This White Christmas Truffle Cake is a beautiful holiday dessert that consists of a fluffy sponge layer and white chocolate truffle. Stunning in its simplicity!
For another beautiful Christmas cake take a look at this Cranberry Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Icing.
I had a very specific idea of what I wanted this white chocolate truffle cake to be. But when I looked at it my mind immediately turned to Charlie Brown Christmas.
Doesn’t that little Christmas tree in the middle of the vast white remind you of the favourite childhood cartoon?
What is White Christmas Truffle Cake?
As the name suggests, this creation is part cake, part truffle, and therefore the most luxurious thing one would expect on Christmas. The cake layer has three ingredients as does the truffle topping. Simple and elegant.
This white chocolate truffle cake is perhaps the simplest cake I’ve ever posted on Vikalinka. It took me no longer than one hour to do…including baking.
What ingredients are in White Christmas Cake?
The sponge layer only has three ingredients. Eggs, sugar and flour. It’s a simple sponge that compliments a rich truffle layer very well.
The truffle layer also consists of three ingredients. White chocolate, whipping cream or double cream and mascarpone.
The fat content in both cream and mascarpone is responsible for the ability of this white chocolate truffle layer to set. Using lower fat dairy and chocolate chips will result in the truffle not setting.
Tips for making White Christmas Truffle Cake
- I live in England and what I have found through 4 years of blogging is that dairy products differ between countries, especially mascarpone cheese. Ours comes from Italy and made with no stabilisers and is higher in fat, so for best results buy the highest quality ingredients you can afford.
- Also the fat content of double cream in England is 48%, which is responsible for the firmness of the truffle layer. Mix the mascarpone in after the chocolate and cream mixture cools.
- Overbeating mascarpone will result in the mixture splitting.
- The chocolate has to be measured by weight. 12 oz equals 3 1/2 chocolate bars, avoid chocolate chips.
- Please read the recipe directions and all comments before starting on your cake. Enjoy!
Update: So because I love you all and it’s Christmas I finally filmed a video, so now you can see exactly how this cake made!
Watch for the consistency of the truffle layer in the video to ensure yours sets properly and is ready to wow everyone at Christmas dinner!
How far in advance can I make white chocolate truffle cake?
You can make it up to two days in advance and keep it in a springform pan refrigerated. Unmold the cake before serving, decorate with the sugar pearls and serve.
Leftovers should be refrigerated.
More Christmas dessert recipes:
- Christmas Cranberry Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Icing
- Frostbitten Raspberry Cake
- Dark Chocolate Truffle Cake
- Raffaello Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the cake layer
- 3 eggs
- 1/3 cup/65 g sugar
- 1/3 cup/45 g flour
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the truffle topping
- 1 1/4 cups/ 300 g double cream/heavy cream I used 48% fat double cream
- 12 oz/350 g white chocolate chopped, not chocolate chips (measured by weight)
- 9 oz/250 g mascarpone or cream cheese full fat only
Instructions
For the cake layer
- Preheat the oven to 350F/180C. Butter and dust with flour an 8"/20 cm round springform pan.
- Beat room temperature eggs, vanilla and sugar in a medium bowl for about 3-5 minutes with an electric mixer until white, foamy and triple in volume.
- Fold sifted flour in 3 additions with a spatula, be careful not to deflate the cake batter. If after the addition of the flour the volume goes down significantly, the cake will not rise properly.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15-17 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean. The baked sponge should have risen to at least double the height of the unbaked batter. Cool on a wire rack.
For the truffle topping
- Bring the heavy cream in a saucepan to a boil. Pour the hot cream over chopped white chocolate and stir with a whisk until the chocolate in melted and completely incorporated into the cream. Let the mixture come to a room temperature. (I chill mine outside for 20-30 minutes.)
- Add mascarpone and whip with a hand mixer until smooth. If using cream cheese instead of mascarpone, whip the cheese until light and fluffy before adding cream and chocolate mixture and blending the ingredients together. Do not pre-whip mascarpone or it might separate from over-beating. Mix mascarpone and the cream/chocolate mixture together with a hand blender until combined, approximately 2 minutes. (The consistency of the truffle layer should be similar to thick sour cream.)
- Line the sides of a springform pan with parchment paper. Put the sponge layer back in the springform pan.
- Pour the truffle mixture on top of the cake in the springform pan and level it with an offset spatula. Chill in the refrigerator for at least for 2 hours or better overnight.
- Run a knife along the sides of the cake to release it from the pan, then carefully unmold it and move to a cake stand. Decorate with sugar pearls and greenery.
Video
Made this several times and it’s absolutely delicious! Very easy to make and always get compliments. I was wondering if it would be possible to freeze it? And if so, is it best to defrost in the fridge or at room temperature?
Hi Hannah, I’ve never tried to freeze it but I think it will work if made with mascarpone. I would definitely defrost in the fridge since it has lots of dairy. So happy to hear you love this cake so much!
This was an amazing Christmas dessert! Everyone loved it. I adjusted the recipe a little to make a larger 9-inch cake and it worked out perfectly. I also used a whisk to lightly blend in the flour to ensure to keep the sponge light. It’s a keeper and will make it often. Thanks for a great recipe!
What a great outcome, Killeen! Thank you for sharing this with us!
Omgsh I’ve made this before and it turned out beautifully. For some awful reason my truffle mix looks like cottage cheese :((((
I did put my chocolate cream mixture in the fridge to cool. Do you think that ruined it? And I also used white chocolate morsels instead of a bar. Wasn’t sure what the different between chips and morsels were.
Cooling the mixture is most likely not the reason but if the mixture was still too warm it might have been. Out of multiple times I’ve made this cake the only time the mixture split is when we were filming the video and rushing. The chocolate cream mixture was not cool enough and I over whipped the truffle after adding mascarpone because I was trying to show how thick the mixture should get. It still set and was tasty but in the end I had to redo the cake. I was happy it happened as I finally saw where some of my readers went wrong. I don’t know if chocolate morsels contributed to the issue because I don’t know what is in them but since white chocolate is temperamental substance it could have been the culprit. I am sorry, Estrella, it’s not a fun issue to deal with right before Christmas.
