I've seen several pictures of cake balls on here and lots of input so first I'd like to thank everyone for sharing!

Every recipe i've seen varies a bit but they all state to crumb the cake in your fingers - wondering if anyone has used a food processor to crumb and combine with the icing and if so if that would give you a smoother ball?

dont think that would make it any smoother. i have done it, and my crumbs were as fine as any i have made with my food processor. takes more time of course!
i think the smoothness is a lot to do with practice!
xx

I throw the cooled cake in my mixer and make crumbs out of it with the paddle attachment. I also mix it with the frosting in there. But to get them smooth you have to roll the balls in your hands, it doesn't work just scooping it out with an ice cream scoop, in my experience.

Ditto Ditto..I use my mixer but smooth with hands.

I've got the smooth part down pat, my issues comes when dipping them. I just can't figure out how to dip them and keep them really pretty without a puddle around the bottom or a hole in the top.

Any thoughts on that?

I kinda let them roll off the fork but I let them drip a bit first and that seems to cut down on the puddles.

MissLisa, have you seen this video?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0811876373/?tag=cakecentral-20

It might help you with the tapping the extra coating.

i tried that once and i don`t no what i did wrong but when i tried to pull the cake ball out of the chocolate with the stick. the stick came right out of the cake ball

try putting a little bit of chocoalte on the stick before you put it in the cake ball its like cement!

thanks for the advice everyone!

oh forgot to ask one more thing about these - can the finishes balls be frozen? I want to make a bunch tomorrow but won't be eating until New Years... so want to know if they freeze and then thaw okay? just thawn on the counter the day of/before???

i freeze mine coated, but they are also wraped induvidually

I have a book I just got from Bakearella I think. She said you can put the cake balls in treat bags, place them in an air tight containter, and then freeze and she has never had a problem with it. I just made my first batch ever tonight and am going to try freezing them this way. Hope that helps.

thanks again! will have to try.

I agree with the above postst that the smoothness of the crumbs themselves are not what make the smooth cake balls ... that being said, though, I will never make them in anything except a food processor again! I used my Cuisinart the other day, and it beat the stuff so well, I barely needed any binder at all, and it was the easiest thing in the world to scoop and mold. SO nice!!! And obviously much faster than doing it by hand ... very uniform, and convenient .

What attachment do you guys use when you use your mixer? I did it by hand and was wondering the whole time why I couldn't use my kitchenaid.

I just tried to make some ... made about 10 balls when I realized i had forgot to add some liquor to them so dumped back into the bowl to start over. Had just used my hands to crumb and added some buttercream to bind. I added about 4 tbs of khalua and found that it made them too soft - to the point where they wouldn't hold their shape! so had to add about 1/4 cup of cocoa to stiffen them back up ... looking back on it i didnt' really need the buttercream at all Since they didn't fit in the fridge I just put them on a cookie sheet and put out on the deck - it's colder out there than it is in the fridge will dip them in chocolate later tonight...

but still have a ton of chocolate cake left ... might make more tomorrow...

Freezing chocolate is no problem, and if covered properly will last for months. Be sure to either freeze them in tightly sealed containers, or freezer bags.  I had cake balls that were frozen for over 3 months and when thawed...were pefect!