B’Day Truffles or Birthday Truffles are made from a birthday cake base. Typical for this cake are the rainbow sprinkles and the beautiful vanilla flavor. At the end, the truffles are coated with a white chocolate shell and rolled in B’Day sand.
These little truffles are not only great for birthdays, they are great for any occasion, no matter what time of year. Once you start, you can’t stop eating. They taste so good and it’s really worth the effort.
Tools & Equipment
- 3 medium bowls
- Cooking spray
- Food processor
- Ice cream scoop or tablespoon
- Large baking sheet
- Large bowl
- Latex gloves
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mat
- Plastic wrap
- Quarter sheet pan
- Silicone spatula
- Small saucepan
- Stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment
- Whisk
Recipe Tips
The Cake Base: the cake should be completely cold by the time you use it. Either you make it in advance or you simply put the cake in the fridge or freezer to chill faster.
Cake Flour: if you don’t have cake flour, you can easily make it at home. Combine regular flour (550) and cornstarch in a ratio of 87.2% flour and 12.8% cornstarch. Sift into a bowl and repeat the process twice.
The Sand: it is made from grinded crumbs, which are baked first and have to be completely cold before you use them. The good news: the sand can be made in advance as you can keep it in an airtight container in the fridge or in the freezer.
The Shell: the truffles are rolled in melted chocolate and then coated with sand. You have to work quickly, otherwise the chocolate will set and no longer act as glue, so I suggest that you do this step in twos. One of you can roll the truffles in chocolate and the other one can coat them with sand.
Directions – How to Make B’Day Truffles
Make the Birthday Cake Base
Preheat the oven to 177°C / 350°F. Grease a quarter sheet pan and line with parchment paper. Weigh your ingredients.
Beat the butter, shortening and sugar in a bowl of a stand mixer for 2 to 3 minutes on medium-high. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs and stir for 2 to 3 minutes on medium-high. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again.
Combine buttermilk, oil and vanilla and stream the liquid into the cake batter very slowly, this should take about 3 minutes. Increase the mixer to medium-high and beat for another 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture is white and completely smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Whisk cake flour, baking powder, salt and the rainbow sprinkles together, add the mixture on very low speed and mix for about 45 to 60 seconds until the batter comes together. Scrape down the sides of the bow, then mix for another 45 seconds on low speed.
Spread the cake batter in the pan and sprinkle the rest of the rainbow sprinkles on top of the batter. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. At 30 minutes gently poke the edge of the cake with your finger: the cake should bounce back a little and the center should no longer jiggle. If not done yet, leave the cake in the oven for a few more minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack, in the fridge or freezer.
Make the Birthday Sand
Preheat the oven to 149°C / 300°F and weigh the ingredients.
Mix sugar, flour, baking powder, salt and sprinkles in the bowl of a stand mixer on low speed until well combined. Add oil and vanilla and keep mixing until you get small sandy clusters.
Spread the crumbs on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Allow the crumbs to cool completely before using. Grind them in a food processor.
For Assembly
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk together milk and vanilla. Grab your cake base, tear it into small pieces and place them into a large bowl. Add the vanilla milk gradually and toss with your hands until moist enough to knead into a ball.
Use a small ice cream scoop to portion about 40 balls. Roll between the palms of your hands to form and smooth them into round balls. Place them on the prepared baking sheet.
Mix the white chocolate and the oil, place over a hot water bath and stir until the chocolate has melted.
With latex gloves on, put white chocolate in the palm of your hand. Roll each ball between the palms and cover with a thin layer of melted chocolate. Transfer the chocolate coated balls in the bowl with the sand and toss sand over them to coat completely. Put the balls back on the sheet and place it in the fridge for at least 5 minutes to let the chocolate fully set.
Storage: the cooled cake base can be stored in the fridge, wrapped in plastic, for up to 5 days. You can store the sand in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the fridge or freezer for up to 3 month. Store the finished truffles in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 month.
My Summary for B’Day Truffles
Difficulty: intermediate.
Taste: the cute truffles taste sweet and salty at the same time.
Texture: they are slightly crunchy on the outside and doughy on the inside. This reminds me a bit of cookie dough.
PROS: very delicious and perfect to bring as a gift or share with friends.
CONS: there are some preps to make. First of all the cake base and the sand. Besides, to finish the truffles (roll in chocolate and coat with sand) it is easier to work in twos.