I live in Michigan and just made this cake and it truned out great! I used Bobś Red Mill 1:1 gluten free flour for the cake. The first try I didn´t let it bake long enough and it shrunk. Second try I baked it for about 20 minutes and it turned out fine. For the truffle layer I used Meijer brand heavy whipping cream, Lindt chocolate bars and the only mascarpone I could find, BelGioioso. Thank you! It looks beautiful and I cannot wait to take it to my family Christmas tomorrow! My only worry is that there will not be enough for everyone to get a piece that wants one!
I am so pleased it turned out well, Leanne! Also you are officially the first one this season to make this cake and comment here! Enjoy your party!
Looking forward to making this for Christmas dessert. Wondering if you have an adaption for making it larger? 9 or 10 inch? Seems like an 8-inch will not feed many.
Hi Killeen, I don’t know how many you are expecting for dinner but just wanted to mention that it’s a very rich cake and a little goes a long way. Also, if you want to make a larger one, you can hover over the number of servings in the recipe card and a slider will appear. Drang it to the right to amend the ingredient quantities for a larger cake. However, it only changes cups and tablespoons, not grams. I hope this helps!
Thanks for sharing! I love how simple the ingredients list is too!
This looks so good! What an elegant and delicious dessert for Christmas! It can be decorated or garnished in so many ways too!
I made this for Christmas and got raving praise. And yes, if you live in the US it’s worth sourcing the double cream. Fresh Market carries it if you live in the Southern US. I’d like to make it for Valentines Day and dye it pink. Do you think the red food coloring will impact the sponge layer? I know it can be termperamental.
I am so happy you like this cake, Vicky. I love it so much I actually created a https://vikalinka.com/be-my-valentine-red-velvet-truffle-cake/ of it. The bottom is red velvet cake but if you just want to tint this sponge cake pink, you can. It won’t affect it but I would use a gel/paste colouring over the liquid one.
After reading through the comments I decided to use two jars of Devon Double Cream which we can get here in Vancouver as it has a higher fat content than whipping cream. I used Callebaut white chocolate and full fat cream cheese rather than risk our domestic mascarpone (the imported Italian mascarpone is four times the price). I used a stand mixer with the whisk attachment for the cake layer and the regular beater for the filling. The result was amazing! The cake was a light chiffon layer and the cream cheese layer had the texture of a Lindt Lindor truffle – smooth and buttery. I think my springform pan was a fraction too large as the cream cheese layer wasn’t as deep as in the photos but no one seemed to notice – they were too busy complementing me 😉
Thank you for another wonderful recipe!
Thank you so much for such thoughtful feedback, Karyn! You were clever to use such high quality ingredients because they make this cake!
Best cake ever. So easy to make. A little sweet, ill try to make some adjustments with mascarpone and heavy cream.do u moisten ur sponge cake?Btw love ur website.
Thank you, Olga. I usually drizzle simple syrup with various flavourings on my sponge cakes but I didn’t with this one although it’s not a bad idea!
I made it and it was decadent and wonderful! I live in the states and it turned out perfect. I used high fat mascarpone, Lindt white chocolate and high fat heavy cream. I served it for dessert on Christmas and everyone loved it! Thank you so much and I will be making it for years to come!
Sounds great. Thanks for sharing, Kristen
This was good. I’m in the US and didn’t have the same issues as other US readers.. I think the short list of ingredients makes this seem simple – but that’s a bit deceiving. It’s a little tricky. The truffle layer turned out fine – set with no problems.. The sponge layer was a little more dense than I think was intended. (I think it was the folding in of the flour – is where I went wrong). Overall, it was still good. Thanks for sharing.
Yes, the folding is where you have to be very light-handed, Joy. I am sure the sponge will be much lighter the next time.
I made the sponge layer three times, and I think the third time is as they say a charm. Here is the advice I would give to those who typically use a cake mix for everything they make. First, it is important that you beat the ingredients for the sponge on the highest speed to get the foamy consistency you are looking for. Next, you should sift the flour into the mixture to avoid getting flour lumps in the sponge. I hope I have better luck with the chiffon layer because I won’t have time to do it but once. Any tips for a beginner are welcome! I really look forward to trying this!
Great tips, Lori. I myself couldn’t agree more. Whipping the eggs until they triple in volume is crucial. Then the second hurdle is not to deflate the volume by adding the flour. So pleased you mastered this cake! It’s a great base for hundreds of layer cake variations!
Hello,
So I made this tonight and mine did not set up at all. It was a soupy mess. I mixed the eggs the specified amount of time and added my flour in three portions. My sponge was flat and did not rise. I mixed my cream cheese to light and fluffy (so I thought). When I combined the cream and chocolate mixture it did not thicken at all. Any tips or advice
Hello,
My question may have also posted elsewhere. Sorry for the duplicate post. Anyways, I am having a hard time finding double cream or heavy cream. It seems all I can find is whipping cream which is 35% fat. I’m in Canada. Any ideas on what to do? I was reading the comments and am worried that the cake won’t set properly. Also, when you say white chocolate bars are you referring to bakers chocolate?
Thanks
Hi Tanya, it’s fine to use whipping cream, plenty of other people have. Just make sure you follow the instructions properly and whip the cream and white chocolate until it thickens as the video at the top of the post shows. I recommend using a good quality chocolate bar like Lindt or anything similar as your truffle layer will taste exactly as the chocolate you use. I tend to avoid bakers chocolate.
Thanks so much for your reply. I’m looking forward to seeing how it turns out.
I made the cake for Christmas and it was a huge hit. Everyone loved it. To compensate for not having double cream, I added more marscapone cheese. I want to say that I used about 500g or so. I eyeballed it until the mixture peaked. It worked perfectly and the cake kept its form. Will definitely make it again.
Thanks again.
Sounds amazing and way to be resourceful, Tanya!
In Western Canada our whipping cream, 32% fat goes through standard pasteurization methods. I have noticed in the US that most of the cream is “ultra pasteurized to greatly extend the “freshness” to 60 days; however, this could change the properties of the product. Perhaps this is causing so many problems for Americans trying your recipe. Here is a link with more info.
http://archive.jsonline.com/features/food/why-do-some-recipes-call-for-heavy-cream-not-ultra-pasteurized-b9981042z1-227440501.html
That is very interesting, Diane. Thank you for sharing!
