Red Velvet Cake Truffles

Gorgeous little balls of fun, red velvet cake truffles bring all the joy of the delightful cake in a delicious mouthful of pure heaven. Crumbled red velvet cake is mixed with cream cheese for the signature tangy flavour. Dip in white chocolate and decorate with some extra cake crumbs for a simple and irresistible sweet treat!

What is the story behind red velvet cake?

Red velvet is essentially a light chocolate and vanilla cake. The stronger flavour of red velvet cake actually comes from the cream cheese icing rather than the cake itself. The cake is flavoured with both cocoa and vanilla, so it truly is a mix of flavours.

Traditionally, this cake is not made red using food colouring as is common these days. It would have gained the red colour from the reaction of the cocoa with the acid in the cake. Additionally, the term “velvet” in the cake’s title, when it was first made back in the 1800s, would have told of the cake’s texture. This would naturally have made it far more appealing to any high society clientele, boosting the popularity of the cake.

Are cake pops and truffles the same thing?

Cake pops tend to be baked in the shape of a ball using a mould specific for this use. Once they are attached to a lollipop stick, they are often dipped in chocolate and decorated with sprinkles or other edible decorations.

By contrast, cake truffles are made with crumbed cake mixed with some sort of buttercream before being shaped into balls. Once chilled, these balls are decorated as cake pops, normally by dipping in chocolate and adorning with sprinkles.

Homemade red velvet cake truffles recipe

You can use homemade red velvet cake to make these truffles, or if simpler you could easily buy some red velvet cupcakes and crumble them up. For this recipe, I have shared using cake crumbs, so please do adjust your quantities according to how much you have available.

What ingredients do I need to make these red velvet cake truffles?

• Red velvet cake crumbs: use homemade cake or shop bought, which ever suits you best.
• Cream cheese: to help bind the cake crumbs together when making the cake truffles.
• Icing sugar: for a little additional sweetness in the red velvet truffles recipes.
• White chocolate: used to coat the truffles before finishing with a decoration of red velvet cake crumbs.

What equipment do I need to make cake truffles?

• Digital kitchen scales*: I provide all my measurements in cups, however I would encourage all bakers to weigh out ingredients when baking. A set of digital kitchen scales is so useful and totally an essential baking tool for me.
• Mixing bowl*: any bowl large enough will do, plastic, glass, the choice is yours!
• Baking tray*: to place the red velvet truffles on when shaping into balls and after dipping in white chocolate.
• Small bowl*: for melting the chocolate to coat these white chocolate dipped red velvet truffles.

How to make red velvet truffles

Truffles are one of the easiest things to make, and are especially lovely to make with children! Simply make the truffle cake mixture, roll into balls and chill for an hour to firm up. When ready, melt the chocolate, dip the truffles and decorate. As easy as that! Enjoy!

Making the truffles

Step 1: Before you make the red velvet truffles, prepare a baking tray by lining it with parchment paper.

Step 2: If you have not already, crumble up the red velvet cake. This can be done by hand or using a stand mixer, depending on your preference. Remove a couple of tablespoons of crumbs and set aside for the topping.

Step 3: Loosen the cream cheese, then add it to the bowl with the crumbs along with the icing sugar. Mix again (using your hand or a stand mixer) until everything is evenly combined. Squeeze a little of the mixture in your hand to test if it holds together well enough. Adjust cream cheese if required, mixing again.

Step 4: Using a tablespoon measure, scoop out spoonfuls of the prepared cake mixture and roll into balls in the palms of your hands. Place the cake balls on the prepared baking tray as you roll them. Once all the cake mixture has been rolled into balls, place the tray in the fridge for at least an hour to allow the balls to set.

Step 5: Once the balls have chilled, melt the white chocolates. I do this in short bursts in the microwave, stirring in between. Once melted, dip the red velvet cake balls in the chocolate, allowing any excess to drip off, before placing back on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with cake crumbs after you have dipped each truffle. Leave the balls to set completely for at least 30 minutes. Enjoy!

Storage for homemade truffles

These red velvet chocolate truffles should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Take them out of the fridge about 30 minutes before serving to bring to room temperature.

Can I make these cake truffles gluten free and dairy free?

Yes! You can substitute the red velvet cake for a dairy and gluten free alternative. Mix the crumbs with a dairy free cream cheese alternative and dip in dairy free white chocolate to coat the red velvet truffles.

Additional tips for making this easy red velvet truffles recipe

• Crumble the cake either using your fingers or in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Both work just as well, but for me the stand mixer is a quicker option whilst fingers are definitely more fun!
• Keep a couple of tablespoons of cake crumbs aside (for the decoration) BEFORE you start combining ingredients to make the red velvet chocolate truffles. Forgetting this step will leave you with delicious white chocolate covered red velvet truffles without any decoration on top!
• The cream cheese quantity is very much a guide in this recipe. This is how much I needed to make the cake balls hold together, but you may find you need a little more or less, depending on how moist the cake crumbs are. You are looking for the mixture to squish and hold together easily, without crumbling apart.
• Always chill the cake balls before dipping in the melted chocolate. This step helps the balls hold together better so they are less likely to crumble or fall apart when dipped.
• Use a fork to get the truffle out of the melted chocolate. Allow the chocolate to drip off the truffle, in between the prongs, then clean the bottom of the fork on the side of the bowl. Carefully allow the chocolate covered cake ball to slide off the fork onto the parchment paper to set.
• Sprinkle the dipped truffles with the reserved cake crumbs as soon as they are dipped (while the chocolate is still wet) to ensure the crumbs stick to the chocolate.
• Leave the finished truffles to set on the paper for at least 30 minutes before transferring to a plate or mini cases to serve.

Troubleshooting

If you have any questions about these red velvet cake truffles recipe, please comment below and I will do my best to help. And do remember: if you enjoy this recipe for red velvet truffles, please leave a rating and review below. You could even post a picture on Instagram and tag me when you share it with the world. You already know I would love to see!

More red velvet recipe inspiration

Thanks so much for joining me today, my friends. Hope these beautiful truffles satisfy your sweet cravings! Enjoy! x

Recommended equipment I used *

Digital kitchen scales	Mixing bowl
Baking tray	Small bowl