"Shimmering gilded delights made with Champagne in just the right size to leave guests with a touch of celebration and sweetness."
1 16.25-ounce box white cake mix
1 ¼ cups Champagne or sparkling wine (or sparkling juice for kid-friendly), divided
½ cup canola or vegetable oil
3 large eggs
¼ cup whipped white cake frosting (store-bought)
1 16-ounce package vanilla candy coating or 2 (10-ounce) bags white melting wafers
12 festive paper straws, cut in half
1 2.2-ounce container gold shimmer sugar
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 × 13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cake mix, 1 cup of the champagne, oil, and eggs at medium speed until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely in the baking pan.
In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, crumble in the cooled cake along with the whipped white cake frosting and remaining ¼ cup Champagne. Beat on medium speed until the cake starts to come together.
Roll the mixture into 2-tablespoon-size balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or in the freezer for about 20 minutes to harden.
To coat the cake balls, melt the candy coating in a shallow microwave-safe bowl according to the package directions, usually 90 seconds to 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth. Be sure not to over melt as it will burn and become too thick to stir and coat evenly. Cover another baking sheet with parchment paper.
Remove the cake balls from the refrigerator. Using a fork, gently roll a cake ball in the melted candy coating, remove, and let the excess coating drip off the fork before placing the ball on the prepared baking sheet. Immediately, while the coating is still melted, insert a paper straw, cut side down, into the top center about halfway into the cake ball. Sprinkle the coated ball with some gold shimmer sugar. Repeat with the remaining cake balls.
Allow the cake balls to set completely, and then break off any excess coating around the bottoms. Store the cake balls in a cool, dry place, covered in plastic wrap or in a sealed container.