Time 15 minutes
    Servings 48 truffles
    Calories 51kcal
    Author Janice

    Ingredients

    • 450 grams (1 lb) fruitcake or leftover Christmas cake
    • 20 mL (4 teaspoon) spiced or dark rum
    • 225 grams (½ lb) Cacao Barry white chocolate melted (or 70 % dark chocolate)
    • Cacao Barry extra brute cocoa powder for dusting, optional

    Instructions

    • Place the fruitcake and the rum in the bowl of a food processor and process until combined.
    • Roll the mixture into small, bite-sized truffles (~ 1 inch).
    • Dip the truffles in the melted chocolate, and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet to set.
    • Dust with cocoa powder before serving (optional).
    Give backIf you enjoy the free content on this website, say thank you!
    Tried this recipe?Mention @bakesomethingawesome or tag #bakesomethingawesome!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 51kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 54mg | Potassium: 21mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 16IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg
    Fruitcake balls made from crumbled leftover fruitcake ready to be dipped in a bowl of melted white chocolate to coat them
    Fruitcake truffles being dipped in a bowl of melted white chocolate to coat them, and set on a plate lined with parchment paper so they don't stick

    More Confections

    • Booze balls with dark chocolate and amaretto
    • How to make sea salt caramels
    • Maple fudge
    • Grapefruit honey pâte de fruit
    27 shares
    • Facebook
    • Yummly
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Baking resources

  • Baking conversion charts
  • Baking ingredients and pantry staples
  • Baking substitutions
  • Common baking conversions
  • Choosing baking pans
  • How to measure ingredients for baking
  • Mixing methods
  • Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    This is a picture of Janice Lawandi

    Hi, I'm Janice! I am a baking-obsessed recipe developer with a PhD in Chemistry who writes about baking and the science of baking.

    More about me →

    Give back

    If you enjoy the free content on this website, consider saying thank you!

    Eggless chocolate cake

    Chocolate layer cake with cream cheese frosting and chocolate sprinkles on a cake stand.
    Learn to make an eggless chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting!

    Bake with citrus

    • Lemon loaf cake
    • Lime marmalade
    • Pavlova
    • Orange pie

    Baking conversions

    Buy the baking conversion charts NOW!

    How to poach pears

    Poached pears on an enamelware plate.
    This easy poached pears recipe is simple and you can use the poached fruit for salads, appetizers, and desserts!

    Footer

    If you enjoy the free content on this website, consider saying thank you!

    Buy Me a Pound of Butter

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Meet Janice
    • FAQ
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms and conditions
    • Press

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Services
    • Portfolio

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    COPYRIGHT © 2022 · THE BAKE SCHOOL