I often find myself with tons of cake scraps after my commissions and have been wanting to build a recipe to use them so they didn't go to waste. Well, today was finally that day!!
Here is a great recipe for those with either cake scraps or who just want a really good excuse for eating cake with your hands! Yum yum!
There's really nothing to it. After adding some cream cheese to the done cake batter, you then coat them with dark chocolate and roll them in a chocolate cake crumble with freeze dried strawberries. Voila! Something old made into something new!
Dark Chocolate Strawberry Cake Truffles
Makes about 24-28 truffles (depending on how big you roll them)
Truffle Filling:
650 grams of cake scraps (or 1 portion of my chocolate cake recipe)
150 grams of full fat cream cheese, room temp
Chocolate Strawberry Powder:
1 cup freeze dried strawberries, pureed into powder (I like Trader Joe's brand because they're extra dry)
2 tablespoons cocoa powde
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup cake flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Coating:
3 grams dark chocolate (56% to 70% works great and isn't too sweet)
1. Start by making the filling. In a stand mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, add the cake scraps and the cream cheese into the bowl. Mix on low until it's all well incorporated and you can't see streaks of cream cheese anymore. If it's not moist enough then add a bit more cream cheese. Set filling aside until you're ready to roll them into balls.
2. Preheat oven to 300 F.
3. Next make the powder. You can do this in a stand mixer bowl or in a regular medium bowl. Combine powdered strawberry powder, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder and salt. Whisk together or mix with a paddle attachment. Add the canola oil and vanilla extract and incorporate until mixture is nice and clustered.
4. Spread crumble mixture on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and let mixture cool completely before using. After cooled, place mixture into a food processor and grind until it's a fine, sandy mixture. Place into a wide and shallow bowl/container so you can use it for coating later.
6. Take the truffle filling and using a small ice cream scooper or spoon, roll out 1.5 inch diameter balls and smooth with your hands. Want to make them as round as possible. Set aside on a different baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
7. Add 3 ounces of dark chocolate and place into a glass bowl. Melt over a double boiler or in the microwave a few seconds at a time. Don't want to overheat the chocolate, just enough for it to be liquid and coated.
8. Assemble the truffles by taking the filling, coat a thin layer of chocolate around the ball then roll them in the fine chocolate strawberry powder. I find the easiest way to do this is with a pair of latex gloves. Dip the cake filling in the chocolate then use your left hand to rub the chocolate all the way around. (vs. drenching the filling in the bowl) Then drop the chocolate covered ball in the powder and roll it around with your right hand. This keeps your hands dedicated to chocolate on the left, clean(ish) on the right.
9. Place coated truffles back on the same baking sheet as the non covered and work your way through each of the truffles.
10. Refrigerate finished truffles for at least 15 minutes so chocolate sets before eating. Store in an airtight container in the fridge and remove only right before eating.
