Celebrate all the patriotic holidays with these delicious treats. Patriotic Chocolate Cake Balls are a tasty way to enjoy a red, white, and blue dessert. Decadent rich chocolate is the center of the cake pops. They are a simple dessert to make and they can easily be adjusted to work for other holidays as well.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl then add the sugar mixture and beat until well combined. Add egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture and mix until just incorporated.
Place the sprinkles for rolling in a shallow bowl. Roll a level tablespoon of dough into a ball, roll the ball in sprinkles, and then place it on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the balls about 2 inches apart (you should be able to fit 12 cookies on each sheet).
Bake until the cookies are set, about 10 to 12 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets about 2 minutes; using a wide metal spatula, transfer the cookies to a wire rack and cool to room temperature.
To make the filling: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and powdered sugar on low speed. When almost incorporated, add vanilla and beat on high speed until light and fluffy.
Divide the filling into two separate bowls. Color one bowl of icing blue and the other red. Pipe or spread filling on flat side of 1 cookie. Top with second cookie, forming a sandwich. Repeat with remaining filling and cookies. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.