Description
These Strawberry Cake Truffles are delightful bite-sized treats made by combining strawberry cake mix with cream cheese and cream cheese chips, then coated in smooth vanilla and pink candy melts. Perfectly sweet and creamy with a touch of festive sprinkles or decorative drizzle, these truffles make an easy and elegant dessert for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Base Cake Mixture
- 9.15 ounces strawberry cake mix (Betty Crocker recommended)
- 4.8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 0.2 cup cream cheese chips, roughly chopped
Coating
- 7.2-ounce bag Ghirardelli vanilla melting wafers
- 0.3 cup Wilton pink candy melts
- 0.3 cup Wilton bright pink candy melts
- Sprinkles, optional
Instructions
- Heat Treat the Cake Mix: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the strawberry cake mix evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes to eliminate any bacteria. Remove and let cool completely on a wire rack.
- Prepare Cream Cheese Mixture: In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese using a hand mixer on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy.
- Combine Cake Mix and Cream Cheese: Add the cooled cake mix to the cream cheese bowl. Fold gently with a rubber spatula to avoid mess, then use the hand mixer on medium-high to mix until forming a dough consistency.
- Add Cream Cheese Chips: Fold the chopped cream cheese chips evenly into the dough mixture.
- Chill Dough: Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours to firm up for easier handling.
- Form Truffles: Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop, portion dough onto sheets. Roll each scoop into smooth balls by hand. Let sit for 15 minutes to allow gentle expansion which prevents coating cracks.
- Melt Vanilla Wafers: Using a double boiler on low heat, gently melt the vanilla melting wafers until smooth, stirring occasionally. Alternatively, melt in 30-second increments in the microwave, stirring between each, until fully melted.
- Coat Truffles: Dip each dough ball into the melted vanilla wafers using a fork. Tap off excess coating on the edge of the bowl, then place on a lined baking sheet spaced 2 inches apart. Immediately sprinkle sprinkles on half the coated truffles before the coating sets.
- Melt Pink Candy Melts: Place each pink candy melt variety separately into microwave-safe piping bags. Microwave on low in 30-second increments until melted, cutting a small tip from the bags.
- Decorate: Drizzle the melted pink candy melts over the remaining coated truffles to create decorative patterns. Let the coating fully set at room temperature before serving.
Notes
- Store truffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Chilling the dough is essential for easier rolling. Allowing the rolled balls to rest for 15 minutes prevents cracking during coating.
- Instead of oven heat treatment for cake mix, you can microwave it for 3 minutes in a microwave-safe bowl, stirring every 30 seconds to avoid hot spots.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 truffle
- Calories: 160 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 110 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