Quick question – do you use cold or room temperature mascarpone/cream cheese?
I use cold mascarpone. If using cream cheese it could be room temperature.
Recipe sounds Great. Thanks for sharing. Am Baking it tonight. Hope it turns out well. Sure the kids will love it. Cant wait.
I am sure they will, Riya!
Not sure if someone else has posted this yet as I didn’t have time to read through all comments but I found the double cream and I’m in California. I’m in Sacramento and found it at a local gourmet grocery store. I tried this making this last year and it didn’t set properly even with a second attempt using gelatin. But the taste was so amazing, I was determined to try again. The cream wasn’t in the usual heavy cream area, it was near the ricottas and marscapones. It was also in a small glass jar for about $7 each and recipe takes two jars. Hope this helps others out there because this cake is pretty special:).
I am so glad to hear it, Olivia. Thank you for sharing. 🙂
For the cake layer, do you use just the egg whites or the whole egg?
The whole egg Kristin, as per recipe instructions.
OK, and large or extra large eggs? Does it matter? I’m very excited to try this for Christmas! What are the little white gems on the cake?
Large eggs, Kristen, and the decorations are sugar pearls.
Is it tricky transferring the cake from the springform to cake stand?
It might be a bit tricky if someone is not very experienced but no more than other cakes. Just make sure you have a large and firm spatula to lift the cake or a cake lifter.
Thanks so much!
I read a comment that placing the hot cream /chocolate mixture in the fridge and stirring every 10 min to cool it lessened the wait time. Do you recommend this method or wait til it cools on the stove top?
I think it’s an individual call and how pressed you are for time.
Thanks
How far ahead can this cake be made?
You can make this cake a day ahead, Karen. As with all cakes it’s best enjoyed fresh.
I made this last year and it was absolutely gorgeous. It was so good that it’s been requested again this Christmas!
I found that the truffle layer was a bit softer than expected (was still delicious), although it did hold its shape. My cake definitely wasn’t as tall as the pictures. This year I think I might make it in individual portions in ramekins, so it doesn’t matter if it’s soft.
I am so happy to hear the cake was requested again, Laura. The same happens here. My daughter requests it over and over again. I think that whipping the truffle layer a bit longer makes it firmer. The video at the top of the page shows the right consistency before it’s set. I hope it helps but I also love the ramekin idea.
This recipe is phenomenal! My family devoured it. I made it with cream cheese because I already had some at home. It has been requested for Thanksgiving, so I’m making it again this year. Delicious!
I am so happy to hear it, Ellen! Thank you for such an amazing review!
I tried this last evening to prepare for a contest at Christmas. All came out well but, not white. Where did I go wrong??
What colour did it come out, Cyndi? Yellow? It’s probably white chocolate. Also, vanilla can contribute to it turning out darker. If that is the case, try clear vanilla next time although I prefer the real deal even if it colours it a bit.
Thank you so much for the perfect recipe. I really enjoyed your white Christmas truffle cake recipe. Again Thanks
After going through the comments again and re-reading the directions, I think the problem is where you say “Mix mascarpone and the cream/chocolate mixture together with a hand blender until combined, approximately 2 minutes.” Earlier you said the mascarpone can separate from over-beating so I did not whip it. I just gently beat it with a hand mixer because I didn’t want it to be over beat and separate. So the chocolate cream mixture that I poured over my cake layer was a runny soup which caused the cake layer to float to the top.
My cake was dead anyway so I pulled it out of the refrigerator, scooped out the cake which was totally saturated with liquid and what liquid was left, I tried actually WHIPPING it with the hand mixer. It set up. I think you need to make it clear that the chocolate cream mixture MUST be whipped. If it had been stiff, my cake layer would not have floated to the top or become totally saturated. And chances are that it would have set up properly too. So you need to clarify that the chocolate cream mixture must not be a liquid, it needs to be a semi-stiff consistency when poured over the cake layer.
It’s still a disaster for my Christmas party which is tomorrow night. I’m searching for something quick as a fill in. I’ll make it again for next year and hopefully have a success. But I think you should go back and re-write that section of your instructions as I saw other comments that others had misinterpreted the amount of whipping that needs to be done.
Hi Linda, first of all let me tell you how sorry I am you had difficulties with this cake. I would like, however to assure you that these instructions were updated several times based on my own multiple testing of the recipe, external testers and readers’ comments. Not only did I edit the instructions I also linked this post to videos of the cake I made on my Facebook page, where you can clearly see the consistency of the chocolate mixture when poured on top of the sponge (not liquid but mousse like). I did instruct to beat with an electric mixer in my directions. Please note that the length of time you whip will mostly depend on the power of your mixer as well as the cream you use. In the UK double cream could be whipped with a whisk! Once again, I hope you can watch the videos if you have any further questions. Best, Julia
Well, it looks like I will be flushing down $20 of ingredients down my garbage disposal and going to a supermarket to buy a pre-fab cake for my Christmas party. This cake was to be the centerpiece of my dessert table. I bought heavy whipping cream and Giraldelli white chocolate plus marscapone. Everything seemed to be going perfect. But when I poured the mixture into the springform pan, the cake layer floated to the top. Now reading the comments, I’m sure it’s not going to set. It’s already leaking out around the springform pan. I literally want to cry. I think the moral of the story is if you live in the US, don’t try this cake. We cannot find the correct ingredients here.
Hiya, I would like to make this for Christmas Day but will be very busy before hand with having all the family over this year, would it be suitable to make ahead and freeze? I know my mum always freezes her homemade cheese cakes!
Thank you,
Lou x
Hi Lou, I’ve have never tried to be honest but like you said cheesecakes are freezable. I would say go for it and take it out 30-40 minutes before serving. Let me know how it goes! Best, Julia
Brilliant I’ll give it a go and let you know. I pinned this recipe about 6 months ago and been counting down the weeks ever since to try it!!
And thankyou for replying xxx
That is so great! I made this cake two years in a row and my daughter is already requesting it for this year!
