Devil's balls

Red velvet cake mix	1 package
Cream cheese frosting	1 container
Chocolate, dipping variety	3 cups

1. Prepare cake according to the instructions on its package; cool for 30 minutes on a wire rack, and transfer into a large bowl.
2. Using an electric mixer on low, break the cake into crumbs for about 1 minute; add frosting, and mix well.
3. Place bowl in the refrigerator at least 3 hours or, preferably, over night.
4. Line a baking sheet with wax paper.
5. Using a melon baller, form balls with the cake mixture, and place on the wax paper.
6. After all of the cake balls are formed, place the tray into the freezer for 1 hour.
7. Melt 1/3 of the chocolate in a glass bowl in the microwave for 45 seconds, stir, and then increments of 15 seconds, stirring in between, until it’s completely melted.
   Add food coloring, if desired and using white chocolate.
8. Remove the balls from the freezer.
9. Using toothpicks, skewers, or other chocolate dipping apparatus, dip 1/3 of the cake ball, and then return them to the wax paper-lined tray.
10. Repeat the melting of chocolate and dipping of balls twice.
11. Place chocolate dipped cake balls into the refrigerator until the coating sets.
12. Drizzle on other chocolate type and finish other decorations.

During my research on this recipe, some bakers recommended not refrigerating after this point as it causes sweating (which also seems to occur if the balls are in the freezer too long). Instead freeze them or store them in an air-tight container on your counter top. The chocolate coating helps to preserves the cake’s moistness.

You may prepare the cake and frosting from scratch, or not, according to your tastes, but it doesn't appear to make much difference, if my research is to be believed. I went with a boxed red velvet cake mix from Williams-Sonoma, but made the frosting.

Lastly, I went with Guittard's white and semisweet chocolates for the coating. However, any decent melting chocolate should work fine. To keep the chocolate from cracking after it sets around the cake ball, add a small amount of butter or Crisco.

Recipe started from a recommendation from my sister-in-law about Paula Deen's cake balls, and then dug a little deeper since it was my first attempt.