Got leftover orange cake? Or maybe a store-bought Madeira cake sitting in your pantry? This easy Orange Liqueur Chocolate Truffles Recipe is your no-fuss way to decadent, citrus-kissed treats that are perfect for gifting or sneaky fridge raids. And just like my Gingerbread Truffles and Christmas Pudding Truffles, these delicious treats are made with leftovers!
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These no-bake Orange Chocolate Truffles take rich, crumbly orange cake, mix it with Cointreau (or your favourite orange liqueur), and coat it all in a dreamy layer of melted milk chocolate. They're bite-sized, boozy, and seriously addictive.
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
No oven required – just mix, roll, dip and chill
Uses up leftover Orange Cake or elevates a store-bought cakeYou only need 4 ingredients
The perfect balance of sweet, zesty and rich
Gorgeous orange liqueur truffles for gifting
Easy enough for beginners, indulgent enough for special occasions
📝 Ingredients You’ll Need
Orange cake (homemade or Madeira-style store-bought)
Cointreau or another orange liqueur (or orange juice if you'd prefer non-alcoholic)
Milk chocolate: good quality, for melting
Orange zest to garnish
🍊 How to Make Orange Liqueur Chocolate Truffles
Wondering how to make orange liqueur chocolate truffles with minimal effort? Here’s how I do it:
1. Crumble the Cake
Break up your orange cake into pieces and pop them into a medium-sized mixing bowl.
2. Add the Liqueur
Pour in the Cointreau and use your hands to squish and squeeze the mix together. You're after soft, damp clumps that hold their shape. If your cake is on the dry side (hello, store-bought!), just add a splash more liqueur.
3. Roll into Balls
Scoop up tablespoon-sized portions and roll them between your palms into smooth, round truffles. I like using a small cookie scoop for even sizing.
4. Chill
Pop the rolled balls onto a lined tray and slide them into the freezer for 10 minutes. This firms them up and makes dipping less messy.
5. Melt the Chocolate
Meanwhile, melt your milk chocolate. I temper mine gently in the microwave—short bursts with stirring in between—to get that satisfying chocolate shell snap. Start with 30 seconds, stir, then go in 10-second intervals until smooth.
6. Dip & Decorate
Using a fork or truffle dipper, dip each truffle into the melted chocolate, let the excess drip off, then transfer to a lined tray. After every few truffles, grate some orange zest over the top before the chocolate sets.
7. Chill & Serve
Once all your chocolate truffles with orange liqueur and cake are dipped and decorated, pop them in the fridge. They’ll be ready to enjoy (or wrap up for friends) in about 30 minutes.
💡 Pro Tips
Don’t skip chilling the truffles before dipping - they’re so much easier to handle cold!
Want a deeper chocolate hit? Use dark chocolate instead of milk.
Sprinkle the zest while the chocolate’s still wet - once it hardens, it won’t stick.
These are heaven with an espresso after dinner.
🎁 Orange Liqueur Truffles for Gifting
These homemade orange Cointreau truffles look beautiful in little paper truffle papers and packed into a jar or gift box. Tie with a ribbon and you're sorted for birthdays, holidays or last-minute hostess gifts. They look fancy but come together with pantry basics (and a splash of booze!).
🫙 Storage Tips
Room Temperature: Not recommended - these are best kept chilled.
Fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Freezer: Freeze for up to 3 months (I have been known to eat them straight from the freezer!)
❓ FAQs
How do you make orange liqueur chocolate truffles?
Start with orange cake and mix in liqueur until you can roll the mixture into balls. Chill, dip in melted chocolate, and finish with orange zest. Easy!
Can I substitute Cointreau in truffle recipes?
Yes! Grand Marnier, Triple Sec, or even fresh orange juice work. Adjust the quantity depending on your cake’s texture.
What’s the best chocolate for orange truffles?
Milk chocolate is creamy and sweet, which complements the orange. But dark chocolate gives a more intense contrast—go with what you love.
How long do homemade truffles last?
About a week in the fridge, but I’d be shocked if they lasted that long!
📸 Share Your Truffles!
If you make these boozy little bites, snap a pic and tag me on Instagram @apple.cake.annie - I love seeing your bakes in action!
Orange Liqueur Chocolate Truffles
Ingredients
- 300 g Orange Cake or substitute with store bought Madeira cake
- 3 teaspoon Cointreau or other orange liqueur, or juice
- 200 g Milk Chocolate see notes
- 2 tablespoon Orange zest to decorate
Instructions
- Break up your leftover orange cake and place the pieces into a medium mixing bowl
- Add the Cointreau and squeeze the mixture together until it forms clumps. If using a store bought cake, it may be drier -add a little more Cointreau if needed
- Roll into balls by scooping out the mixture, using a melon baller or a medium-sized ice cream scoop, roughly the size of a tablespoon. Roll each scoop in the palms of your hands until its a smooth ball
- Place the balls onto a small lined tray and pop them into the freezer for 10 minutes (this makes them easier to dip into the chocolate)After 10 minutes, heat the chocolate for dipping. I personally like to temper my chocolate in the microwave, for short bursts until it starts to melt, then stir it and stir it until it’s completely melted. Start with 30 seconds, stir, then heat in 10 second bursts, stirring for a good 10 seconds in between. This will heat up your chocolate and cool it down (tempering), which results in a nice hard chocolate shell.
- Place a small baking sheet aside and line it with some parchment paper
- Dip the first cake ball into the melted chocolate, remove with a fork, giving it a little tap on the side of the bowl to shake off chocolate drips, then place onto the lined tray
- Once you’ve dipped 2-3 balls, quickly grate some zest over them before the chocolate sets, then repeat with the remaining cake balls
- Place in the refrigerator , where you can store them in an airtight container for 1 week
Notes
- In this recipe, each cake ball is approximately 30g, needing ¼ teaspoon of Cointreau and 15g of chocolate. If you want to make a different quantity than what’s in this recipe, just use these weights per ball
- You can also melt the chocolate in a double boiler, if you’d prefer
- A chocolate truffle dipper is a great tool if you plan on making lots of truffles -it gives you more control than a fork
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