Salted Chocolate Caramel Cakeballs

This is what you make when you mess up cupcakes or when your cake sticks to the pan and completely falls apart when you are tring to take it out of the pan.  Or maybe you feel like making a dessert that allows you to play with your food first. Or maybe you want to start introducing baking to kids...these would be perfect.  Or maybe you just really want cake and frosting all in one handy bite.  No matter the reason these are a delicious slightly salty sweet treat. 

Last week I messed up cupcakes, life was invading my baking and distracted me.  It happens, your mind is not as focused as you want it to be on the task at hand.  Instead, work is walking around your kitchen counter, holding hands with the rest of life's dramas, happiness and worries. 

However, these cakeballs were a result of my mistake.  (Thank you for the inspiration Katie, your cakeballs were delicious.)  Does this mean some mistakes can be turned around, and with a little creativity and love something delicious and pretty can still happen?  With a little extra sweetness from frosting, some love from chocolate, a bit of a crunch from salt and viola you have salted chocolate caramel cakeballs.  Make them, share them, they will take your mind off the worry and drama life likes to serve up.     

Crumbled up leftover caramel cupcakes from the crème brûlée cupcakes. 

I used Duncan Hines butter cream frosting.

Frosting and cake mixed together.  Get in there.  Use your hands.  Be a kid and get sticky.  Its okay, really, I promise.

1 1/2 inch balls formed and then in to the refrigerator they go.

Double boiler slowly melting yummy semi sweet chocolate chips. 

I lightly sprinkled these with sea salt. Chocolate and caramel scream for some sea salt.

Salted Chocolate Caramel Cakeballs:

*makes approximately 20 cakeballs

8-10 caramel cupcakes, crumbled or 1-9inch layer cake

1 cup or 1/2 container store bought butter cream frosting

1-12oz bag semi sweet chocolate chips

sea salt for sprinkling

1.  In a large mixing bowl, using your hands, combine cake crumbles and frosting.

2.  Form in to 1 1/2 inch balls and place on cookie sheet or in a 13 x 9" cake pan. I used my cake pan because it has a lid.  Place in a refrigerator for approximately 1 1/2 - 2 hours.

3.  Using a double boiler, melt chocolate.

4.  Using either a fork or a skewer, dip hardened balls into chocolate until completely covered.  Place back on cookie sheet or pan and lightly sprinkle with sea salt.  Repeat this process until all cakeballs are covered in chocolate and sprinkled with sea salt.

5.  Place back in the refrigerator for approximately one hour or until hardened.  Remove from refrigerator 15 minutes before serving to allow to come to room temperature.  Serve and Enjoy!