Chef notes
I love these truffles in place of the traditional box of Valentine's Day chocolates. They are jam-packed with flavor and way more fun to eat!
Technique tip: You'll know that the truffle has enough soak when you roll a scoop of it into a ball and it holds its shape with a squeeze. In an airtight container, the truffles will keep for up to one week in the fridge.
Swap option: You can swap in your favorite milk in place of the regular milk here, or use ground-up cookies in place of the red velvet crumbs.
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup tightly packed light brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
- 1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tablespoon red food coloring
- 1¼ cups cake flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1⅓ tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup cake flour
- 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 1/8 cup grapeseed oil
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon red food coloring
- 6 ounces white chocolate, melted
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 1 recipe Red Velvet Cake (recipe above)
- 3/4 cup cream cheese
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon milk
- 1/2 teaspoon Tahitian vanilla extract
- 7/8 cup mini chocolate chips
- 1 recipe White Chocolate Coating (recipe above)
- 1 recipe Red Velvet Sand (recipe above)
Preparation
For the red velvet cake:
1.Preheat oven to 350 F.
2.Combine the butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream together on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the eggs, and mix on medium-high for another 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl once more.
3.On low speed, stream in the buttermilk, oil, vanilla extract and red food coloring. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and continue to mix for 4 to 6 minutes, until the batter is much lighter in color, has doubled in size and is completely homogenous. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
4.Add the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Mix for about 1 minute on low speed, until the batter comes together and any remnants of dry ingredients have been incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
5.Coat a quarter sheet pan with nonstick spray and line it with parchment. Using a spatula, spread the cake batter in an even layer in the pan. Give the bottom of your cake pan a tap on the countertop to even out the layer.
6.Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. The cake will rise to the top of the sheet pan. At 30 minutes, gently poke the edge of the cake with your finger: the cake should bounce back slightly, and the center should no longer be jiggly. Leave the cake in the oven for an extra 3 to 5 minutes if it doesn't pass these tests.
7.Take the cake out of the oven and cool on a wire rack or, in a pinch, in the fridge or freezer (don't worry, it's not cheating). The cooled cake can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.
For the red velvet sand:
1.Preheat oven to 325 F.
2.In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine dry ingredients on low speed until well mixed.
3.Stream in oil, vanilla extract and red food coloring until the mixture starts to come together in small clusters.
4.Spread the crumb on a parchment- or silicone baking mat-lined sheet pan. Bake for 14 minutes, breaking them up occasionally. The crumbs should have a muted maroon color and be slightly moist to the touch; they will dry and harden as they cool.
5.Let the crumbs cool completely before using. If finer sand is needed, grind the crumbs in a food processor. Store the crumbs in an airtight container for 1 week at room temperature or 1 month in the fridge or freezer.
For the white chocolate coating:
In a small bowl, whisk together melted white chocolate and oil until homogenous. Keep warm.
For the truffles:
1.Put the cake in a medium sized bowl and toss with your hands until broken down. Add cream cheese, milk and vanilla to the bowl and mix until moist enough to knead into a ball. If it is not moist enough to do so, slowly add more milk. You want the filling to be quite moist and soft, not chewy. Add chocolate chips, mixing just until the chips are evenly distributed.
2.Using a tablespoon, scoop even balls, each half the size of a ping-pong ball. Roll each one between the palms of your hands to shape and smooth it into a round sphere.
3.Place the red velvet sand in a medium bowl and set aside.
4.With latex gloves on, place 2 tablespoons of the white chocolate coating in the palm of your hand and roll each ball between your palms, coating it in a thin layer of melted chocolate; add more chocolate to your palm as needed.
5.Put 3 or 4 chocolate-covered balls at a time into the bowl of red velvet sand. Immediately toss them with the sand to coat, before the chocolate shell sets and no longer acts as a glue (if this happens, just coat the ball in another thin layer of melted chocolate).
6.Refrigerate for at least 5 minutes to fully set the chocolate shells before eating or storing.
