Last Updated on July 29, 2020 by Karen
Merry Christmas to you! I hope your day has been nothing but merry and bright!
Every year around the holidays, I make a long list of sweet treats that I want to bake. These cake truffles have been on my list for a couple of weeks now, and for some reason I keep pushing them back. The shortage of baking ingredients in my local grocery stores doesn’t help at all. I’ve been hoarding the chocolate chips, heavy cream, and unsalted butter for the things I really, really must bake, and since it’s Christmas, I have to make them!
My original plan was to make cake lollipops, but while rummaging through my pantry, I found these red mini cupcake liners and decided to make cake truffles instead. I topped these bite-sized morsels with some crushed peppermint candy for a festive flair. How elegant do they look? And they are a lot of fun to eat, too.
Let the record show that the best way to remove chocolate ganache from your hands does not involve soap and water…
There was a dusting of snow around these parts yesterday, but not enough to give us a white Christmas. But that’s alright. I’m currently hanging out at my parents’ place and am trying to fill the next few days with as much family time, food, and holiday cheer as possible. So far, I’ve eaten a fair share of my mom’s ribs, seafood salad, and plenty of snacks (my parents’ attempt to feed my inner junk food junkie). I can already feel my stomach bulging! Anyhow, I shall resume watching the NBA Christmas Day special and helping my mom with the dinner preparation. I heard that her oxtail stew is on the menu tonight. Let’s see if I can coax her into giving me the recipe.
Wherever you are, I wish you a happy, safe, and delicious holiday season!
Chocolate Ganache Cake Truffles
(makes about 16 truffles)
4 cups chocolate cake crumbs (recipe for chocolate cake here)
1½ cups warm chocolate ganache, divided (recipe below)
Colored sprinkles or sanding sugar for decoration (optional)
Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Set aside.
Combine cake crumbs and ½ cup of chocolate ganache in a bowl and mix until well blended. Mix in additional ganache if necessary. Roll them into 1-inch balls and let them set in the refrigerator for one hour. Use a melon baller or small cookie scoop to form cake balls. Dip them into the remaining chocolate ganache, one at a time, making sure that they are coated completely. Using two forks, lift out the cake truffles and then let the excess ganache drip off. Place them on a baking sheet and transfer to the refrigerator for the chocolate coating to set. Serve cold or at room temperature.
*Depending on how moist your cake crumbs are, you may have to add more or less ganache. Start with ¼ cup and add more for the crumbs to become a dense, moist dough, but not so much that the mixture becomes soft and mushy.
*To make cake pops, dip about 1 cm of lollipop sticks in melted chocolate and insert into the cake balls. Let it set in the refrigerator before dipping them into the ganache for coating.
*If you prefer a thin coating, heat the ganache in the microwave. The hotter it is, the easier for the excess to drip off. If you prefer a thicker coating, let the ganache cool and thicken before dipping the cake balls into it.
Dark Chocolate Ganache
(yields 1 ½ cup)
3 tbsp corn syrup
6 oz heavy cream
12 oz dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces
½ tsp vanilla extract
In a small saucepan, combine corn syrup and heavy cream, and bring to a simmer. Add the chocolate and stir until it is melted and the ganache has a smooth and shiny consistency. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla extract. Trust me, these are extremely delicious. However, if you’d still like to try out other options, you can start by reading a review of Custom Cakes, one of my favorite bakeries. They have so many goodies available!
