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This White Christmas Truffle Cake is a beautiful holiday dessert that consists of a fluffy sponge layer with white chocolate truffle on top. Stunning in its simplicity, this is the ultimate decadent Christmas cake recipe!
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?
For my money, this is the ultimate in Christmas desserts. Silky smooth, decadently rich and gorgeous to look at. This cake is the perfect way to take your Christmas baking to the next level!
Chocolate truffle
Chocolate truffle is a simple form of confectionary that anyone who has tasted will fall in love with. But what is it exactly?
Taken down to its most basic form, truffle is a combination of cream and high quality chocolate. Sometimes other ingredients like butter or, as in this case, mascarpone can be added to make it even richer.
It comes from those genius chocolatiers in France and was originally found in a round ball shape and coated in cocoa powder, coconut or nuts. The hand-rolled-and-coated look is similar to the truffles found buried in forests, and gives the chocolate treat its name.
Chocolate truffle is notable for being extra rich and smooth. It’s truly a melt in your mouth treat for all sorts of special occasions!
I’m a huge truffle fan, so I made another indulgent Chocolate Truffle Cake for Christmas and a beautiful Red Velvet Truffle Cake for Valentine’s Day!
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.
That said, it does take some skill, the right ingredients and attention to detail. Take a look at the recipe tips and notes section below, as well as the instructional video in the recipe card to help you make this cake successfully!
Ingredients
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, heavy whipping cream (US) or double cream (UK) 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.
I’ve used white chocolate to give it that winter wonderland look. It’s best to find white chocolate with a high percentage of cocoa butter, rather than vegetable oil. The extra cocoa butter helps it to melt better and become silky smooth.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- I live in England and what I have found through years of blogging is that dairy products differ between countries, especially mascarpone cheese. Ours comes from Italy and is 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.
- If you live outside of the UK, look for heavy whipping cream with the fat content between 36-40% or higher. Anything below that will not produce the same results.
- 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 using a This is an affiliate link.kitchen scale.
- Avoid chocolate chips as they don’t melt as needed for this cake. Ideally find white chocolate with a high percentage of cocoa butter instead of vegetable oil for a better melt.
- Watch for the consistency of the truffle layer in the extended video in the recipe card to ensure yours sets properly and is ready to wow everyone at Christmas dinner!
- Please read the recipe instructions carefully before starting on your cake. Enjoy!
Storage and leftovers
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 in a sealed container so it doesn’t absorb smells and flavours from elsewhere in the fridge.
More Christmas dessert recipes
- Christmas Cranberry Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Icing
- Frostbitten Raspberry Cake
- Dark Chocolate Truffle Cake
- Raffaello Cheesecake
White Christmas Truffle Cake
Equipment
- This is an affiliate link.Kitchen scale
- This is an affiliate link.Pyrex mixing bowls
- This is an affiliate link.Hand mixer
- This is an affiliate link.Springform pan
Ingredients
For the cake layer
- 3 eggs
- 1/3 cup/65 g sugar
- 1/3 cup/45 g flour
- 1 tsp This is an affiliate link.vanilla extract
For the truffle topping
- 1 1/4 cups/ 300 ml 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
Notes
- Dairy products vary between countries, especially mascarpone cheese. For best results, buy the highest quality ingredients you can afford.
- I live in the UK where the fat content of double cream in England is 48%,. This is responsible for the firmness of the truffle layer. If you live outside of the UK, look for heavy whipping cream with the fat content between 36-40% or higher. Anything with fat content below this level will not produce the same results.
- Mix the mascarpone in only after the cream and chocolate mixture cools.
- Over-beating the mascarpone will result in the mixture splitting.
- The chocolate has to be measured by weight. Use a kitchen scale for this.
- Don’t use chocolate chips as they will not melt as needed for this cake. Find white chocolate with a high percentage of cocoa butter instead of vegetable oil for a better melt.
- The extended video in the recipe card will show the consistency of the truffle layer. Watch for this to ensure yours sets properly.
- Please read the recipe instructions carefully before starting on your cake.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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 !