These lemon cake balls also called lemon bites are the perfect bite sized treats for spring time treat the whole family will love.
Soft, moist lemon cake mixed with cream cheese then dipped in white chocolate before decorating with more chocolate or sprinkles. These are easier to make than cake pops and are simply impossible to resist!
If these kind of desserts are up your alley, you’ve got to try our patriotic cake balls and carrot cake balls too!
Easy lemon cake balls recipe
There's just something irresistible about lemon desserts. The color and citrus flavor will brighten your day And when you combine tangy lemon with rich, creamy cream cheese you know you are in for a real treat!
Whether you choose to call these cake balls lemon bites or lemon cake truffles, trust me, the name won’t matter anymore after you’ve had a bite! Just like our lemon cupcakes, you won’t be able to stop at one.
Love truffles? Try this brownie balls and gingerbread truffles next!
Highlights of this recipe
Delicious lemon flavor: a delightfully tangy and refreshing lemon taste in each bite.
The cream cheese factor. The luscious cream cheese blended into the cake gives an unbelievably creamy, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Make these ahead for a party or for a ready to grab treat for the week!
For a fun twist, you can shape the lemon cake bites mixture into cake pops instead of balls. Just insert a dipped lollipop stick into each one before dipping in the coating. More on this to follow.
Ingredients
- Lemon Cake mix
- Water
- Egg
- White chocolate me
- Yellow candy melt
- Lollipop sticks (👈 affiliate link) Only if you want to make lemon cake pops instead of lemon cake balls
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Mixing bowls
How to make lemon cake balls
This is an overview of the recipe with step by step photos. Scroll down to end of post for a printable recipe card with the amount of ingredients and full recipe instructions.
Bake the cake according to package instructions.
When baked, set cake aside to cool completely. Then crumble the baked cake.
Whisk the cream cheese till smooth. Add the crumbled cake to the cream cheese then mix to combine.
Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out some of the cream cheese cake mix into your palm. Roll together to form a smooth ball then place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
Repeat process till all the cake mixture is finished. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 mins. In the mean time melt the vanilla melting wafers over using a double boiler till fully melted.
Use a fork to dip the chilled cake balls into the melted chocolate, tap the fork after dipping at the side of the bowl to get off excess chocolate.
Set dipped cake balls on the baking sheet. In the meantime, transfer the yellow candy melts into a piping bag. Place in the microwave and microwave at 30 secs intervals massaging in between intervals till fully melted.
Cut off the tip of the piping bag. Decorate the cake balls with a few lines. Place in the refrigerator for about 10 mins to set before serving.
How to make lemon cake pops
Crumble the cooled cake and mix with cream cheese. Roll the mixture into 1 inch balls then arrange in a parchment paper lined baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 mins.
Melt chocolate wafers in a double boiler or microwave. Dip about ½ inch of the tip of the lollipop stick into the melted chocolate then push it ½ way into the cold cake ball. Next dip the cake ball into the chocolate until it’s completely coated including the base of the cake ball connected to the stick.
Give it a gentle tap to remove excess chocolate decorate with sprinkles if using. The stick it upright into a styrofoam to set. Repeat process with all the other cake balls.
It is important to work in batches when making cake pops so don’t bring all the chilled cake balls out of the refrigerator at the same time. They need to be chilled to help with the lollipop stick staying put.
How to store
These lemon cake truffles can last up to 1 week stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. For longer storage, you can freeze them for 2-3 months. Just let them thaw in the fridge overnight before serving.
Helpful Tips
- Use a good quality cream cheese for the best flavor and texture.
- Chill the cake balls for a minimum of 1 hour before dipping in the melted chocolate wafers to help them hold their shape.
- Work in smaller batches of chilled cake balls if making cake pops.
- Top with sprinkles, crushed lemon cookies for extra fun!
More easy desserts
- Lime cupcakes
- Homestyle Rice Krispie treats
- Check out all our Home Cooked Recipes
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Lemon cake balls
Equipment
- Baking pan
- Hand mixer
- 1.5” cookie scoop
- Baking trays
- Parchment paper
- Double boiler (or microwave)
Ingredients
The cake
- 15.25 ounce Betty Crocker lemon cake mix (to be baked according to package instructions)
- 8 ounce block cream cheese (softened to room temperature)
For decorating
- 10 oz White candy melts or melting wafers (I used Ghirardelli vanilla melting wafers)
- ¾ cup yellow candy melts
Instructions
- Preheat oven and bake the lemon cake mix according to package directions.
- While cake is baking, line baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- When cake is baked, let it cool completely. Then with gloved hands or a fork to crumble it in the baking pan.
- With a hand mixer, beat cream cheese on medium-high until smooth.
- Fold in crumbled cake and mix on low until fully incorporated, scraping sides as needed.
- With a cookie scoop, scoop out some of the cake-cream cheese blend into your hands. Roll between your palms to form a smooth ball before placing on the prepared baking sheets. Repeat process till all the mixture have been rolled into balls.
- Refrigerate cake balls for 1-2 hours until firm. Chilling helps them hold their shape for dipping.
- In a double boiler on low, melt vanilla wafers, stirring gently until smooth. Take care not to overheat or chocolate may seize up. Alternatively microwave at 30 secs intervals stirring between each interval until it’s melted fully.
- Dip cake balls one at a time into the melted chocolate with a fork. Tap the for gently on the edge of the bowl to remove excess coating after dipping. Set aside in the baking sheet and continue till all the cake balls are all dipped.
- Put the yellow candy melts in a small piping bag or ziplock bag and melt in the microwave at 30 seconds intervals Massaging the bag between intervals till fully melted.
- When melted, snip off the tip of the pipping bag and pipe on some stripes on the dipped cake balls.
- Refrigerate cake balls for about 10 minutes to set coating before serving.
Notes
- Chilling is important for tidy dipping and shaping.
- if using sprinkles, decorate right after dipping the cake balls.
- Melting chocolate requires low, even heat to stay smooth.
- Substitute for any flavor cake mix
- Substitute the cream cheese for homemade or store-bought frosting.
- Handle the cake balls gently when coating to prevent crumbling.
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