In my opinion, no meal is complete without a sweet treat at the end and that’s especially true for Valentine’s Day. When my friends at Colavita asked me to create a special meal for Valentine’s Day, I knew it had to be special. I also wanted to create something with wide appeal that would be easy to make. For the main course I chose Involtini di Manzo. Involtini means “little bundles” and the dish turned out crazy-good so I needed an equally delicious dessert to finish the meal.
These Red Velvet-Almond Cake Ball Truffles are perfect in every way: Chocolaty. Moist. Beautiful. Delicious. And can you believe they’re made with olive oil? Colavita Olive Oil to be exact — heart healthy and Cupid approved! Score!
Best of all, they are super easy to make! Simply roll cake mixture into tablespoon-size balls, drizzle with chocolate, and then sprinkle with nuts.
Encased in silky smooth chocolate and topped with toasted almonds, the inside is a chocolaty red velvet cake that’s super moist thanks to the addition of olive oil. Bet you can’t eat just one!
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon red food coloring
- 5 tablespoons Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided use (plus additional for pan)
- ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup sliced toasted almonds, divided use
- 2 tablespoons almond liqueur
- 1 (3.5-ounce) Perugina Bittersweet Classic Bar, chopped
- 1 (3.5-ounce) Perugina Milk Chocolate Bar, chopped
- Heat oven to 325. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a glass measuring cup, mix together the buttermilk and food coloring; set aside. Generously grease a 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pan with olive oil; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix 4 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil, sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer until sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Add the egg and beat well. With mixer running on low, gradually add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture, alternating until well combined.
- Spread mixture into prepared pan and bake 19 - 24 minutes or until cake tests done. Let cake cool in pan 10 minutes and then invert cake onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Add ¼ cup almonds to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Break up the cake into pieces and add to the processor. Drizzle the liqueur over the cake and pulse until combined and cake begins to clump together. Roll cake into 18 tablespoon-size balls and place in refrigerator to chill for 15 minutes or until firm.
- Meanwhile, place chocolate and remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil in a glass bowl over a pot of simmering water and stir until melted and smooth.
- Dip or drizzle cake balls in chocolate to cover completely and sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup almonds. Refrigerate until chocolate is set, about 15 minutes.

The post Red Velvet-Almond Cake Ball Truffles is sponsored by Colavita. I have been using Colavita’s quality products for many years and this trusted family brand is a perfect fit for my garden to table creations. For more information, please visit Colavita.com.
Brett — Another beautifully presented and deliciously creative recipe for us to enjoy. Your Green Thumb and White Apron talents continue to amaze and delight! Bon Appetit, Y’all 🙂 🙂 🙂
Aw, thank you so much Mary Louise! You always know how to make my day! 🙂
Hi Brett, I made these last week and they were a HUGE hit! I’m planning on making them again but serving them to an all-age crowd, so I’m wondering if there’s a non-alcoholic substitute for the almond liqueur (just on principle) 🙂