Truffles of a Party!!!

For my cousin's (Malee's) birthday I decided to make her Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes.  I was excited to share the cupcakes with Malee and her friends. The cupcakes did not turn out the way I wanted.  I made cupcakes before, but this time I used the ice cream scoop to make the cupcake portion in size. This caused the cupcakes not to rise to the height I wanted. Instead of throwing it away I decided to make TRUFFLES!!!

For cupcakes/truffles:

• 1 (18 1/4 ounce) package white cake mix
• 1 (3 ounce) package strawberry gelatin
• 1 cup mashed fresh strawberries (1 and 1/2 c. whole=1 c. mashed)
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 4 eggs

For the lemon cream cheese frosting

• 1 tub Whipped Cream Cheese frosting
• 1 -2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

For chocolate coating

• 1lb dark or white chocolate

1. Prepare and bake the cupcakes according to the directions of the package for a 9x13 cake. Once baked, allow the cake to cool completely.
2. Crumble the cake into a large bowl and work it with your hands until it is in small pieces.
3. Spoon three-fourths of the frosting into the bowl and stir with a rubber spatula until the mixture is well-combined. It should be very moist and hold together if you squeeze a ball of cake between your fingers, but not too wet or greasy. If the cake mixture is still a bit dry, add more frosting to get it to the desired consistency.
4. Using a small cookie or candy scoop, scoop out small balls of cake and roll between your palms until they are round. Place the cakes balls on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil, and refrigerate them while you prepare the candy coating.
5. Place the chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave it until melted, stirring after every 45 seconds to prevent overheating.
6. Using dipping tools or a fork, submerge a cake ball in the melted candy coating. Remove it from the coating and drag the bottom across the lip of the bowl to remove excess coating. Replace the dipped truffle on the foil-covered baking sheet. If desired, top it with a sprinkle of cake crumbs, small candies, or other decorations while the coating is still wet. Repeat with remaining cake balls.
7. Refrigerate the truffles to set the coating completely, about 20 minutes. These cake truffles are best served at room temperature, and can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Enjoy!