For those who prefer savory over sweet this Cheese Ball Birthday Cake appetizer recipe is a perfect recipe. You can personalize and decorate your birthday cake cheese ball to match your party theme.
After my best friend's birthday last year, she decided to give up sweets, so when her birthday came around this year, I crafted a cheese ball cake for her.
I've made several different cakes using cheese balls as the base and have decorated them with orange and white cheese as well as herbs and flowers.
With my friend's cake, I wanted to find a way to mimic the look of fondant while using something savory.
I've actually been trying to come up with a savory version of fondant ever since I began blogging and finally found it!
About a week before I was planning to make this cake, I saw a recipe that my mom was going to make that called for white Velveeta cheese. I grew up eating the orange cheese but never knew they made a white version of it, Velveeta Queso Blanco. I'm not sure how long it's even been on the market.
After learning of it's existence, it didn't take long for the wheels to start turning in my brain. I knew orange Velveeta cheese melted easily, hardened quickly, but was always soft and pliable. White cheese with those properties could be colored and molded and cut and shaped.. I was so excited to try it out, that I stopped by the store on the way home and grabbed a box.
It melted easily, so I colored it and spread it out on a non-stick mat. I chilled the cheese in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes, then cut out shapes.
In the end, I didn't use the big flowers or butterflies on my finished cake. I just really wanted to see how the cut-outs would work out. I love that the cheese is soft and flexible enough to wrap around a cake.
My friend loves yellow and green, so I created her cake's decorations using those colors, but look forward to making more cheese ball cakes in the future using a rainbow of colors.
Cheese Ball Birthday Cake decorated with Colorful Cheese "Fondant"
You'll Need:
Your favorite cheese ball recipe, preferably one that is white
(Roasted Garlic Parmesan Cheese Ball recipe, here)
(White Cheddar Cheese Ball recipe, here)
Velveeta Queso Blanco
food colorings of your choice
Silpat or non-stick mat
things to cut out decorations - knife, pizza wheel, cookie cutter, plunger cutters
Instructions:
Make your cheese ball recipe.
- To mold the cheese ball cake you can simply wrap the cheese ball in plastic wrap and shape it into a cake or you can use a bowl with straight or reasonably straight sides as a mold.
- I used a Cool Whip container. I had to reshape my cake a bit once I removed it from the container, but it worked pretty well.
- If you have a small 5" round cake pan, that would work perfectly as a mold.
- Unwrap the cheese ball and set it on a serving platter or small cake plate.
- Your cake will have lots of wrinkles from the plastic wrap. Use a metal spatula or the back of a knife to smooth out the surface of the cheese ball cake.
- Cut off chunks of the Velveeta Queso Blanco and place them in a microwave-safe bowl.
- Melt in the microwave, heating on high for 15-25 second increments, stirring in between each until the cheese is smooth.
- Quickly add your food coloring and stir.
The amount of cheese you will need will depend on how many decorations you are adding and how many colors you are using. I made a small bowl of green and a small bowl of yellow. I used a little less than half of a block of the Velveeta cheese.
- Once melted and colored, spread the cheese on a non-stick mat.
- Refrigerate for 15-30 minutes until it is hardened but still pliable.
I used a "Happy Birthday" rubber stamp to make an imprint in my cheese. I love how this looks. I simply pressed the stamp into the cheese and lifted it off to reveal the festive message.
I then cut out a circle around the birthday message using a round cutter that was about the same size as the top of the cake and added some more dots around the border just to keep with the polka dot theme I chose for the cake.
- Cut out and add decorations of your choice. I made little yellow polka dots and a green ribbon around the base.
- To attach them to the cake, simply press them onto the cheese ball cake. If you have any trouble with them sticking use a bit of cream cheese as glue.
I also added some mini polka dots that I created using a very small round plunger cutter. I attached them around the top border of the cake. This design is simple, yet looks really pretty.
Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Allow the cheese ball birthday cake to sit at room temperature for at least 10 minutes before serving, so it's easy to slice. Serve with crackers.
More Cheese Ball Birthday Cake Ideas
If you prefer a more elegant-looking design, be sure to check out this Elegant Birthday Cake Cheese Ball.
If you love daisies this Daisy Cheese Ball Wedding Cake could also be served for a birthday party.
If you are hosting a spa party for a birthday, this cheese ball face would be fun to serve.
