German Chocolate Cake Truffles

This post was created as in partnership with Imperial Sugar. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.

Are you a fan of German Chocolate Cake? Then these German Chocolate Cake Truffles will soon be your new favorite. These nutty, sweet orbs are made from delicious German chocolate cake and coconut pecan frosting rolled together into balls, then coated in a chocolate shell. Decorate with a sprinkle of coconut and chopped pecans to give a hint as to what’s inside!

The classic combination of coconut, pecans, and chocolate is one of our favorites. Some of our other popular German chocolate recipes include a classic German Chocolate Cake or these decadent German Chocolate Brownies!

German chocolate cake truffles piled on a plate.

Truffles? Or cake balls?

When it really comes down to it, these are pretty much the same thing as classic cake balls. But they feel so much extra with the coconut pecan frosting in them and they really do mimic the texture of truffles. So German Chocolate Cake Truffles it is.

Whatever you want to call them, they are a lot like the Oreo balls that are popular around the holidays. The miniature nature and snap of tempered chocolate around the outside make these decadent little sweets the perfect treat for sharing. They would make an elegant little addition to any cookie platter or dessert spread at a party!

Chocolate cake balls decorated with coconut and pecans.

Every bite is packed with the rich, almost caramel-like flavor of the coconut pecan frosting and it's chewy crunch. And the classic flavor of the sweet German chocolate is given a boost from the extra chocolate coating the outside that helps the cake crossover to the realm of homemade candy.

A german chocolate cake truffle cut in half.

Cake Ball Ingredients

German chocolate cake: You can use a box mix to make things even easier, but my from scratch version isn't difficult to make and tastes so much better!
Coconut pecan frosting: Homemade is definitely the way to go, but again, you could just buy canned frosting and use that instead.
Milk, semisweet, or dark chocolate: This creates the chocolate shell that surrounds the classic german cake truffle center. I love the large bars of chocolate from Trader Joe's for this type of dipping as they are great quality and very affordable.
Coconut & pecans: I like to decorate the truffles with a sprinkle of sweetened coconut and chopped pecans to highlight what is inside of the balls and give a decorative finish. Plus, they help cover up any imperfections from dipping the truffles.

A pot of cooked coconut pecan frosting next to german chocolate cake crumbs.

How to Make German Chocolate Cake Truffles

Prep work first: Start by baking your German chocolate cake base, then crumbling it in a large bowl. A full recipe makes almost 16 cups of cake crumbs. While the cake bakes, make the frosting so it can cool down before adding it to the crumbs.
Add the frosting and mix: Once the cake is crumbled and the frosting is cooled, just mix them together in a large bowl until they start to come together. It's literally mashing up an entire German chocolate cake to create the dense, almost fudgy centers of these truffles. Try (and fail) to not sneak bites of cake while you do this.

Scoop into balls and freeze: Use a small scoop to scoop out ping-pong ball size mounds of cake and frosting and use your hands to roll them into balls. It's a sticky, messy business and you will need to wash your hands a couple of times along with the way when they start getting too sticky. Spraying your hands with a bit of nonstick cooking spray before rolling the balls helps a bit though. Stick in the freezer for an hour to firm up, otherwise they will fall apart when dipping.
Coat in melted chocolate: Melt your chocolate in the microwave by heating in 20 second increments and stirring between each burst of heat. Use a fork or a skewer to dip each cake ball in the melted chocolate, then transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and sprinkle with coconut and chopped pecans. Let set until the chocolate has rehardened, then serve at room temperature.

Storage and freezing instructions

Uneaten truffles should be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Let them sit out at room temperature for 1 hour before serving.

These can be frozen for 2-3 months. Just thaw overnight in the fridge and let them sit out for 1-2 hours to come up to room temperature before serving.

The inside of a german chocolate cake ball.

Get the FULL RECIPE on Imperial Sugar's site!

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