Unicorn Naked Cake Truffles

I kind of made these by accident.
Have you ever made a flat cake by accident because your vinegar container was being re-purposed as a water storage container? That’s what led me to make these cake truffles! While my cake didn’t rise (vinegar + baking powder is key for vegan cakes), it was still edible and tasty. Making something beautiful with leftovers/turning a messed up recipe into something decent is one of the most satisfying things!

I decided to throw in some crushed multi-colored cereal for a pretty speckled look. I used some naturally colored cereal I found at Whole Foods, but feel free to use any colored cereal you like! These cake truffles are really easy: roll the cake into balls, drizzle with some chocolate or frosting, and sprinkle with sprinkles (or crushed cereal, in my case). I thought about dipping them in chocolate like most people do with cake truffles, but I decided naked cake truffles are easier and even prettier! I even made some heart-shaped ones for kicks, because of Valentine’s Day season and all.

The first time I made these, I drizzled vegan white and dark chocolate over them. The second time, I wanted a cream cheese drizzle, so I whipped up a cashew cream cheese drizzle to use. Depending on your preference, feel free to do either method, or make both!

Unicorn Naked Cake Truffles
makes 2 dozen bite-sized truffles

Total Time: 1 hour (not including initial cake bake time, which adds about an hour! But if you have leftover cake–congrats, you saved an hour)

Ingredients:

1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
1/3 cup unsweetened vanilla nondairy milk (I used cashew)
3 cups leftover cake crumbs*
3 cups multicolored cereal**
vegan chocolate or cream cheese glaze, for drizzling (see below)

Notes:

* From any vanilla cake or cupcake recipe you like–I halved this recipe from my old blog (omit the cocoa powder). To make cake crumbs, crumble the cake into a food processor and pulse until the mixture turns into cake crumbs.
** I used Whole Foods’ Rainbow Morning O’s–pick any similar cereal!
***Alternatively, you could use raw cashews and boil them for 15-20 minutes–a handy shortcut!

Method:

Line a cookie tray with wax or parchment paper.
In a stand mixer, combine the coconut oil and nondairy milk, mixing until smooth.
Meanwhile, put the cereal into a food processor and pulse until your desired consistency. I wanted more color to show, so I opted for medium pieces, rather than really fine pieces (see the photo of crushed cereal above).
Toss the cake and cereal crumbs together. Gradually add them to the stand mixer with the coconut oil and nondairy milk, mixing until everything is incorporated.
Roll the cake batter into balls, using a tablespoon to measure for each truffle. Place each truffle on the prepared cookie tray. For the heart shaped truffles: I used this mini heart cookie cutter–these are also about one tablespoon of batter per truffle.
Drizzle the truffles with melted chocolate of your choice (dark chocolate and/or white chocolate), or cashew cream cheese glaze (see below).
Sprinkle with crushed cereal or vegan pastel sprinkles of your choice!
Place the tray in the fridge for the drizzle to set, about 10-15 minutes.

Cashew Cream Cheese Glaze
makes about 1/2 cup

Blend together the following in a high speed blender, and adjust to taste:

3/4 cup cashews, soaked overnight***
3/4 cup coconut oil
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons nondairy milk
3 tablespoons lemon juice (or the juice of one small Meyer lemon)

Note: I had to make at least 1/2 a cup, otherwise my Blendtec wouldn’t blend. For the truffles, you’ll only need to use about half of this, so use the leftover glaze as you like! This would be great drizzled over strawberries, too!

Happy Valentine’s Week, y’all! Treat yourself this week! Stay tuned for another V-Day themed recipe coming tomorrow!