Limoncello Cheesecake Truffles

Debuting a light (ahem, -er) treat for you today inspired by the warmer weather and sunshine we are finally getting up here in New York (three months left!). Limoncello cheesecake truffles. Not that they need more description or convincing, but you're going to get a little bit anyway.

They're made from lemon chiffon cake that has been soaked with a healthy douse of limoncello and citrus cream cheese filling. After being formed into truffles they were dunked in a refreshing lemon glaze and dipped into toasted graham cracker crumbs. 

Irresistibly sized and flavored, cake truffles make the perfect addition to dessert bars, special occasions or snack times. [Click here to view bourbon caramel, and ice cream sundae versions]

pssst....the limoncello cake truffles in this picture are sitting a top one of my favorite cake plates that I rent for free with the purchase of a cake or gourmet dessert item- check out the entire collection here.

Sundae Cake Truffles

I hate wasting anything. I've kept bottles of nail polish from 9th grade and I have to squeeze the toothpaste tube from the bottom in order to get every last bit out. I feel even more strongly about wasting cake because, well, it's cake. The absolute worst part of culinary school is how much good food we throw away each and every day- it makes me so sad! To solve my own cake wasting problem, I save any wedding cake scraps and freeze them right away so they'll stay fresh. Then down the road I can use them for things like bread pudding, crumb garnishes or cake croutons. I've made my stance on cake pops pretty clear before, but my feelings toward these decadent and pop-able cake truffles couldn't be more opposite. 

These are made from dark chocolate cake, homemade caramel sauce, sweetened coconut, chocolate ganache and cherry liquor. So basically, an ice cream sundae in one easy bite. 

They're rolled in cocoa powder and powdered sugar for a  rustic effect, but dipping them in dark chocolate would give them a little extra fancy for a more formal affair. The center is fudge-y and slightly gooey like a regular chocolate truffle. I could put away half a dozen of these bad boys without hardly batting an eye. They make great additions to gift boxes for wedding or bridal shower parties (package way easier than cake!) or they could even sit pretty on a dessert bar.

Cake Truffles

Let me preface this post by saying...I hate cake pops. That's right it's Valentine's Day and I'm hating on cake pops. I love cake, I love lollipops, but I hate those stupid little donut hole makers and dipping cake squished together with sugary buttercream into even sugarier fondant. BUT I also hate waste. Wedding cakes generate a lot of cake 'waste' after making it level or carving it into a figure. I usually toss all of the scraps into an airtight bag and stash them in the freezer for a rainy day. As long as the bag is airtight and securely wrapped, the cake will not lose any of the moisture it had when you first put it in there.

From here, you can do a lot with left over cake scraps:

• They make a really decadent bread pudding in place of stale bread. For bread pudding I would  let the scraps sit out and stale a day or two before using. 
• You can use the crumbs as a garnish on cupcakes, cake or other desserts
• Or, you can make cake truffles like I did:

The difference, you may be wondering, between these little gems and cake pops is more than just the stick. The middle is almost solid cake, I just flavored it with some of the leftover filling from the same wedding cake. No squishy, mushy, way too sweet filling either; I'm talking about the good stuff. There were three flavors in total: spice cake with cinnamon cream cheese, chocolate with cinnamon cream cheese, and chocolate with bourbon caramel. I rolled all three into little balls and dipped them in pure dark chocolate for a delicious finish.

These would be a great addition to a dessert bar at a wedding, or just taking a dozen or so home to your sweet for Valentine's Day. Hope you're feeling loved today!