101 Gourmet Cake Bites Review and Key Lime Pie Cake Bites

Cake Bites are very popular now a days!!  They are a baked cake that is crumbled and mixed with some type of frosting and flavoring, then rolled into a ball and dipped in chocolate! I have seen them all over blog land, but I had never made them or tried them, until now!!  

I was very generously offered a free copy of Wendy Paul's new book, 101 Gourmet Cake Bites, from Cedar Fort Books to check it out and give my opinion about it.  The book includes all of the cake recipes, which all start with a cake mix along with the yummy frosting recipes.  It was so hard to narrow down all of the amazing gourmet recipes to only one.  I ended up trying the first recipe in the book - Key Lime Pie!!  You guys know that I love key lime pie, so that had to be the first recipe I try.

Now, remember this was my first ever experience with cake bites and I didn't know what to expect.  They were a little more difficult to make perfectly round and smooth than I thought it would be, but I am sure it will be a lot easier the next time around.  The 2nd time is always better.  This is the 3rd day since I made them and I am liking them more and more each day.  They have a great key lime citrus flavor.  I love the snap you get when you bite into the chocolate.

  

There are so many amazing flavors that I can't wait to try, including Coconut Cream Pie, Raspberry Cheesecake, Blackberries and Cream, Orange Creamsicle, Banana Foster, Even More S'more, Candy Cane and the one I am most excited to try - Egg Nog!!!    

  

Key Lime Pie Cake Bites

adapted from: 101 Gourmet Cake Bites

1 box yellow cake mix

1/2 Tbl. grated lime zest

1/3 c. key lime juice

3/4 c. half and half

2 eggs

Mix together cake mix, lime zest, key lime juice, half and half and eggs.  Batter will be thick.  Pour into a greased 9x13 inch baking pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 28-32 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched.  Remove from oven and cool completely.  Crumble cake into small, even pieces, placing crumbs in a large bowl.

Add:

1/4 c. lime buttercream (recipe follows)

1/2 c. sweetened condensed milk

2 Tbl. grated lime zest

With the back of a spoon, mix together cake crumbles with other ingredients until a thick dough consistency forms.  Shape into evenly sized cake bites and cool 1-2 hours in the refrigerator or 20 minutes in the freezer.  Dip into white melting chocolate.  Top with crushed graham crackers, if desired.

Lime Buttercream Frosting (makes about 3 cups)

8 Tbl. (1 stick) butter, softened

3 3/4 c. powdered sugar, sifted

3-4 Tbl. milk or cream

2 tsp. lime extract or lime juice

2 Tbl. lime zest

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl.  Beat until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds.  Stop the mixer and add the powdered sugar, 3 Tablespoons milk, lime extract or juice and lime zest.  Beat frosting, starting at slow and increasing your speed until frosting is nice and creamy.  If frosting is too thick, add a little more milk or cream.

1/4 Recipe Frosting (makes about 3/4 cup)

2 Tbl. butter, softened 

3/4 c. + 3 Tbl. powdered sugar

3/4 Tbl. milk or cream

1/2 tsp. lime extract or lime juice

1/2 Tbl. lime zest

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl.  Beat until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds.  Stop the mixer and add the powdered sugar, 3 Tablespoons milk, lime extract or juice and lime zest.  Beat frosting, starting at slow and increasing your speed until frosting is nice and creamy.  If frosting is too thick, add a little more milk or cream.