RECIPE: Spooky cake truffles

A less than perfect chocolate cake is just another reality we must come to terms with.

Have no clue what to do with those offcuts or stale overcooked cakes?

Chef Jess Levin has just the solution for you this weekend as she shares her spooky Amarula truffles.

“Never bin a cake again, simply give it the most delicious second life it could ever imagine!” she says.

PS, You can replace the Amarula with coffee, milk mixed with vanilla, or chocolate milk. Get creative, says Levin!

INGREDIENTS:

Makes 10-12

For cake balls:

3 cups chocolate cake or muffin crumbs

60-100 ml cake soak (we used Amarula)*

150 g dark or milk chocolate

90g white chocolate

Toothpicks

• Chef’s tip: Did you know salt makes chocolate taste even more delicious?

Décor

Candy eyes (available at most cake shops)

Pink fondant icing (optional)

• Chef’s Tip: This recipe is a “no recipe” recipe. Why? Every cake will produce a slightly different crumble. Some may be drier than others. Add your cake soak until the cake crumbs can be easily kneaded together into a fudgy ball.

METHOD:

1. Add your cake crumbs into a bowl (if you have cake with icing add the icing bits in too!). Add in your cake soak in increments.
2. Once the crumbs are moist enough to come together into a ball, mix everything together well and add a generous pinch of salt.
3. Roll your cake dough into balls. I weighed mine into 30 g portions, which were perfect.
4. Pop the balls into the freezer to set for 1 hour. This will make them easy to coat in chocolate.
5. Once ready to coat, melt your dark chocolate in a ceramic bowl in the microwave, stirring every 15 seconds until fully melted.
6. To keep the chocolate runny while I work, I like to place the bowl into a larger bowl of hot water. Be super careful to ensure no water gets into the chocolate, or it will seize.
7. Take a toothpick and skewer one of the cake balls. Dip it into the chocolate to evenly coat, shake off the excess chocolate, then pop the other end of the toothpick into some clay (or any of the items suggested above) to allow the cake truffle to set. Repeat with the remaining truffles.
8. Once all the truffles are coated and the chocolate is firm, place them in the freezer while you melt your white chocolate (leave the toothpicks in!)
9. Melt the white chocolate as per the instructions above.
10. Remove the truffles from the freezer.
11. In one hand hold the toothpick, in your other hand have a spoon of melted chocolate ready.
12. Start to drizzle the white chocolate in a thin steam, spinning the toothpick as you go to “wrap” the chocolate cake truffle in its “mummy bandages”.
13. While the white chocolate is a little soft, add on your candy eyes to finish your mummy heads. As above, place the toothpick into clay to allow the chocolate to set.
14. If you want to add more decoration you can add various mouths and embellishments to your mummies with fondant icing.
15. Serve your spooky creations and enjoy!