Paula Deen Ghoulish Eyes

Paula Deen Ghoulish Eyes are creepy snack cake balls made from red velvet cake mix, cream cheese frosting and white chocolate, ready in 40 minutes of work plus chilling. Try this easy Halloween party treat for school parties, fall potlucks or haunted house nights, since it's make-ahead and no-bake.

Chill the cake and frosting mixture for at least 3 hours before rolling, because soft dough will not hold its shape on a toothpick. If a ball falls into the chocolate while dipping, it needs more time in the freezer.

Paula tints white chocolate with red food coloring for the bloodshot drizzle, which turns plain cake balls into creepy eyeballs. She also shapes the balls with a melon baller, so every eye comes out the same size.

Paula Deen Ghoulish Eyes

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: DessertCuisine: American, SouthernDifficulty: Medium

Servings

20

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Calories

190

kcal

Crumbled red velvet cake and cream cheese frosting turn into soft, fudgy balls under a crisp white chocolate shell. A red drizzle and a candy pupil finish each eyeball.

Ingredients

• 1 (18.25 oz) package red velvet cake mix
  

• 1 (16 oz) container prepared cream cheese cake frosting
  

• 6 oz or bars white chocolate flavored confectioners coating disks
  

• 36 red candy coated chocolate pieces
  

• red food coloring
  

Directions

• Bake the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare the red velvet cake mix according to the box directions. Once it finishes baking, let it cool for 30 minutes.
• Crumble the cake: Crumble the cooled cake into a large bowl using a hand mixer, or use the bowl of a standing mixer. Then the cake is ready for the frosting.
• Mix and chill: Add the cream cheese frosting and mix until well combined. Refrigerate the bowl for at least 3 hours or overnight so the mixture firms up.
• Shape the balls: Line a baking tray with wax paper, then scoop the mixture into balls with a melon baller. Once all the balls are on the tray, freeze them for 1 hour.
• Melt the coating: Melt the white chocolate coating disks in a glass bowl in the microwave, stirring every 5 to 10 seconds until smooth. Stir in a bit of red food coloring if you want to tint some of it for the drizzle.
• Dip the balls: Pick up each frozen ball with a toothpick and dip it in the melted chocolate. Then slide it off onto the wax paper with a second toothpick.
• Add the pupils: Press a red candy coated chocolate piece into the middle of each eye. Then refrigerate the tray until the coating sets.
• Drizzle and serve: Drizzle the red tinted white chocolate over the set eyeballs to make them look bloodshot. Stop after the white chocolate dip if you want plain cake balls.

Tools for this recipe

• KitchenAid Artisan 5-quart stand mixer, OXO medium cookie scoop, Reynolds unbleached parchment paper. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Why do my cake balls fall off the toothpick into the chocolate?

They are not firm enough yet. Put them back in the freezer for more time, and they will hold on while you dip.

Can I make these without a toothpick?

An old Easter egg dipper works just as well. Either tool lets you lower the ball into the chocolate and lift it out without touching it.

Can I make plain cake balls instead of eyeballs?

Yes, just stop after dipping the balls in white chocolate. You can then decorate them any way you like.

Can I make Ghoulish Eyes ahead of time?

The cake and frosting mixture can chill overnight, so you can split the work across two days. Keep the finished eyes in the refrigerator until you serve them.

Do I have to use white chocolate coating?

The red tinted drizzle needs white coating because it takes food coloring well. Other flavors will dip fine, but they will not give you the bloodshot look.