This is beautiful and looks like a great recipe, but you spelled Christmas incorrectly on Pinterest! Just wanted you to be aware so you can correct it 🙂
Hi there, thank for your comment. I am aware there is a typo on the original pin on Pinterest…many people pointed it out but since there are quite literally hundreds thousands of those pins, there is no way of tracking all of them down and correcting them. I just have to live with it.
This cake is delicious! I followed the directions and it worked out perfectly. I used Lindt white chocolate.
That is so great, Kimberly! It is my favourite Christmas cake, so quick to make and tastes amazing!
little confused do you whip the mascarpone. as per instructions say you whip then don’t whip it??? sorry if its been brought up already.
x
Hi Joanne. You whip the mascarpone with the double cream, just don’t whip it separately and then whip again with double cream, which can cause separation. US readers seem to have that problem but if you are in the UK, you should be fine. Best, Julia
I made this cake last Christmas and will be making it again this Christmas as well. It was delicious!! I live in Canada, and found that I needed to add more mascarpone cheese to make up for the cream with less fat content. I just added until I thought it was the right consistency, and it set in a couple hours with no problems. I was so impressed with how it turned out. Thank you for such a lovely recipe!!
Thanks so much for your feedback, Dee!I am so glad you enjoyed this cake as much as we do. Would you be able to let us know how much more mascarpone you added?
Did not set. Had all ingredients. Was a disaster.
Hi Trace, unfortunately as I mentioned a few times already, it’s not about having all ingredients but rather about having the right ingredients. This cake recipe has been tested multiple times by me and by external testers, which is more than some cook book authors do, it is certainly not a normal blogging practice. Additionally, you can see many comments from readers who made it and had great results, I have also many private messages that confirm the same positive result. All the external testers came back with successful results apart from one, who used white chocolate chips from Trader Joe’s. I specified in the recipe not to use chocolate chips. The reasons why it didn’t set could be either because the cream you used was not the appropriate fat content specified in the recipe or white chocolate was in fact not chocolate at all. Here is an excerpt from an article that explains it “The FDA has mandated that white chocolate must contain at least 20% cocoa butter, at least 14% milk solids, at least 3.5% milkfat, and a maximum of 55% in sweeteners.The amount of cocoa butter is key here: many products out there that look like white chocolate, especially chips, contain very little, if any, cocoa butter. If you look carefully, they’re actually labeled white baking chips or morsels, and usually contain mostly milk, oil, and sugar.” In other words, there is a lot of rubbish out there. I simply cannot control what ingredients people use, especially in other countries. (I live in the UK.) The ingredients that are used will affect the texture as well as taste. If the white chocolate didn’t taste good out of the package, it will taste the same in the cake.
If you used all the right ingredients and it still didn’t set I can offer absolutely no advice as I was not in the kitchen with you and can’t tell you what exactly happened. All bloggers can offer is a recipe, a guideline, it’s up to our readers to choose whether to use it or not. A recipe is not a mathematical formula and especially a baking recipe; ingredients, environment and even people’s baking skills all play a part in what the end result will be. I have never revised or updated a recipe with more instruction than I’ve done with this one and every time it was tested it came out just as I said a year ago. I can accept that it failed for some people but it does not mean the recipe is flawed.
I am in the U.S. and have made this a few times now. The cake layer turned out excellent every time and the truffle layer did also when I used the correct white chocolate. The first time I used Nestle white baking chocolate and it was more like a think icing. I have used cream cheese and heavy cream and whipping cream with success.
Today I made it with a little twist. I also made the chocolate truffle cake at the same time. I used a 10″ spring form. I made the white cake layer first. Then I made the chocolate cake layer. Set them both aside to cool. Then made the truffle layers using heavy cream, mascarpone and marked down Christmas chocolate. For the white layer I used 3 – 4.2 once Lindt white chocolate peppermint bars. For the dark layer I used 12 ounces of Hershey’s dark chocolate kisses. I then placed the chocolate cake layer back in the spring form as the base. Then poured the dark truffle layer on top and let it set up in the freezer while I finished mixing the white truffle mix. I then placed the white cake layer on next followed by the white chocolate peppermint truffle mix. This filled my 10″ spring form right to the top. Let it sit in the fridge all day and it turned out amazing. This is one of my wife’s favorites. I had previously made both cakes before and she would mix bites of each. Now it’s all together.
Thank you so much for such detailed feedback, Derek! I am very pleased to hear you’ve made both dark and white chocolate cake and loved them both. So assuming from your comment you think the wrong type of white chocolate might be why some people are unsuccessful with the recipe in the US? I am still trying to figure out what exactly goes wrong and why. 🙂 Happy New Year!
Yes, like you replied below, the quality of white chocolate is very important. You can find a dozen different quality chocolate bars but only a few white and the white morsels are seldom white chocolate. Also as long as whipping cream is used, heavy or regular, and quality white chocolate, it should set just fine. Maybe some used table cream which has half the fat content and/or poor quality white chocolate or overheating when melting. For the chocolate layer in the combined cake I did use a lower quality chocolate than the Lindt bars (Hershey’s dark kisses) but it set up fine.
Thanks for a thoughtful reply, Derek. I have to admit this cake is a complete mystery to me, no matter how many times I’ve made it, which I did a lot because of some negative comments here and on Pinterest, it always works for me. It also works just fine for anyone in the UK and the rest of Europe but it doesn’t work for some people in the US, so it has to be down to the products that were used. I guess it’s a risk you take when cooking!
PS I would love for you to give this recipe a review on Pinterest. Thanks! 🙂
I made this beautiful truffle a couple of times now and it turned out pretty awesome. I wasn’t sure whether to serve it cold or not. I brought it to a party and refrigerated it when I got there, but took it out about an hour before serving. It was perfect this way. It maintains its form, but is has a nice soft and creamy texture. I ate some leftover right from the refrigerator and it was not as pleasing this way. By the way, the first time I made it for a dessert auction and it raised $190 for a non-profit organization.
Thank you so much for your sweet comment, Barbara. I am so pleased you loved the cake but even more so that it raised money for charity! That’s what it’s all about, the true spirit of Christmas.
Made this for Christmas today and it tasted so so good! Just like one of those white chocolate Lindt Truffle balls! I halved the recipe and used a 6″ springform pan. I was nervous after reading the comments and not being able to find double cream (I’m in the US), but it set up just fine using heavy whipping cream and good (Lindt) white chocolate and marscapone! I used my food scale to measure everything and I think that was key. Will make again!
