Description
Celebrate Valentine’s Day with these delightful Pink Truffle Valentine Treats. Made from moist vanilla cake, swirled with creamy pink buttercream frosting, and coated in a luscious layer of pink candy melts with a drizzle of red candy melts for a festive finish. Perfect for parties, gift-giving, or a sweet romantic treat that’s easy to make and irresistibly delicious.
Ingredients
Cake and Frosting
- Vanilla cake mix + ingredients to make it (per box instructions)
- ¼ tsp pink gel food coloring, divided
- 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1-2 tbsp milk
Candy Coating
- 2 ½ cups pink candy melts
- ½ cup red candy melts
Instructions
- Prepare Cake Batter: Prepare your cake batter according to the directions on the vanilla cake mix box, adding half of the pink gel food coloring to the batter to give it a gentle pink tint.
- Bake Cake: Bake the cake as instructed on the box. Once baked, remove from oven and allow the cake to cool completely before proceeding.
- Prepare Work Surface: Lay a sheet of wax paper on a baking sheet and set it aside for placing the cake balls later.
- Make Buttercream Frosting: In a bowl, cream together the softened unsalted butter, confectioners’ sugar, and milk until smooth and creamy.
- Color Buttercream: Add the remaining pink gel food coloring to the buttercream and stir until the color is evenly mixed throughout.
- Crumble Cake: Crumble the completely cooled cake into a large mixing bowl, breaking it down into fine pieces.
- Combine Cake and Frosting: Add the pink buttercream frosting to the crumbled cake and mix thoroughly to create a uniform mixture that holds together when shaped.
- Form Cake Balls: Roll the cake mixture into approximately 2-inch diameter balls and place them on the prepared wax paper-lined baking sheet.
- Chill Cake Balls: Refrigerate the cake balls for at least 45 minutes to firm up and make them easier to handle for coating.
- Melt Pink Candy Coating: Microwave the pink candy melts in a large microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until fully melted and smooth.
- Coat Cake Balls: Using a fork, dip each chilled cake ball into the melted pink candy coating, ensuring it is completely covered. Place the coated truffle back onto the baking sheet. Repeat for all cake balls.
- Harden Coating: Allow the pink candy coating on the cake balls to harden for 10-15 minutes at room temperature.
- Melt Red Candy Coating: Microwave the red candy melts in a separate microwave-safe bowl in 30-second increments, stirring until melted and smooth.
- Prepare Piping Bag: Transfer the melted red candy melts into a piping bag fitted with a small hole at the tip for drizzling.
- Decorate Cake Truffles: Drizzle the red candy melts over each pink-coated cake truffle to create decorative accents.
- Set Candy Drizzle: Allow the candy drizzled coating to set for at least 30 minutes before serving or packaging.
Notes
- Use gel food coloring to avoid altering the consistency of the batter and frosting.
- Ensure the cake is completely cooled before crumbling to prevent a soggy mixture.
- Chilling the cake balls helps maintain their shape during the candy coating process.
- Microwave candy melts in short increments to avoid burning.
- Store finished truffles in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- For a dairy-free version, substitute butter with a vegan alternative and use plant-based milk.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
