Red Velvet Cake Truffles

Here’s something I put together as a Valentines Day treat (any boys reading out there – it’s on the 14th Feb!).  These Red Velvet Cake truffles are delish – the inside combines Red Velvet Cake with cream cheese on the inside which works perfectly as Red Velvet cake is traditionally iced with cream cheese icing (check out Courtenay’s Red Velvet Cake recipe post).  On the outside I’ve coated the truffles with pink chocolate; you could buy candy melts or colour white chocolate with gel colouring.  I think they would  look just as great with dark chocolate too.

1 ¼ cups flour
1 cup sugar
¾ tablespoon cocoa
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
¾ cup oil
½ cup buttermilk
½ tablespoon vinegar
½ teaspoon vanilla essence
25ml liquid red food colouring (less if using gel colouring)
200g cream cheese
375g chocolate (I used white chocolate melts and added in gel colouring to get the pink)
sprinkles for decoration

Preheat oven to 180°C.  Grease a 20cm cake pan.
Lightly whisk the eggs in a medium-large bowl.  Add the remaining liquid ingredients and mix together with whisk or whisk attachment on an electric mixer until blended.
Sift the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.  Mix on medium-high with an electric mixer for about a minute or until completely combined.
Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan and then drop the pan on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.
Bake for about 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.  Remove from the oven and cool for 15-30 minutes before removing the cake from the pan and cooling completely on a wire rack.
Crumb the cake into a bowl, then mix though the cream cheese.  Roll tablespoons of the mixture into balls, then place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to chill.
Place the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl, and melt the chocolate by microwaving it, stopping and stirring it every 30 seconds until it is smooth.
Dip the cake balls into the chocolate to coat them (I find using forks, as mentioned in my Mint Chocolate Truffle recipe post, to be the easiest and tidiest looking method), if the cake balls start to fall apart, place them back in the fridge (or zap them in the freezer) to chill some more.  Sprinkle over any additional decoration before the chocolate sets so that it sticks.

For more Valentines Day baking ideas, check out this post we put together of recipes that we think would go down a treat!

Strawberry Champagne Cupcakes

Don’t they sound amazing? The tasted pretty darn good too! My gorgeous cousin Ree got married a couple of weekends ago and a few weeks before the wedding I was asked to do some baking for her bridal shower, it was a lovely afternoon and I wanted to make something that had a summery yet celebratory/romantic flavour and feel, strawberries are quintessentially summer and it’s not a celebration without bubbly. These are so easy to whip up because I kinda cheated… Because of the quickness and ease of this recipe they might be good to whip up for Valentine’s Day this week – you can always enjoy any left over bubbly with a loved one!

Ingredients:
Cupcakes
1 box Betty Crocker Strawberry and Cream cake mix
3/4 cup Champagne (in place of water)
3 Eggs
1/4 cup canola oil
2-3 drops pink food colouring

Champagne Butter Cream
150 grams butter, softened
3-4 cups icing sugar
1/3 cup champagne
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
4-6 drops pink food colouring

Method:
Pre-heat your oven to 150°C and place 18-20 cupcake papers into muffin tins.
Follow the instructions on the package replacing the water with champagne.
Once you have made your batter half fill each cupcake cake (you would generally fill to 2/3 but the champagne seems to give a lighter higher cupcake).
Bake for 12-15 minutes or until you can touch a cupcake in the centre and they bounce back or you can insert a skewer and it is removed cleanly.
Remove from the oven and cool on wire racks.
Once your cupcakes are cool make your buttercream.
To make the buttercream beat butter until it is light and fluffy. Add 2 cups icing sugar, vanilla and half the champagne and beat until smooth. Add remaining icing sugar and champagne and mix. Drop in food colouring until you have the colour you desire. Spread or pipe (I used a Wilton 2D tip) onto cupcakes, decorate as you desire.


I think these cupcakes are perfect for a girly celebration! They are beautifully moist and if you have any left they will keep well for a few days in an airtight container. I also thought I’d share the above picture with you all, at the bridal shower I got to hang out with Amanda, the lovely lady behind The Vintage Table, she provided all the gorgeous trios that we sipped tea from between glasses of punch and bubbles – turns out here in NZ there really is only two degrees of separation – Amanda and Ree have known each other since primary school! The vintage trios really helped set the tone for what was a lovely afternoon, celebrating one of the loveliest ladies I know.

Congratualtions on your marriage Ree and Carl xox

Valentines Day Baking Ideas…

What have you got planned for Valentines Day this year?  Why not indulge your loved ones (partner, friends, family, work mates, yourself) with some delicious homemade treats for Valentines Day?  We’ve put together a list of ideas that are sure to make who ever you give them to feel special.

Red Velvet

With red being the colour of love and romance, why not give a red velvet baked gift?!  We love Red Velvet and these are some of our fave Red Velvet recipes:

• Red Velvet Cake
• Red Velvet Cupcakes
• Red Velvet and White Chocolate Cookies
• Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

Box of Chocolates

Indulge someone with a box of chocolate goodies.  Sprinkle around some Chocolate Kisses and fill the rest of the box with these chocolate treats:

• Mint Chocolate Truffles
• Chocolate Hearts
• Raspberry White Chocolate Fudge
• Chocolate Hazelnut Slice

Cookies

A batch of heart shaped cookies would be just adorable.  Use a heart shaped cutter and make some confetti cookies or simple cookies and decorate with Valentine’s colours.  Alternatively, make an assortment of different delicious biscuit recipes and package them up in a pretty tin.  We love these recipes:

• Confetti Cookies
• Simple Cookies
• Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies
• Raspberry Melting Moments

Pop out for a Picnic

Pack up a basket and head out for a picnic in your favourite spot.  The following recipes can be made ahead of time and travel well:

• Beer Bread
• Ham, Cheese and Broccoli Quiche
• Kumara and Bacon Savoury Slice
• Individual Bacon and Egg Pies

Cake

A great looking cake is sure to impress.  Here’s our picks:

• Easy Peasy Chocolate Cake
• Chocolate Beer Cake
• Baileys Mars Bar Cheesecake
• Spiced Apple Cake

And for those of you that really have left your Valentines gift to the last minute… there’s always Five Minute Chocolate Mug Cake!