I made this cake for Christmas two years in a row because of its simplicity and delicious taste! After spending a day cooking a giant meal I want something quick and easy for dessert. You are absolutely right, Heather, the truffle top does taste like little white Lindors, I never thought of it myself but seems obvious when you mentioned! And finally yes, measuring everything is very important in baking and I agree it might be key in this cake!
Your truffle cake is beautiful! I am in the US and had high hopes of making this dessert work out for my family. I read some of the difficulties others had, and figured that it did not sound tricky, so I would give it a try anyway. The flavors are great, but the textures did not work out for me. I am determined to make something work though, so I am sticking my truffle “pie” into the freezer and hoping for the best. Maybe I will try again some day! =)
I made it last night as well, it really is an easy cake. I hope to make a video of this cake in the new year to clear up all questions. 🙂 Merry Christmas, Jessica, I hope it didn’t dampen your spirits!
Merry Christmas! Is it supposed to be egg whites or the whole egg for the cake part?
I used a stand mixer to whip the mascarpone into the chocolate mixture and it looked smooth but then I let it go a slight bit longer and it looked like it curdled…. did I mix it too long?
Hi Jessica, yes, mascarpone separates when overbeaten.
I can’t find any heavy cream/double cream so I bought heavy whipping cream instead. I tried to find the fat content printed somewhere but couldn’t. I looked for a recipe on google to just MAKE heavy cream and it said that it “wouldn’t whip”. This needs to whip, correct? The recipe was just melted butter added to milk.
Heavy whipping cream should be just fine, Brittany. Please read the comment thread, plenty of people used it with great results. You can’t make heavy cream by adding butter to milk, that advice is misguided. After lots of research and more trials I came to the conclusion that the main reason people had trouble with the truffle layer setting is not having enough chocolate- adding chocolate by volume rather than weight, chocolate is what sets the truffle layer. If you live anywhere in North America your cream fat content should be anywhere between 32% to 35%, which is plenty. I hope this helps!
It helped very much! Thank you!
This turned out beautifully!!! A total hit at dinner with my family! I wish I could post a picture!
Does it matter if the ingredients are cool? Or should they be brought to room temperature before using?
It really depends on the ingredients, Kelly. There is a cake layer and a truffle layer. If you are using mascarpone, then no but if you are using cream cheese then it would be beneficial to bring it to a room temp.
I made this as a trial run for Christmas….It was delicious, but looked like a mess. My cake “shrunk” when it was cooling, so when I poured the chocolate mixture over it, it surrounded the cake. What did I do wrong? I really want to make this for Christmas!!
The cake does shrink a bit as it is a very delicate sponge, Shannon. If you look at my pictures you will see that the truffle covers the sides halfway down but it’s okay. The only piece of advice I can offer is to cook the cake 3-5 minutes longer, that might prevent it from shrinking too much.
Maybe I beat too long or to high speed. Thanks for response Merry Christmas Donna
I refrigerated mine overnight, Rose, as it seemed a bit soft last night as well. I realised with all the Christmas food in the fridge it was actually overloaded and the fridge temp went up, so it wasn’t doing its job. Just checked it in the morning and it’s all nice and firm. I hope it’s the case with you as well. Merry Christmas!
I made the truffle filling using Lindt chic 12oz, heavy whipping cream, & mascarpone cheese. It turned out airy instead of smooth like your. Any ideas. Flavor is good
Does it still hold its shape, Donna? I am thinking somehow you whipped air into it?? I wouldn’t worry about it as long as it tastes good and holds its shape! 🙂
Yes,holding shape good. I guess I beat too long. Thanks for response. Merry Christmas
Great! Merry Christmas, Donna!
This looks delicious, I’m looking forward to making it for Christmas this year. Have you ever made it in advance and frozen it? It would be helpful if I could do that then I won’t have to make it on Christmas eve which is so busy. I’m in the UK so will use the same ingredients as you i.e. Double cream and marscapone.
Thanks for sharing it.
I’ve never frozen it, Liz and I am worried it would mess with the texture of the truffle although I am not entirely sure, it might be okay. I have made a dark chocolate version of this cake recently and kept it in the fridge for 4 days and it’s still delicious today.
Thanks for replying, I decided to make it on 22nd and chance it being still ok for Christmas. It turned out beautifully with no hitches, I just followed your instructions to the letter, I am in UK so used your ingredients. I didn’t have a spring form pan the correct size so I used a loose bottom one and it still worked fine. It was delicious on Christmas day, the family loved it and believe it or not there was still a little left yesterday (28th) and it still tasted yummy. I think this is going to be a firm favourite in my house from now on. Thank you so much.
Thank you for sharing, Liz! I am so impressed you still had some left yesterday, mine was gone by the 26th!! 🙂 I am happy to hear you loved the cake, it is such a great one to have when you are short on time! You should also try the dark chocolate one I posted a few days ago, it’s decadent and great one for a New Year’s Eve celebration.
This turned out perfect! Great texture. To speed up the cooling of the cream/white chocolate, I put it in the fridge and stirred it every 10 minutes until it was cold yet runny. I made it with cream cheese and whipped that for a good 10 minutes (scraping the sides of the bowl frequently) to make sure that it was light and fluffy without chunks of cream cheese. Then I slowly added the cream/white chocolate mixture as I whipped the cream cheese. I would recommend wetting the knife to release it from the pan or using a wet knife to smooth the truffle layer once it is removed from the pan. That was easy enough. It holds it’s form perfectly and looks beautiful! I don’t often buy name-brand products. So the whipping cream and cream cheese are generic and worked just fine. I used Baker’s white chocolate bars. And for making the sponge, I used Better Batter Gluten Free Flour. It was wonderful!
Thanks for your tips and feedback, Karen! I am so happy that the sponge works even with gluten free flour. Merry Christmas!
I just made this today and loved how easy it was. The flavor is airy and light, yet perfectly rich for a celebration like Christmas or birthday. I love this cake! Next time I make it, I’ll make some raspberry sauce to drizzle over it or garnish with some raspberries. 🙂 Thanks, Julia!
