Square Cake Balls
My sisters and I were at Michaels grabbing supplies to make cake balls (which I’ve already blogged about. twice.) That’s where we saw the Wilton square brownie pan. We were discussing how silly it would be to buy the pan just to make square brownies. Wouldn’t it be easier to just make brownies as usual in a pan and then cut them? Maybe people have issues cutting straight? The only reason we could think to actually make brownies in this pan would be to get the crusty goodness of the edges in every brownie. Then we decided we could use the pan to make square cake balls.
So on a whim, I bought the pan we had just been ridiculing. But it did make some nice looking square cake balls.
We cheated on these because we just used a cake that my family had bought to celebrate my birthday. For some reason none of us were in the mood for cake (maybe because my sister had made about 12 dozen cookies the night before), so we figured the ratio of cake to frosting would probably be about right for cake balls.
Here’s my beautiful cake. And, no it doesn’t belong on Cake Wrecks, that’s what they asked to be written on it. All of my siblings and I have nicknames for each other. Most of them are just the name followed by i-poo. So my nickname is Jenn-i-poo. Except you say it with a French sort of accent. Anyways, that’s my cake that we smashed up (with our hands!) to make the insides of the cake balls.
We then filled the square brownie pan with the cake mixture and popped it in the freezer to let the mix set. Then we popped the squares out and dipped them in almond bark and decorated with sprinkles. It was a fun afternoon in the kitchen. We sent most of these guys to work with my mom and her coworkers couldn’t believe they were homemade.
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
How cool! These look delicious!
This totally takes me back to childhood. We ALWAYS used fresh rhubarb from our backyard to make yummy breakfast treats!
I think I will have to make these for my parents next time they visit. They will LOVE them!
Those look amazing! I’m always on the lookout for new rhubarb recipes, the season for it is so short in Western Ma, that I tend to buy WAY too much and stick in the freezer..
I have never had rhubarb before, but these look great!
They’re so pretty – I love family recipes!
I never know what to do with Rhubard, but these looks awesome!
divine. i want one. right now. pretty please?? 🙂
I love your recipes, lactose free and awesome, I will def. have to try this. Ps. we should team up and do something lactose free together in solidarity!
Thanks everyone – seriously if you have rhubarb hanging around. Make these. You won’t regret it.
I’m a little lost. The ingredients list mentions 5 c. rhubarb (and you break it into 3 c. for the filling and 2 c. for the sauce) but I don’t see in the step-by-step instructions when/where/how the 2 c. of rhubarb are used. Please help!
Thanks!
alexandjess – thanks for catching my mistake. I added the instructions about the sauce into the post, but you make the sauce by boiling 2 cups cut rhubarb, 1 cup sugar, 1 1/3 cups water. The rhubarb for the sauce can be cut in large chunks because it all falls apart anyways.
Your sisters made the rhubarb rolls and stuffed dates yesterday for our Memorial Day cookout. They were delicious!!!! Can’t wait to have another piece tonight for desert. I have a new recipe for potato salad that is delish….let me know if you want me to pass on.
i made these tonight and they went awry for a series of reasons that were my fault and won’t go all into…. one thing i did though was use half rhubarb and half strawberries, which sounded delish but i didn’t cut the sugar enough and i think that also made things more watery. my question though, is whether by ‘shortening’ you specifically mean something like crisco or whether you just mean butter or margarine or anything like that. i used butter and didn’t see how i could get away with a little ‘stirring’ before rolling. i tried to cut it in with a pastry blender, but in the end maybe that was too much action for the dough as it seemed a little gummy after cooking….
i’d appreciate any advice!
natasha – I use Crisco for the dough. I think that’s what my dad always uses as well. Hopefully that is what caused the gumminess. Sorry they didn’t turn out for you.
My family has been making these for years. I have used butter or margarine to cut into the flour mixture for the dough and have never had a problem. I always roll my dough out into a rectangle and when I cut the rolls they NEVER look as neat as the ones you have pictured! I have added strawberries but only in the sauce. My mom liked to add red food coloring to make it look more rosy. We bake for 20 minutes before pouring on the sauce and then another 20 minutes. I have to make it every spring in honor of my mom.
my grandma recipe calls thesr soringtime rollypoly, and can ad what ever frozen berries you have , frozen is the least messy
sorry thats springtime rollypolly