The Baker Chick

Baking up a delicious life.

*Milk Bar Mondays* Carrot Cake Truffles

by 37 Comments

IMG_55651

Remember earlier this year when I mentioned I was given the Momofuku Milk Bar Cookbook for Christmas? Well once I paged through it, and saw how challenging and interesting the recipes were, I knew I wanted to make it a goal to tackle them. The recipes all include lots of steps and prep and many ingredients I’ve never used. My first instinct was to shy away and stick it on the shelf, but instead I thought I’d rally with some other amazing bloggers and start a fun thing called “Milk Bar Mondays.” Along with 6 other talented Ladies- I will bake my way through this cookbook and try everything from Crack Pies to Cereal Milk. Bake along with us if you like! If the results of this recipe are an indicator- the long winded recipes are totally worth it. These truffles were insanely good.

IMG_55291

This week I got to choose the recipe and I’m so happy that I chose these! They start with a soft and fluffy Carrot Cake. After it is baked and cooled you smash it up, add an amazing concoction called liquid cheesecake (kinda like thick, creamy, cheesecake gooey-ness,) roll it into a ball, coat it in white chocolate, and top it all off with crunchy, sweet and slightly salty “milk crumb.” These were insane. So many flavors combined to make something really unique and delicious. Everyone I shared them with couldn’t get over all the pops of flavor in one little bite.

IMG_55241

At first I thought there may have been some shortcuts to make this whole process a bit simpler, (like maybe just using frosting like other cake truffles,) but all the small details are really worth it. There isn’t a single part of this whole recipe I’d change, and I couldn’t urge you more to spend a few hours making these.

Make sure to check out the other lovely ladies that are participating in Milk Bar Mondays with Me!!

Krissy from Krissy’s Creations
Cassie from Bake Your Day
Meagan from Scarletta Bakes
Nicole from Sweet Peony
Erin from Big Fat Baker
and Jaqueline from Dusty Baker (hers are gluten and dairy free!)

Follow our fun on Twitter #milkbarmondays

Print
Carrot Cake Truffles
Yield: 12-15 Truffles
 
Ingredients
  • 3 cups Carrot Cake Scraps (recipe below)
  • 2-4 tablespoons Liquid Cheesecake (recipe below)
  • ½ recipe Milk Crumb finely ground in a food processor (recipe below)
  • 3 oz. White Chocolate
Instructions
  1. Combine the crushed up cake with 2 tablespoons of the liquid cheesecake. Using your hands mush it all together. If it is moist enough to knead into a ball it's great- if not, add some more liquid cheesecake until it's ready. Portion out 12-15 balls of the mixture- roll them together with your hands and set them aside on a cookie sheet.
  2. Melt the white chocolate and put it in a shallow bowl. Using a spoon, dip each ball of cake into the white chocolate and tap it on the side of the bowl until all the drips are off. (Christina says to do this with gloved hands, but I didn't have gloves so I used this method instead.) Then toss it in the milk crumb until well coated. Put them in the fridge for at least 5 minutes to fully set the chocolate. The truffles can be stored in an airtight container for unto a week in the fridge.

Print
Carrot Cake
 
Ingredients
  • 1 stick butter- room temp.
  • ½ cup packed light brown sugar
  • ½ granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • ¼ cup grapeseed or vegetable oil
  • 1¼ cups flour
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • ¼ tsp. baking soda
  • ¾ tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1¼ teaspoons salt
  • 2½ cups shredded peeled carrots (2-3 medium sized carrots)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Combine the butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream together on a medium-high for 2 to 3 mins. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the eggs, and mix on medium-high for 2 to 3 mins. Scrape down the sides of the bowl once more.
  3. On low speed, stream in the oil, Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and paddle for 4 to 6 mins, until the mixture is practically white, twice the size of your original fluffy butter/sugar mixture, and completely homogenous, with no streaks of fat. Don't rush the proces. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  4. On low speed, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Mix for 45-60 seconds, just until your batter comes together and any remnants of dry ingredients have been incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  5. Detach the paddle and remove the bowl from the mixer. Dump the shredded carrots into the bowl and, with a spatula, fold hem into the batter.
  6. Light coat a 9x13 pan with cooking spray and using a spatula, spread the batter in an even layer in the pan.
  7. Bake for 25-30 mins. The cake will rise and puff, doubling in size, but will remain slightly buttery and dense. At 25 minutes, gently poke the edge of the cake with your finger, if it bounces back slightly and isn't jiggly in the center, it's done. Leave it in for 3-5 more minutes if it isn't quite done.
  8. Cool the cake on a wire rack (or in the freezer.)

Print
Liquid Cheesecake
 
Ingredients
  • 8 oz. Cream Cheese
  • ¾ cup Sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • ½ tsp. kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1 egg
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 300 F. Put cream cheese into a medium sized bowl and using an electric mixer, beat on medium speed for 2 mins. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatual. Add the sugar and mix for 1-2 mins, until the sugar has been completely incorproated. Scraped down the sides of the bowl .
  2. Whish together the cornstarch and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk in the milk in a slow, steady stream, then whisk in the egg until the slurry is homogenous. (ps I love that she uses the word "slurry")
  3. With the mixer on a medium low speed stream in the egg slurry. Paddle for 3 or 4 minutes, until the mixture is smooth and loose. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  4. Line the sides and bottom of a 6x6 baking pan with plastic wrap. (I used an 8x8 pan- I don't think it matters much.) Pour the cheesecake batter into the pan and bake for 15 mins. It is done when it is set on the edges but still jiggly in the center. If the edges aren't quite set, bake for 5 min increments until it's done- no more than 25 minutes.
  5. Cool completely to finish the baking process and allow the cheesecake to set. It will be creamy, and spreadable and can be stored in the fridge in an air-tight container for up to a week.
Notes
This full recipe will make way more than enough for these truffles. There are many uses for it though- I think it would be amazing as a glaze for cinnamon rolls!

