Valentine’s Day is around the corner. Do you have something planned for your sweetie? If not, and if you both like a good cocktail and are confident in the kitchen, then I have a suggestion for you: Spodee Cocktail Cake Balls.
Spodee is a wine fortified with moonshine (hence the “Wine with a Kick!”) that uses a Depression era recipe. There are slight hints of chocolate, and it reminds me a little of port. Since wine and chocolate are a typical V-Day pairing, I figured I couldn’t go wrong with crafting some cake balls–my take on a box of chocolates–using Spodee.
Now, because I am overly ambitious, I decided to make 3 different cake balls based off of 3 different cocktails. Try them all, or just one, and impress that special someone this Valentine’s Day. The flavors:
- Spodee Neat: Spodee cake, bound with Spodee syrup, coated with Spodee confectionery glaze.
- Spodee & Joe: Espresso cake made with Spodee, bound with an espresso whiskey spodee buttercream, coated in chocolate.
- Spodee Manhattan: Cherry cake made with Spodee, bound with a whiskey spodee cherry chocolate truffle, coated in chocolate.
These cake balls can be completed in an afternoon (depending on how many of the recipes you make) or over the course of a weekend. Once they’re finished, place them in mini cupcake wrappers, tuck them into a pretty box and gift away!
Ingredients
Directions
Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and position the racks toward the center. Lightly grease a 6-inch round cake pans. Set aside.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cocoa, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. Set aside to cool slightly.
In a small bowl, whisk the milk and egg until combined.
Add the egg/milk mixture to the dry and stir to combine (it will be very sticky). Add the melted butter, and whisk until smooth.
Add the Spodee, whisk to combine.
If using the pink gel food coloring, add a few drops and gently stir until the color is mixed throughout the batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, scraping the bowl clean.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until the top of the cake is springy and a toothpick, when poked into the middle of the cake, comes back clean.
Cool for 10 minutes in the pan on a cooling rack, then turn out of the pan onto wax paper on a rack. Cool completely.
To make the Spodee syrup, combine the water and sugar in a pan and bring to a bowl over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
Boil for 30 seconds and remove from the heat.
Let cool 5 minutes, then add the Spodee. Pour into a measuring cup (for use later) and cool fully.
Once the cake is cool, break it up into a large mixing bowl. To get the crumb finer, use a pastry blender.
Slowly pour in some of the syrup and begin mixing by hand to combine. Add more syrup as needed; the mixture is ready when you can scoop some up and form it into a firm ball that doesn't fall apart.
Scoop and form 14-16 cake balls, placing them on wax paper in the freezer to chill until firm, 20-30 minutes.
While the cake balls chill, make the Spodee glaze.
Combine the sifted confectioners sugar with the Spodee, whisking to combine. The mixture should be thick, yet fluid.
Pour into a 2-cup measuring cup and use once the cake balls are firm.
To dip the cake balls, drop the ball into the glaze and submerge with 2 forks, making sure the cake ball is completely covered.
Let excess glaze drip off the ball, then place onto a wire rack in a baking pan lined with wax paper (to catch the dripping glaze and minimize cleanup).
Once all the cake balls are dipped, let them sit for 10-15 minutes. Then dip again.
Let air-dry until the glaze is set. Do not store in the fridge, as this will make the glaze melt into the cake balls.
https://cupcakefridayproject.com/2013/02/spodee-cocktail-cake-balls-for-a-boozy-valentines-day/Ingredients
Directions
Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and position the racks toward the center. Lightly grease a 6-inch round cake pans. Set aside.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, instant espresso powder, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. Set aside to cool slightly.
In a small bowl, whisk the milk and egg until combined.
Add the egg/milk mixture to the dry and stir to combine (it will be very sticky). Add the melted butter, and whisk until smooth.
Add the Spodee, whisk to combine.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, scraping the bowl clean.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until the top of the cake is springy and a toothpick, when poked into the middle of the cake, comes back clean.
