Step 1: Bake the Lemon Cake

1. Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper or grease it with butter and flour.
2. Prepare the cake mix: In a large bowl, whisk together the lemon cake mix, vegetable oil, eggs, water, lemon juice, and lemon zest. The lemon zest is key here—it really takes the flavor to the next level.
3. Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out evenly. Bake according to the package instructions, typically 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
4. Cool the cake: Once the cake is done, let it cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes. Afterward, transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely. You’ll want the cake to be fully cooled before proceeding to the next steps.

Step 2: Make the Cake Ball Filling

1. Crumble the cake: Once the cake has cooled, use your hands or a fork to crumble the cake into small pieces. It should resemble coarse crumbs, with no large chunks.
2. Mix in the cream cheese and powdered sugar: In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add in the powdered sugar and mix until combined. This mixture will help bind the cake crumbs together and make the cake balls moist and delicious.
3. Combine: Slowly add the cream cheese mixture to the crumbled cake and mix it together until it’s all combined. The consistency should be thick enough to roll into balls, but not too sticky. If it feels too soft, add a little more powdered sugar to help it come together.

Step 3: Roll the Cake Balls

1. Shape the cake balls: Using your hands, scoop out a small portion of the cake mixture and roll it into a ball, about the size of a walnut. Place the rolled cake balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat until all the mixture is used up.
2. Chill: Place the cake balls in the fridge for about 30 minutes. This will help them firm up and make it easier to coat them in chocolate.

Step 4: Coat the Cake Balls

1. Melt the chocolate: While the cake balls are chilling, melt the white chocolate chips or candy melts. You can do this in the microwave in 20-30 second intervals, stirring between each, until smooth. Alternatively, melt the chocolate using a double boiler if you prefer.
2. Dip the cake balls: Once the cake balls are chilled, dip each one into the melted white chocolate, covering it completely. Use a fork to lift the cake ball out of the chocolate, allowing any excess to drip off. Place the coated cake ball back on the parchment paper.
3. Decorate: If you’re using sprinkles or additional toppings, sprinkle them on while the chocolate is still wet, so they stick to the surface.
4. Let them set: Allow the chocolate coating to set by leaving the cake balls at room temperature for about 30 minutes or placing them in the fridge for faster results.