Red Velvet Truffles

If there's one thing I absolutely love during the holidays, it's my Granny's Red Velvet Cake.  It is by far the best recipe I've ever had, however partial I may be, and it screams Christmas to me. (You can read an article I wrote about it in Southern Holiday Life Magazine here. Pages 81-82.)

When I make this cake, I always have to even out the cake so that it will be level. When I'm finished making the delectable treat, I always have extra cake sitting around from where I shaved down the layers. So I decided to put that extra cake to good use. Making truffles with it seemed like a good idea.  (Recipe at the bottom of this post.)

My Granny's recipe makes three layers. Sometimes, I like to make a four layer cake so that it looks a little more appealing.  So, I double the recipe, make a four layer cake, and use the rest of the cake layers and the parts I shaved off to make the truffles. 

These truffles are just as mouth-watering as their layered counterpart.  You'll notice in the recipe that I add a pinch of sea salt to the top of the truffle. That's to cut the sweetness just a bit. These treats are very rich!  They also make great hostess or neighbor gifts!  Package in a treat box and tie with ribbon and you have a gift anyone would love. 

Granny's Red Velvet Cake
1 box Duncan Hines Butter Recipe cake mix
1 Tbsp cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
1 bottle of red food coloring
1 stick of butter
3 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp vinegar

Mix cake mix and cocoa together. Then, add vanilla, buttermilk, food coloring, butter, and eggs. Blend well until moist. Add baking soda and vinegar. Beat the mixture for four minutes.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 25-30 minutes. Makes three layers.

Cream Cheese Pecan Frosting
1 stick of butter
1 8oz. cream cheese
1 box of powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans

Soften butter and cream cheese. Cream well. Add sugar, vanilla, and nuts.

Red Velvet Truffles
Red Velvet cake and Cream Cheese Pecan Frosting
Almond Bark
Sea Salt
Chopped pecans

Crumble cake in a large bowl. Mix in the cream cheese pecan frosting. Roll into balls and place on cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Place in freezer for twenty minutes for balls to set. Once set, dip balls into Almond Bark and top with a pinch of salt and garnish with chopped pecans.

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