Well, it didn’t take long to revisit Holy Cacao. I mean, let’s be serious… with an amazing offering like the Cake Shake, how could the other menu items not be fantastic? And actually, it’s their cake balls that put them on the map.
After a so-so 17 miler Ev and I swung by a cupcakery’s birthday party (you read that right) where they were giving out free mini-cupcakes, beer, ice cream, and all-around good cheer. Well, not to be satisfied by measly cupcakes, beer, ice cream, and fun, I navigated us down the street to Holy Cacao with the intention of trying out the cake balls. The menu offers a little something for everyone, from the introverted cat lady to the Bear Grylls adventurer. On any given day, there is a daily special or two to supplement the usual fare.
Before I get into our selections, I want to first make sure everyone’s on the same page. A cake ball in the Holy Cacao context is a ball of cake (usually), dipped in chocolate, then rolled in a tasty topping, and skewered onto a popsicle stick. So, where did Ev and I land on the boring-to-crazy scale? Pretty much all over it.
We walked up to the counter and started checking out all the options. Before I got past the first item in the list Ev exclaimed we had to get the “Diablo Cake Balls” (cayenne pepper infused). Being the good fiance that I am, I agreed without reading what it was. The girl inside the food cart then told us about the two specials: candy apple and caramel apple. Never interested in candy apples and always interested in caramel apples anything, choice number two was made. After going back and forth both with Ev and in my head, we went with the “Brass Cake Balls” (peanut butter), though it was hard to pass up the “Rabbit Cake Balls” (carrot cake).
Left to Right: Diablo, Caramel Apple, PB
We took two of them to go, because remember, we were just at a cupcake / beer / ice cream birthday and even we have limits*. The unlucky winner to be eaten first was the Diablo. It’s chocolate cake laced with cayenne and ancho cream cheese frosting, dipped in chocolate, dusted with cayenne and cocoa powders, and dipped in walnuts. As you take a bite you realize it’s not “cake” in the traditional sense, but more like a truffle — soft and rich, and definitely not dry like I was expecting. After a bite we both thought “yum, that’s good… but it’s not spicy”. But by the time we finished we were reaching for some water. It’s a low and slow burn that hits you in the back of the throat and warms you to the core. Good? Yes. Great? Maybe, maybe not.
Next up was the Brass Cake Ball, the only cake ball on the menu listed as actually being cookies rather than cake. The peanut butter cookie center had such an intense PB flavor it could have passed for pure peanut butter. How’s that? Because the cookies are mixed with more peanut butter, of course! And as Mr. Reese (of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups) knows, there is nothing better than chocolate and peanut butter. The only thing left to do after dipping it in chocolate is to top it with crushed peanuts. Brilliant!
As this post gets a little longer than I would have liked, I’ll simply say the caramel apple cake ball is out of control. It was by far my favorite of the three, with a delicious, moist apple-flavored cake and even better caramel richness. It’s dipped in chocolate and then sprinkled with sea salt for an incredible salted caramel feeling that takes it to the next level. I wish this was on the menu for always. If you see the caramel apple cake ball in the wild, do not hesitate to consume**.
Let’s get serious again. Go to Holy Cacao, now. There’s zero doubt in my mind that you’ll be blown away by any of their choices. Next up from their menu for me? The Holy Cacao Hot Chocolate. The only decision is if I want it to be a Frozen Hot Chocolate, but I’ll let the weather decide for me.
| Name | Holy Cacao |
| Specialty | Cake Balls |
| Location | 1311 S First St Austin, TX 78704 Map |
| Website | http://www.theholycacao.com/ |
| @holycacao |
*I was ready to eat them right then and there, but Ev talked some sense into me.
**Let this be a warning to those who purchase the caramel apple cake ball: There will be hunters out there looking to grab it right out of your hand. I take no some moderate responsibility.