Birthday Cake Truffles

Happy Birthday to me! Today’s the day. . and I am getting old. Fortunately, I feel young.To celebrate the big day I made treats to share with my friends. Just like when I was in grade school. See. . .I’m young.

I don’t know if you can tell but I took these pictures on a pile of snow in my backyard. Fresh, untouched snow. Snow so deep it was like using a table. I didn’t have to lean down or anything. Now mind you, I’m short (5’1″) but this snow was mid thigh deep for me. I figured that since we have been hit with enough snow to cause some major hardships, I could at least get a little use out of it.

Last week we got hit with almost 2 feet of snow. It came with blast of arctic air so cold and windy that we had -30F degree weather for a couple of days. A ‘polar vortex’ is what they call it on the news. I call it brutally flippin’ cold! Almost everything in town closed. Schools, business, government offices, etc. Our house made a lot of really weird creaking sounds and I was pretty sure our roof was going to cave with the weight of all the snow on it. The poor dog could only stand to be outside for 2 minutes at a time before her little feet were frozen.

Four days after the snow and sub-zero temps, a ‘warm’ front came through bringing 40F degree temps and pouring rain. A 70 degree swing in temps almost overnight. Now the rains have melted much of the snow, including the snowmen that Tim and I built. Of course, we had such deep snow and snow drifts, not mention all the huge piles the snow plows piled up that we will have snow on the ground for a long time. The rain just compacted it and melted it off the roofs and roads. 

This was just within the first few hours of the snow storm.

We had to clear some paths for the short pooch to get through the yard.

After snow blowing the driveway and the front walk. Soooo deep it was like a wall.

She was desperate to get the carrot nose! She loves carrots!

(Can I tell you that as delicious as these truffles were, I think they sort of look like turkey meatballs.)

So, this past weekend has been a weekend of spoiling for me. And I am not ashamed to admit, I love it!

Dinner & drinks  out with great friends on Friday, shopping and dinner out with Tim on Saturday, gifts with family and a yummy dessert my aunt made on Sunday and tonight my dad is taking me out for some delicious Asian food. It’s good to be so loved! I adore and appreciate them all for making me feel so special.

I brought these truffles to dinner on Friday night but I didn’t even need to worry about bringing a treat because my sweet friend, S, made me wonderful chai cupcakes.

Don’t be alarmed by the instructions for these truffles. They are easier to make then they might seem. Of course, an extra set of hands helps. Tim helped me make them. If the truffles seem like too much work you could just make the cake layers and frost them. This cake is very yummy and quite moist.

Thanks to all my loved ones for the calls, cards, gifts, cupcakes, pies, drinks, dinners, love, etc. My birthday has been wonderful so far! XOXO!

Birthday Cake Truffles

For the Cake

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup melted butter

1 egg

1/2 cup plain yogurt (I used Greek) or sour cream

1/2 cup milk (I used almond)

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp almond extract

1 2/3 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking powder

2/3 cup sprinkles

Grease 2 round cake pans. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl combine the sugar, brown sugar & butter. Beat well. Add the egg, yogurt, milk & extracts. Mix well. Add the flour, baking power & baking soda. Mix until everything comes together. Stir in the sprinkles. Divide the batter between your 2 prepared pans. Bake for 25 minutes. Allow cakes to cool completely.

For the truffles

3-4 oz cream cheese

white chocolate for melting and dipping

rubber gloves (optional)

Once the cakes have cooled completely, cut one of them in half. Crumble half of one cake into fine crumbs and spread out on a baking sheet. Toast the cake crumbs in the oven at 300 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, crumble the rest of the cake into crumbs and add the cream cheese until you have a moist mixture that will compress into a ball if you squeeze it. Scoop and roll the mixture into 24 1″ balls. Stick them in the fridge to chill for a few minutes while you melt the chocolate.

Over a double boiler, melt enough white chocolate to dip the truffles. I used about 3 squares off a large block. While the chocolate melts, put the toasted, cooled cake crumbs in a large bowl. You will use these to coat the white chocolate dipped truffles.

Remove the chilled cake balls from the fridge. Put on the rubber gloves. This will save you a lot of mess. Dip one cake ball at a time in the chocolate and then roll it around in your glove covered hand until just a thin coating remains on the cake truffle. Put the coated truffle in the toasted cake crumbs and roll to cover in the crumbs. Set aside on wax paper.

Repeat with remaining cake balls. Allow the white chocolate to firm up and then store in an airtight container. Make 24 truffles.