Use a fresh orange to make some Orange Cake Truffles!
They’re a simple and impressive sort of dessert to make. And the recipe uses up plenty of freshly squeezed orange juice…
This recipe utilizes fresh orange juice… and zest too!
Just bake up my simple orange cake recipe. And then pulverize it into crumbs in the food processor. In true “cake ball” fashion, you then mix those crumbs with some cream cheese frosting… and even more of that orange zest!Scoop out some of the crumbs-mixed-with-frosting. I like to use my handy dandy cookie dough spring scoop. This is truly one of my favorite kitchen tools 
And it ensures that all of your cake truffles will be the same size.
Roll into a ball.
In fact, roll all of them into balls. Then pop them in the freezer for about 15 minutes just to firm them up a little bit. At this point, you can decide what you’re going to dip them in (I used Wilton’s Candy Melts), and what you’re going to sprinkle on top to make them pretty.
Dip them one by one in the melted chocolate and then set them on waxed paper to dry and set.
Top each truffle with a little something before the chocolate sets. I like to top truffles with a little “hint” of what’s inside. Here I used some thinly sliced orange zest that I candied in a frying pan with a tiny bit of water and sugar.
And here are a few more… some I drizzled additional chocolate on top, and then added the decor.
They were kinda sorta a big hit around my place with both the adults and the kids. I keep them in the refrigerator so they are a nice, ice-cold treat on hot days!
Orange Cake Truffles
Ingredients
CAKE
- 1 box French Vanilla cake mix
- One 3 ounce package instant vanilla pudding mix
- ¾ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- ½ cup canola oil
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
MIX-INS
- 12 ounces cream cheese frosting (¾ of a container)
- 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
COATING/TOPPINGS
- 1 cup Wilton's candy melts (or desired melting chocolate)
- sprinkles or candied orange peel (see tips below)
Instructions
PREPARE THE CAKE
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray 9x13 inch pan with nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together cake mix and pudding mix. Add orange juice, oil, eggs, orange zest and vanilla. Use an electric mixer to beat on low speed until well blended, scraping sides as needed.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, just until cake is set and toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cake cool completely.
PREPARE THE CAKE BALLS
- After cake is cool, scoop chunks of the cake into a food processor and process into crumbs.
- Place cake crumbs in a large bowl. Add ¾ of a tub of frosting and 1 tablespoon orange zest. Stir with a sturdy spoon until ingredients are well combined.
- Shape frosting/crumb mixture into 1 inch balls and place them on a waxed paper lined cookie sheet. Place the cookie sheet in the freezer or refrigerator just until the cake balls have had a chance to get a little bit firm.
DIP THE TRUFFLES
- Melt about a cup of candy melts in a microwave safe bowl (about 2 minutes on high). Stir until smooth.
- Use a small spoon to lower a cake ball into the melted chocolate and swirl it around until completely covered with the chocolate. Scrape the spoon against the side of the bowl and carefully remove the cake ball from the chocolate and set it on waxed paper.
- Immediately top with decor and let sit to dry. Continue with remaining cake balls and chocolate. Assembled truffles can be kept at room temperature or in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Notes
- When you bake your cake, you may end up with the top of the cake as a brown layer. If you don't want that brown layer to be mixed into your crumb mixture, just use a sharp knife or a spatula to gently scrape off the brown top layer of the cake.
- If you'd like the center of your truffles to be more "orange" than shown in the photos, add a drop or two of orange food coloring to the mix (or red/yellow).
- To make a simple candied orange peel: remove as much of the white pith as possible from orange peel using a sharp knife. Cut the peel into thin strips. Heat a Tablespoon of water in a small pan. Add strips of orange peel and a teaspoon of granulated white sugar. Sauté the peel in the sugar-water until water dissolves. Remove from heat and spread orange peel on a paper towel to dry. Use to top the truffles as decor. (And, it gives a little hint as to what flavor is inside!)
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Amazing! I love orange cake but it dries fast, so this is great for those last slices!
I love the candied rind, do you have a recipe for that, that can be made in batches and preserved some how? Like home made sprinkles 🙂
I only made a few pieces of the candied rind to top the truffles, so not in bulk and preserved. I know there are recipes out there though…
These look amazing, and sound perfect for summer. Love the flavor orange zest gives recipes.
I really love the way you decorted them! Next time I make cake balls, I’m so using my cookie scooper (like yours), that is a brilliant way to keep them all the same size!
Beautiful job! I don’t think that those oranges would make it into the recipe for me though – they are SO hard to resist!
I make an orange chiffon cake a lot in the summer. Imagine that would work fine. Orange and chocolate are so fabulous together. These are lovely, Lori.
The cake truffles look amazing. Adding orange juice is perfect for a fresh tasting summertime treat! Can’t wait to give these a try.
Lovely job dipping! I like the candied orange slice on top, hinting at the deliciousness inside.
These look beautiful! I’ve been on a truffle kick lately, too. Love them because they’re so yummy and a “portion-controlled” dessert, too!
These cake truffles sound INCREDIBLE…I really need to make some more truffles, they’re always a hit at parties, and I’m sure these would be incredible. Thanks for sharing! 🙂