Thanks, Karen! I love the idea of a raspberry sauce over it! Merry Christmas!
Could I use the cookie crust for the cake layer? I can’t wait to serve this dessert Christmas.
Sure can, Donna!
Thanks. Going to grocery store now. Can’t wait to impress my Christmas guests!!
This looks wonderful! I’m planning to make this cake for our christmas evening celebration 🙂
How long does it keep in the fridge? I have to cook all the food by myself so I want to make as much as possible, ahead of time.
Thank you so much and merry Christmas 🙂
Michella, this cake is quite delicate and unfortunately, I wouldn’t make it more than one day ahead since it’s got an unbaked cream and mascarpone layer but it really is quick to make and easy to decorate, so it won’t take much time out of your day! Merry Christmas to you as well!
I made this last night for a family Christmas party. This is going to be my go-to holiday dessert I think! It was easy to make, the hardest part was being patient and waiting for the chocolate/cream mixture to cool! It has a very nice texture and the perfect amount of sweetness. I used masrcapone cheese and Lindt white chocolate bars. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Thanks for sharing, Kara! This is my go to Christmas cake as well, I just bought ingredients to make it again. I am also experimenting with dark chocolate this time. Merry Christmas!
Yum! I can’t wait to see that recipe!!
How many of the Lindt bars did you use?
I weighed the chocolate in my food scale is was just over 3.5 bars I believe.
This looks just and sounds so very good, and I will have to try to make it. Our full fat cream is 38% fat, but we have real mascarpone. I think I will try either Valrohna Ivoire or Green and Black’s white chocolate with vanilla. Do you have any experience with either of these chocolates?
Greetings from Norway.
I know both of the brands. I have baked with Green and Black’s before. Most people who’ve had success used Lindt but I used Sainsbury’s basic brand and it was just fine. I think you will be just fine, Ellen.
Do you know how many Lindt chocolate bars to use? I don’t have a scale to measure the weight but the bars I got are bigger than a normal chocolate bar.
That will depend on the weight that is on the chocolate bar label whether it’s in grams or ounces. Can you tell me what it says? Standard Lindt bars are 100g, therefore you would need 3 1/2 bars for the recipe.
Hi, I have just made the Christmas white truffle cake. It looks perfect, probably due to your great instructions. I couldn’t get the little white balls, so I put white truffle chocolates on top which look like snowballs( as close as we will get to snowballs in Australia.) put the Christmas tree leaves in the middle and dusted the whole thing with silver which I got from the cake shop. Absolutely magic! It really was quite easy to make and didn’t take too long. Thank you so much, this will be my go to recipe when asked to make a dessert.
Wonderful, Frances! Thank you so much for sharing and Merry Christmas!
Hi there, this cake looks wonderful. Do you think the cake would work with a cookie crust bottom in stead of the sponge layer? I’d like to use speculoos/biscoff type cookies.
Thank you
I think it might, Katrien. I haven’t tried but I don’t see why not. Make sure you report back how you get on with it! 🙂
I just made this cake and it screamed HOLIDAY!!!! I cut the recipe in half and made it in a 6 inch springform pan and it was perfect. I used Lindt white chocolate and the white chocolate flavor really came through. I live in the US and all the measurements were accurate. It tasted divine. It wasnt dense/rich like a cheesecake. It was light….almost mousse like. Very delicious. Thank you for a wonderful recipe…..OH, and it was super easy and fast!!!
Thanks for your feedback, Jacqueline! I am thrilled to hear your cake turned out as well as it did. I am making it to take to work this Friday; easy and delicious, can’t beat that! Merry Christmas!
How long does the cream/chocolate mixture take to cool generally?
Anywhere between 1 and 2 hours, it depends on where it’s kept. I usually take it outside in the winter and it speeds up the process quite a bit.
HELP!!!!!!
I live in Sweden and the highest fat content cream is 26% !!! Can I use this or maybe adjust the amount by using more mascarpone ? ???
Hi Patricia, my suggestion would be to increase the mascarpone amount to 500 g and add gelatine to yours to ensure it sets since the fat content is quite low. You can dissolve one packet of gelatine in 75 ml of water or liqueur, then add to the cream and chocolate mixture after it’s been cooled but before mixing with mascarpone. Let me know if it works!! 🙂
MANY THANKS !!!
Just made this and I am super excited to see how it turns out when I get it out the fridge in the morning :). I did make the base with my family biscuit recipe though which is a bit of a higher base then. Will update on how it turned out :). So far 5 Stars as this was quite quick to make.
Super yummy!!! Keep up the great work writing and baking/cooking. I love to read the stories that go along with the recipes.
I love the simplicity of this recipe. But please forgive me, I could not get my truffle layer to set properly. I had my refrigerated for almost 6 hours and when I removed it from the spring form pan, my truffle layer completely seeped over the cake. HELP!
Jamie, I think the problem is the fat content in your cream. I am guessing you are in the US or Canada. Double cream that I use in England is 48%, which is also available in Trader Joe’s in the US, according to my research. Also, have you measured your chocolate by weight? It has to be 12 oz by weight, which is 3 1/2 chocolate bars, if measured in cups you’d be left with much less chocolate and the truffle layer will not set. If all fails gelatine could be added to stabilise it. Sorry it hasn’t worked out for you.
