Rum balls like from childhood
Moist, chocolatey, and infinitely adaptable
These rum balls are pure nostalgia for me. A bit like a sweet reward after a long winter walk—soft, chocolatey, slightly boozy, and always a little bit forbidden. There are countless variations: with oatmeal, dried fruit, nuts, or vegan. But this version is and remains my absolute favorite.
The best thing is that you’re not limited to sponge cake. A moist chocolate cake, pound cake, or any other soft cake batter works perfectly. The main thing is that it’s soft, flavorful, and not dry.
These rum balls are so special because they don’t require an oven, are easy to prepare, and are the perfect solution for leftover cake. When chilled, their flavor becomes even more intense and they remain wonderfully moist. At the same time, they can easily be made vegan without losing any of their taste. The balls are best stored in the refrigerator—this way, they retain their shape, stay nice and fresh, and develop that irresistible, melt-in-the-mouth texture that makes them so irresistible.
These rum balls get better every day in the refrigerator – more intense, juicier, and rounder in flavor. And if you’ve baked too much cake, simply crumble it, add rum and chocolate, and your leftovers will turn into a little feast. Have fun rolling, tossing, and enjoying.
Preparation time: 45 minutes
INGREDIENTS
Ingredients for approx. 35 rum balls (walnut size)
- 1 sponge cake base (26 cm) or alternatively: approx. 300–350 g soft chocolate cake or sponge cake
- 7–8 tbsp brown rum (approx. 40% alcohol, according to taste)
- 200 g dark chocolate
- 125 g butter, at room temperature
(or vegan butter in the same quantity) - 50 g ground hazelnuts
- 100 g chocolate sprinkles (milk chocolate)
- 20 g shredded coconut
- Sugar pearls or decorations as desired
PREPARATION
- Prepare the cake
Crumble the sponge cake or cake into a large bowl. Pour the rum over it and mix well.
Leave to stand for 15 minutes to allow the flavor to develop. - Melt the chocolate
Roughly chop the dark chocolate and melt it in a double boiler. - Make the cream
Add the room-temperature butter to the warm chocolate and stir until smooth.
Fold in the ground hazelnuts. - Finish the mixture
Add the chocolate and butter mixture to the cake mixture and mix thoroughly until no light-colored pieces of cake are visible. - Chill
Place the mixture in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes—this will make it easier to shape. - Roll into balls
Form walnut-sized balls and roll them in chocolate sprinkles, coconut flakes, or other toppings as desired. - Decorate & store
Decorate with sugar pearls and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Instead of sprinkles, you can also use chocolate chips, colorful sprinkles, cocoa powder, chopped nuts, or chopped pistachios – whatever makes you happy.
