Don’t let that fruitcake go to waste! Turn leftover fruitcake into these Christmas cake balls, cake truffles dipped in melted chocolate. Your family will love these, probably more than the cake itself.
Personally, I love fruitcake and this white fruitcake is my all-time favourite. The recipe makes a lot of Christmas cake, and though I love to eat it daily for breakfast during the holidays, there’s always a little leftover. The recipe for the cake makes several loaves, so usually we wrap one in marzipan and frost it generously with a brandy frosting. The rest, we leave plain so that we can transform it into Christmas cake balls (like cake pops, but minus the wooden stick).
Making cake truffles from leftover fruitcake is very easy. I like to use the food processor to combine the leftover fruitcake with a little alcohol (or you can use milk or cream, or even water for an alcohol-free version), then you pulse and process until the mixture resembles wet sand.
You know the consistency is good if you can form a ball by working a heaped spoonful of the mixture with your hands. Too much liquid will ruin these because they won’t hold the shape. You want just enough moisture to be able to gather the crumbs together and hold them, but not so much that they are wet, soggy, and falling apart.
Once the fruitcake truffles are formed, you can then dip them in melted chocolate. Let them harden and then store them in the fridge or freezer for later. The principle behind these Christmas cake truffles is the same as for the birthday cake truffles. Both of these are great treats to store in the freezer for when the craving strikes.
We make these fruitcake balls every year, along with these amaretto booze balls. They store well at room temperature in an airtight container and improve with age! They also make great edible homemade gifts that you can send in the mail without worrying about them falling apart. They ship very well.
Christmas cake balls
Ingredients
- 450 grams (1 lb) fruitcake or leftover Christmas cake
- 20 mL (4 tsp) spiced or dark rum
- 225 grams (½ lb) white chocolate melted (or 70 % dark chocolate)
- Cacao Barry extra brute cocoa powder for dusting, optional
Instructions
- Place the fruitcake and the rum in the bowl of a food processor and process until combined.
- Roll the mixture into small, bite-sized truffles (~ 1 inch).
- Dip the truffles in the melted chocolate, and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet to set.
- Dust with cocoa powder before serving (optional).
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