Print
Malted Milk Crumb
Yield: about 1¼ cups
 
From the Momofuku Milk Bar Cookbook, by Christina Tosi
Ingredients
  • ¼ cup milk powder
  • ⅛ cup flour
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • ¼ tsp. salt
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter
  • 1.5 oz white chocolate.
  • ⅜ cup Ovaltine, Malt Flavor
Instructions
  1. Heat the oven to 250 F. Combine the milk powder with the flour, cornstarch, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Toss with your hands to mix. Add the butter and toss using a spatula until the mixture comes together and forms small clusters.
  2. Spread the clusters on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 20 mins. (mine got too toasty brown at 15 mins. If your oven runs hot- check it frequently to make sure it doesn't brown too much.) The crumbs should be sandy and the kitchen will smell amazing! Cool crumbs.
  3. Crush any bits that are larger than ½ inch diameter and put the crumbs in a medium bowl. Add the Ovaltine powder and toss together.
  4. Pur the white chocolate over the crumbs and toss until your the crumbs are all well-coated. Continue tossing them every 5 mins until the white chocolate hardens and the clusters aren't sticky.

Recipe from Milk: The Momofuku Cookbook by Christina Tosi

Subscribe

* indicates required

Popular Posts

Comments

  1. Oh I’m so excited for this series – I can’t wait to see what you lovely ladies make of the recipes. These look like a most excellent starting point!

    Reply

  2. Ha-I am so glad I scrolled down. My first thought is I do not have any “liquid cheesecake”, but I do see where you have provided the recipes for some of the ingredient requirements. They do look delicious. Good cookbook choice for a bake along!
    I have read the good and the bad about this cookbook, so I am pretty much on the fence about it. However, this bake along will definitely have some influence. Glad you are participating!

    Reply

  7. Oh gosh, these look amazing! I’ve heard so much about Momofuku, so I’m so excited to read about your journey with their food.

    I pinned this recipe, can’t wait to whip these out!

    Reply

  10. I was such a huge fan of these – particularly the cake. I’m not even a huge fan of carrot cake but I loved this one! Yours are gorgeous! Thanks for getting this organized, I’m so excited for future recipes!

    Reply

  18. These look amazing! I think Momofuku Milk Bar is so awesome, I hope to visit one day! Was it difficult to find milk powder?

    Reply

  19. Since I am a bonafide carrot cake/cream cheese frosting freak..(as is the entire family)…these appear to be the definitive BOMB….and I must try this asap…

    One question for a possible shortcut….Would it be possible to make the “Milk Crumbs” using white chocolate covered malted milk balls?…One might not get the incredible-smell factor of those made in the kitchen…but this could save a step for those on a pressed working schedule…or those on a pressed “want-to-eat this stat” schedule!

    Thank you again for your generous sharing of your culinary creativity…

    Reply

  20. Yay, Audra! I’m SO happy and thankful that you organized this delicious initiative!!

    As for these truffles, I read over your recipe and noted one thing: I liked that you used a spoon to dip the finished balls in the chocolate. The one spot with which I struggled was this one. I didn’t have gloves either and when I used my bare hands some of my truffles fell apart in the white chocolate so I had to scramble. If we make more truffles I will use a spoon.

    Your truffles are just lovely!!

    Reply

  21. A carrot cake mixed zipped up with raisins and cinnamon; baked in a 9×13 pan; dumped hot in a bowl and immediately and thoroughly mixed with a container of cream cheese frosting; cooled; balled; frozen and then dipped in chocolate gives great results on this (except for the milk crumb coating). Quick, easy and gets RAVES. Yields 40-50 balls

    Reply

  29. these look amazing and I want to make them. Two questions–it calls for a paddle attachment and I dont have a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. I only have the electric beaters so will those work? Also what is milk powder and where do you get it. I am asuming that it is different from powdered milk or are they one in the same. If so is it instant or regular.

    Reply

  30. Hello!
    First- an electric mixer is totally fine. That is actually what I used- I just posted te original recipe.

    As far as I know- milk powder is powdered milk. (at least that’s what I used) mine was regular- not instant. Hope that helps!

    Reply

  31. Hi, I’m trying to make the the birthday cake version of these. Would you recommend just using a yellow cake recipe, or using the specific birthday cake recipe from the Momofuku cookbook? I plan on using white chocolate to coat before rolling them in the birthday cake crumb. Thanks!

    Reply

  32. Hey Sara,
    In my experience, it’s always worth using the recipes from the book. They are so good that they really do make a difference. That being said- I’ve never made birthday cake truffles, and I’m sure they’ll still be tasty if you just make yellow cake!

    Reply

  33. I’m so happy that others are making these. I am not sure why you have to use plastic wrap and then bake for the liquid cheesecake–that just seems wrong. Did you really do that or is it a typo? I was going to use parchment paper instead. Thanks!

    Reply

  34. Hey Mimi!
    I did use the plastic wrap, but agree that it is totally not necessary. A light must of cooking spray would have been fine :)

    Reply

Trackbacks

Leave a Reply to Kim Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

Rate this recipe:  

Pumpkin Buttermilk Biscuits