Cake looked and sounded LOVELY… until I made it to take to aChristmas party ( BTW- My BIG MISTAKE – to take something, that has not been tried before) , flavors were on point… cake layer was chewy, truffle portion was too runny. FYI- I am NOT a novice around the kitchen, quite the opposite… has anyone else made this, and had it turn-out, as expected?? Just REAL curious…
Hi there, first of all let me tell you that I am sorry your cake didn’t turn out. I am also not a novice in the kitchen, I have been baking cakes for at least 25 years but still now and then I have my kitchen failures although not nearly as often as before. I still get frustrated when that happens, it’s not nice. Secondly, if you read ALL comments you will see the ones that have successfully made the cake. Now let me address some of the issues you described…chewy cake layer is the result of the cake not rising properly. This particular sponge recipe is a very common and widely used recipe in parts of Europe, it doesn’t use any rising agents like baking powder but relies on stiffly whipped eggs, that have to be whipped, as the recipe says, until they literally triple in volume and it takes anywhere between 3 to 5 minutes. Then flour is folded manually and very gently as to not to deflate the cake batter. If after the addition of flour the volume significantly goes down, the cake will not rise and will be dense and chewy. I am not sure if you looked in my ABOUT page but I actually live in England and dairy products like mascarpone and cream are different, which may account for why your truffle layer was runny. That being said, other readers who live in the US and Canada have made the cake with great results. Best wishes, Julia
I made this today in the U.S. with store brand whipping cream, cream cheese and a mixture of brands of bar white chocolate with success. I do have to say I wish I would have whipped the room temp cream cheese and then drizzling in the chocolate/cream mixture as I think my texture suffered a bit from throwing it all in at the same time, but my husband couldn’t tell when he ate it. He gave it a thumbs up. I hope you’ll try it again, because it really is good.
Hi Vikalinka,
I am at the stage of making the truffle mixture … I am confused as to whether or not the truffle mix goes on top of the cake inside the springform pan. If so, how do I release the bottom in order to place on a plate and not have the cake pan as part of my final product? I’m not sure it will work if I place the springform on top of the cake without the bottom. Thanks.
Hi Sandra, you need to remove the sponge cake from your springform and cool completely on a wire rack. When the sponge is cooled, put it back in the springform and pour the truffle mixture on top of it, let it set in the fridge, then run a knife along the edge of the cake to release it. Best, Julia
Thank you! Looking forward to presenting it to the party guests. Happy Holidays!
Enjoy and do let me know how it turns out if you get a chance! 🙂
Update: According to guests, the white chocolate truffle cake was delicious and quite impressive. I followed the recipe as directed and used heavy cream, mascarpone cheese and Lindt white chocolate (not baking chocolate). My cake was not quite as high as the picture (3″ total height), but it was very rich and tasted like a white chocolate truffle. I added the white sugar pearls and white sparkling sprinkle sugar (Michael’s) for a glistening effect. Happy Holidays Vakalinka!
Thank you so much for sharing with me, Sandra! I am so pleased to hear you and your guests enjoyed the cake. It is indeed a very rich cake and a little one goes a long way. Happy Holidays to you too! 🙂
I tried the recipe today and did what you said about taking the sponge cake out of the springform pan until it cooled and then put it back in before pouring the mixture on it. Didn’t work at all. The sponge started to float up and the white chocolate mixture went underneath and around it.
Umm…I am not really sure what to say, Bridget. The chocolate and cheese mixture needs to be whipped and thick, which would prevent it from seeping in, around and under the cake. If you look at my photos you could see that some of the truffle top partially covered the sides of the sponge cake, but it shouldn’t go under it assuming your cake fits snugly inside the springform pan you baked it in.
I have a feelng that the whipping cream I used wasn’t thick enough so it was too runny.
Mine did the exact same today! I bake a lot so I’m not sure what I did wrong!
I linked videos I did for this cake, you can see them if you scroll up, they show what consistency your truffle mixture should be before pouring it on top of the sponge. I believe it might answer your question, Quinn.
I had the exact same problem. The sponge came out perfectly and then the truffle mixture sunk right under the cake. I used the marscapone too.
I just made this and the same thing happened to me, Bridget: the sponge cake floated to the top. Next time, I may only remove the sides of the spring form (not the bottom) and let it cool that way. I’m hoping it will set and still look pretty – maybe upside down? Seems like it will taste amazing!
I hope it still tasted great, even upside down! 🙂 Happy New Year!
Putting a cake board on the form bottom before reassembling the springform and putting the cake back in helps, then when you are ready to serve, release springform and run a knife or spatula between the two and transfer the cake and board to a dish.
You mentioned that it takes you no more than an hour to make this…is that including the time it takes for the cream/chocolate mixture to cool? Right now I have mine in the fridge because it’s taking forever to cool down. Is it OK to just refrigerate overnight and add the cream cheese in the morning? Or will that mess with the consistency?
Good question, Steph. The problem with refrigerating overnight is that it might get too solid for whipping with cream cheese. The mixture should be cool but runny.
Hi there!
I cannot wait to make this for Christmas. Could I use a 9″ springform instead of 8?
You could but the cake will be less tall. 🙂
From the US–what do we use as flour to make this beautiful cake? All purpose flour, cake flour or self rising flour? Would love to serve this at Christmas but do want to use the correct ingredients.
Hi Cathy, all purpose flour, the cake rises from whipping eggs and sugar together until they triple in volume.
Do you use just egg whites?
Whole eggs, Lacey.
I attempted this cake twice and both times it turned out nothing like these photos. Maybe you can post pictures of step by step what it should be looking like as well as the exact types of chocolate, cheese etc that you used.
Thank you
Hi Chelsea, I am sorry you weren’t successful twice, it’s not fun. Can you please give me more information on what exactly didn’t turn out as expected? I live in England, so telling people what products I used wouldn’t be very helpful. I used a white chocolate bar, Italian mascarpone cheese, 48 % fat content cream. I hope this helps. The recipe is really as simple as I described above, melt the chocolate slowly with the cream, cool, and mix the mixture with mascarpone cheese with a hand mixer, pour over the sponge layer and let it set. Let me know if I can help you in any other way.
Could you suggest a way to make this gluten free. I need advise as to which flour really works as a substitute to “regular” flour. Thank you for this beautiful cake. Truly puts me in the mood to cook for Christmas.
I think you can purchase gluten-free cake flour and use it as a substitute, Mary. Unfortunately, I don’t have much experience with gluten-free baking, the only gluten-free flour I use is buckwheat flour but its strong flavour would be all wrong for this cake.
Mary, I just made this cake today and used Bob’s Red Mill gluten free 1 for 1 baking flour and used exactly as this recipe states. The sponge (cake) is very light as it should be.
I live in Texas , I added the pearls and also dusted the top with sparkling sugar , I purchased at Walmart, found in the baking isle.
Thank you so much for sharing, Lyn!
Dear Lyn, oh my goodness, I never expected such a wonderful and detailed answer! You are so kind to share the specifics of your work on this cake. I live in a small town in NC, but I can get everything you suggested. My family thanks you, too. My grandchildren will love it. Mary
This looks incredible! Would it work to add a TBSP or two of cocoa to make the cake layer chocolate-y?