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Coeur de Fleur says
I live in South Africa, and have no idea what sort of texture Velveeta has. Would melted Mozzarella or Cheddar do the same thing? What if I mixed them with a soft cheese, like cream cheese?
beth says
Velveeta is a processed cheese that comes in a big block. It isn't refrigerated at the grocery so it's shelf stable until it's been open. It is very soft and melts so easy .Other cheeses can be melted and colored, but they tend to be very greasy. If you can melt them really slowly, at a very low temperature then they will not ooze as much fat. I would suggest shredding a block of cheese, put it in a zip log bag, and add the coloring you want to use. Shake the bag, distributing the color, then slowly melt the cheese. If it gets greasy, just dab off the grease using a paper towel.
Coeur de Fleur says
I live in South Africa, and have no idea what sort of texture Velveeta has. Would melted Mozzarella or Cheddar do the same thing? What if I mixed them with a soft cheese, like cream cheese?
Anonymous says
Would like to know what that plate with the holes is called and where to get one.
Maria says
Oh my goodness, what a cute idea!!!! The cheeseball birthday cake looks awesome!! I love it! 🙂
Karen @ Sugartown Sweets says
I so love impression crafts. This is completely adorable! Say *Cheese*!!
bgorden says
LOVE it! Cheese makes everything better =)
Thanks for linking up at TGIF! Have a great week,
Beth =)
beth says
Thanks, Beth. I agree. I love cheese too!
Hannah Evans says
I LOVE THIS!!!! I've always been put off doing savoury cakes because I love creating and decorating with fondant etc, but this is perfect! Love it. Pinning now, thanks for sharing!Hannah ♫Sew Lah Tea Dough
beth says
I just finished making my third cheese ball birthday cake and working with the cheese "fondant" has been a lot of fun. I'm going to try sculpting with it next time.
Tracy @ Daily Dish Magazine says
This is the most creative cheeseball I have ever seen, this would be a great (and tasty) way to show someone you care on their special day.
beth says
Thank you, Tracy:)
Sue says
Such a genius idea! I bet your friend was thrilled!
beth says
Thanks, and yes, she loved it! I made one for my dad this weekend and he thought it was so cool and tasty too.
Linda V @ Bubble and Sweet says
Wow that is so amazing, savory fondant made from cheese I would never have though of that.
beth says
I know there have got to be other ways to make savory versions of fondant, but so far this is my first success. It's really fun to work with.
The Bearfoot Baker says
This is brilliant. I love all of your creations!
beth says
Thank you:)
Hani Bacova says
wow, this looks amazing, you have so many creative idea. I've never head of
Velveeta,it sounds so interesting things you can do with cheese just got better!
beth says
My mom was a big fan of Velveeta when we were kids. She used to put it in and on everything. It was budget friendly and with four kids, she needed economical products, and a box of Velveeta fit the bill.
Brenda @ SweetSimpleStuff says
What can I say, other than GENIUS!!! I never knew about the white Velveeta ... thank you 🙂
beth says
I have found that some stores don't carry the white Velveeta, but I did find mine at Krogers. I like the flavor better than the orange, and once it's on the top of the cheese ball it really blends in nicely.
The Partiologist says
Beth - this is such a great idea - can't believe what you can do with cheese!!
beth says
I love cheese! It's so fun to work with and I have it at all my parties, so I like to create fun projects with it.
Jo and Sue says
Whaaaaaaaaat the whaaaaat?
I would never have thought you could do that with cheese.
I know I keep saying you are a super genius BUT...seriously....
you are a super genius.
beth says
You can call me genius if you want to! It's so nice to hear:)
Lindsay Ann @ Dollhouse Bake Shoppe says
OMG this is so great! You are simply brilliant, Beth. Love seeing your creations. Saving your cheeseball wedding cake idea for when I get engaged 😉
beth says
I'd love to see how beautiful your wedding cake cheese ball looks. I'm sure it will be amazing.
Tiffany@Fizzy Party! says
Ha! I never knew you could do that with Velveeta. We never had it in our house but I'm going to need to buy some of this. What a fun cake.
beth says
Velveeta is an interesting cheese. It melts so creamy and smooth yet hardens kind of shiny. It is really perfect for this project.
Anonymous says
That is really clever! Who would of thought 🙂 Great job!
beth says
Thanks!