DAVID PAGE (Franklin, Tennessee) was born in Nashville, Tennessee. His grandmother is CAROLYN BOOTH (also of Nashville), who is affectionately known to her grandchildren as Mom Mom. Mom Mom makes these cake balls and does all kinds of variations with them. David submitted this version, though, because it’s his personal favorite. Mom Mom uses different kinds of cake mixes for the actual cake balls—sometimes orange, sometimes yellow. And sometimes she uses white chocolate bark to decorate them extra pretty. David shares, “Of course, Mom Mom likes them to look nice on the table, but all I care about is eating them. My brother and I love to make them with her, but they don’t last long enough to worry about making them pretty! When I had my high school graduation party, Mom Mom made a beautiful tray of these delicious cake balls. They were a HUGE hit, and everyone thought they came from a bakery. These were a lot better than bakery-bought since they were made with lots of love from Mom Mom.”
1 (18.25 ounce) box chocolate cake mix, plus ingredients to make cake
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (16 ounce) package chocolate bark or any sweetened, meltable chocolate
1 Preheat the oven according to cake mix package directions.
2 Prepare the cake according to package directions and bake in a 9 × 13-inch pan as directed on the box. Let the cake cool completely.
3 When the cake is cool, crumble it into a bowl and pour the can of sweetened condensed milk over the cake and mix it with your hands. Cover and place in the refrigerator to chill overnight.
4 Roll small cake balls by hand, about the size of a Ping-Pong ball or golf ball and place on wax paper.
5 Melt the chocolate using a double boiler or microwave. (If using a microwave, put a cup at a time in a microwave-safe bowl, heat 45 seconds, and stir. If it needs to melt further, do so in increments of 30 additional seconds at a time until it is smooth. Trying to melt too quickly or for too long will make the chocolate taste scorched and have a grainy appearance.) Dip the balls into the melted chocolate. Place on wax paper to dry. Serve when the chocolate is set. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container.
MAKES APPROXIMATELY 3 DOZEN CAKE BALLS.