Hi Lindsay, yes it is possible to add 2 TBSP of cocoa to make it into a chocolate sponge.
I made this last night, is there a trick to making the cream cheese portion a little more firm?
I think the firmness will depend on how stiffly you whip the cream cheese, cream and chocolate. Also cream cheese should be full fat and whipping cream should be around 35% and up (I used 48 % double cream) fat content. It’s worth mentioning that I made this cake with mascarpone cheese but other readers used cream cheese and it worked for them. It should set so you could cut it easily. Was the truffle layer not set properly, Nikki?
sometimes when I fear for firmness, I add a little clear gelatin so that the mousse
or truffle layer gets firm. then, no worries !
This looks absolutely amazing! Do you think that you could bake the cake in a 9 inch springform? Or would it be ruined?
It would be less tall but it wouldn’t be ruined. 🙂
The cake is beautiful but I worry that the flavor would be very plain. Do you think it might be a bit “Christmassy” with 1/4 tsp peppermint extract in the cake layer along with the vanilla, just to add a hint of Christmas or is it truly wonderful just the way it is?
It tastes like white chocolate, Tami, you can definitely go ahead and add some peppermint if it seems too plain but to the truffle layer rather than the cake layer.
I added just a sprinkle of candy cane crumbs to the top of mine. Just enough to add a hint of peppermint while still being able to enjoy the delicate white chocolate flavor.
Very nice. Ciao from Italy.
What do you use for the bottom of this cake? Is it cookies or graham crackers..or does it make its own crust?
If you look at the recipe card in the post, it will say ‘For the cake layer’ at the top, that is what’s at the bottom of the cake. It’s a sponge cake layer.
I love the look of this and would like to make it for Christmas this year. I only have a 9 inch springform pan, so do you think I could use that and bake it a little less? Thanks for posting this beautiful cake.
It will make a less tall cake for both the sponge layer and the truffle layer, but if you don’t mind it, go for it, Susan! 🙂
Wow this masterpiece is to die for & will definitely have to try it.
How did you make the pearl snowballs? Thank you for this wonderful recipe
it really is a credit to you.
Thank you, Barbara! I bought the pearls at Sainsbury’s.(UK)
It is beautiful! Where did you get the white pearls? Thank you!
Thank you, Anne! I bought them in Sainsbury’s.
The recipe says double cream/ heavy cream but they are not the same. Which did you use?
When I lived in Canada I used heavy/whipping cream and now I use double cream in England. Having used both I found there is very little difference to how they react in recipes, therefore I use them interchangeably.
Could this be made with good quality chocolate chocolate rather than white chocolate?
I am not entirely sure if this particular recipe could be adapted to a regular chocolate, however I have a recipe that I am planning to post soon that is essentially a chocolate version of it.
I’m pretty sure I must be missing it… But what type of crust are you using? Did you make your own? Any thoughts on different crusts? Thank you for your help! This looks amazing- I can’t wait to try it.
There is no crust in this recipe, Yasmine. The bottom layer is sponge or as it says “cake layer” in the recipe and the top is truffle. 🙂
Perfect!! I see it now! Thank you!
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe. I have written it out and added it to my standby recipe folder.
Best wishes from Ireland.
Thank you for your feedback, Pamela! I hope you will make it over and over again!
A mouth watering recipe. The cake itself is a masterpiece .
Thank you, Victor!
Beautiful and very dainty looking, can’t wait to try it. The recipe looks so easy just what I love haha. Mine will never come out as pretty as yours but hopefully it will taste just as good. Thank you for sharing your recipes. Quick question I’ve never used white chocolate for baking, what should I look for? White Chocolate chips or are there bars of baking Chocolate in white. Thank you for your help.
Good question, Carole! I always buy a good quality chocolate bar and not baking chocolate, which is inferior in quality. The quality of chocolate is quite important for this recipe since the taste of the truffle will rest on it. I hope this helps. 🙂 This cake is truly easy to make, so I hope you go ahead with it!
Thank you for the quick reply. I figured it should be a better chocolate and the white chips didn’t really seem to be quite enough. I will definitely be trying the recipe I just printed it out now. Thank you again and happy baking. Carole
Is it 3 egg whites?
No it’s 3 whole eggs, Debby.
Thankyou so much for this recipe – it is so easy to make. Can you tell me – should you beat the cream cheese before mixing with the cream and melted chocolate?
Hi Christine, no whipping before adding, just whip everything together. 🙂
what is the “truffle” part of the cake? There is no truffle oil in it? What am I missing. 🙂 I am so going to make this and see if it a new Christmas Tradition!
Keith, you might be mistaking savoury truffles found in the woods with chocolate truffles often eaten at Christmas time. The white chocolate layer of the cake is the truffle layer. I hope this helps.
Absolutely stunning, Julia! Now this would be my idea of the perfect festive dessert, I wish I was coming for dinner at your house! Merry Christmas to you, Brad and your family! xxx
Thank you so much, Louise! You are welcome for dinner at my house any time! Merry Christmas!! xx
This is so beautiful, sometimes the simplest decorations are the most effective and it sounds truly delicious; the story is lovely as well. I don’t even have a Christmas tree up this year as we’ve started renovating the house and there was nowhere to put one, it’s quite sad not having one, it’s one of my favourite parts of Christmas.
I completely agree, it’s amazing how we are comforted by familiar things! Merry Christmas, Hannah and a Happy New Year! xx
Julia this is beautiful – I love the white pearls on top! This would look great for a New Year’s Party – have a wonderful Christmas and New Year!
Thank you, Angela! I agree it would be a great no-fuss New Year’s Eve cake!
So gorgeous, this cake is a winter wonderland! 🙂
Thank you, Laura! 🙂
Wow! This looks so beautiful! I will give this a try, it will make a wonderful table centrepiece for a dessert or with after dinner coffee………….. Looks perfect for Christmas. Thanks for posting!
Thanks, Margaret!! I love the simplicity of this cake!
What type of flour? Self rising?
Regular flour, I always specify in the recipe if it calls for self-rising flour.