Cool for 10 minutes in the pan on a cooling rack, then turn out of the pan onto wax paper on a rack. Cool completely.
To make the buttercream, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Combine the whiskey and instant espresso, stirring to combine.
Beat in the sugar, followed by the whiskey-espresso mixture and the Spodee. Whip until light and fluffy.
Once the cake is cool, break it up into a large mixing bowl. To get the crumb finer, use a pastry blender.
Add about half the buttercream and begin mixing with a spatula to combine. Add more buttercream as needed; the mixture is ready when you can scoop some up and form it into a firm ball that doesn't fall apart.
Scoop and form 14-16 cake balls, placing them on wax paper in the chill in the fridge until firm, 20-30 minutes, or overnight if you're splitting up the project over 2 days.
While the cake balls chill, make the chocolate coating.
Melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe 2-cup measuring cup. Add the canola and stir to combine, making sure the coating is thick, yet fluid. Use once the cake balls are firm.
To dip the cake balls, drop the ball into the chocolate and submerge with 2 forks, making sure the cake ball is completely covered.
Let excess chocolate drip off the ball, then place onto a baking pan lined with wax paper (don't use a rack ... the chocolate will harden and stick to it).
Once all the cake balls are dipped, chill in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes. Take the remaining chocolate and drizzle over the cake balls, chilling again until firm.
https://cupcakefridayproject.com/2013/02/spodee-cocktail-cake-balls-for-a-boozy-valentines-day/Ingredients
Directions
Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and position the racks toward the center. Lightly grease a 6-inch round cake pans. Set aside.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Sprinkle in the chopped cherries and toss to coat. Set aside.
In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. Set aside to cool slightly.
In a small bowl, whisk the milk and egg until combined.
Add the egg/milk mixture to the dry and stir to combine (it will be very sticky). Add the melted butter, and whisk until smooth.
Add the Spodee, whisk to combine.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, scraping the bowl clean.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until the top of the cake is springy and a toothpick, when poked into the middle of the cake, comes back smooth.
Cool for 10 minutes in the pan on a cooling rack, then turn out of the pan onto wax paper on a rack. Cool completely.
To make the Whiskey Spodee Cherry Chocolate Truffle, combine the cherries and Spodee in a pan over medium high heat and simmer until the Spodee has reduced to about 2 tbsp.
Remove from the heat and cool for 5 minutes before pureeing in a food processor. You should have 1/4 cup of cherry Spodee puree.
Measure the chocolate into a heat-safe bowl and set aside.
Bring the heavy cream, cherry Spodee puree, whiskey and butter to a boil.
Take off the heat and pour over the chocolate, letting it sit for 5-10 minutes.
Stir to combine, then chill for at least 30 minutes.
Once the cake is cool, break it up into a large mixing bowl. To get the crumb finer, use a pastry blender.
Slowly add some of the truffle mixture and begin mixing with a spatula to combine. Add more truffle as needed; the mixture is ready when you can scoop some up and form it into a firm ball that doesn't fall apart.
Scoop and form 14-16 cake balls, placing them on wax paper in the fridge to chill until firm, at least 20-30 minutes, or overnight if you're splitting up the project over 2 days.
While the cake balls chill, make the chocolate coating.
Melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe 2-cup measuring cup. Add the canola and stir to combine, making sure the coating is thick, yet fluid. Use once the cake balls are firm.
To dip the cake balls, drop the ball into the chocolate and submerge with 2 forks, making sure the cake ball is completely covered.
Let excess chocolate drip off the ball, then place onto a baking pan lined with wax paper (don't use a rack...the chocolate will harden and stick to it).
Sprinkle on the red crystal sugar while the coating is still a bit wet.
Once all the cake balls are dipped, chill in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes.
https://cupcakefridayproject.com/2013/02/spodee-cocktail-cake-balls-for-a-boozy-valentines-day/Disclosure: Quaker City Mercantile provided me with Spodee so I could develop these recipes. My opinions are my own.
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