These fluffy little balls of whipped cream, sponge cake, and raspberries are a delightful version of the German Schneeballen recipe. They are a light and delicate dessert or treat for Easter, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Christmas, Afternoon Tea, or make them as a novel offering for a bake sale or potluck. (Easy to make gluten-free, too.)
Little balls of fluff. Pink clouds. Heavenly bites. Bunny tails. Angel bombs. Cherub cheeks. Berry bubbles. Fairy pillows.
Any of those would be good names for these delightful little balls of delicousness. Bite into one and your smile turns into a sigh. Light-as-air morsels of sponge cake are held together with the softest embrace of gently whipped cream flavoured with a tangy whisper of raspberry freshness. Nubbins of tropical coconut flakes provide a crunchy bit of texture and add that fuzzly white coat.
Serve up a tray of these lovely Raspberry Snowballs at your next gathering, and I guarantee they'll disappear magically in no time. Who can resist?
They're a variation of a fun German treat called Schneeballen (snowballs) - not the huge round balls made famous in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a beautiful town on the Romantic Road in Germany. Those Schneeballen are deep-fried and covered in a white icing whereas these ones are a variation of the vanilla-flavoured balls of whipped cream and cake which are enjoyed in the Black Forest region of Germany. I got the original vanilla Schneeballen recipe (see the recipe notes below) from my German friend (thanks, Ruth) who got it from her sister who's a culinary professional in Germany. The raspberries are my own addition, and I think you'll agree that they add just the right touch of berry freshness to these heavenly little bites.
The texture of the balls is light and fluffy, just a few melt-in-your-mouth bites to each one, but they hold up surprisingly well, and make the perfect sweet ending to any meal, especially if you're looking for something lighter after a memorable feast.
What You'll Need
The cake base for Schneeballen is a simple sponge cake. In German it's called a Biscuitboden and can be made by separately whipping egg yolks and whites, then folding them together or whipping the whole eggs with the sugar for a longer time - I prefer that method, as there are no pockets of egg whites and it only needs one bowl. But you do have to beat the eggs on high speed for a full 8 - 10 minutes. During that time I usually prepare the other ingredients.
How to Make Raspberry Snowballs (Schneeballen)
First you'll need to bake up a simple Biscuitboden - the fluffy sponge cake you'll use as a base in the Schneeballen. You'll only need to use half of it, so you can serve the other half with berries and whipped cream as an easy dessert, or wrap it well and freeze it for up to 6 months to use later.
Bake the sponge in a springform pan, and let it cool before you use it.
Next, you'll mix the juice from some thawed raspberries with powdered gelatin, then heat it gently until the gelatin dissolves. Whip up some cream with sugar, and pour in the gelled raspberry juice. Fold in the raspberries, too.
Now cut the cooled sponge cake into cubes, and fold them into that soft and fluffy whipped cream.
Use an ice cream scoop or a big spoon to portion out the raspberry cream. Plop it into a bowl of shredded coconut.
Very gently roll the ball around in the coconut until it's all coated, shaping it as you go. Put each soft and fluffy little ball of Schneeballen into a paper cupcake liner and you're done. Chill the balls for an hour or two (or overnight) and your Raspberry Schneeballen are ready to enjoy.
I'm planning to serve these Raspberry Schneeballen for Easter this year, but they'd make a lovely addition to a Mother's Day luncheon or an Afternoon Tea. They'd be romantic at Valentine's Day or for a birthday party. If you double the recipe (using the whole sponge cake) they are fantastic for a community or school bake sale or for a church potluck or large family gathering.
Can Schneeballen be Made Ahead?
Yes, absolutely. That's what makes them so handy for entertaining or large events. They are actually best if made at least 2 or 3 hours ahead so the cake has some time to absorb the cream and soften slightly. Schneeballen can easily be made up to 24 hours before you need them. Store the balls in a single layer in their paper muffin cups in a sealed container in the fridge, and they will keep well for up to five days.
It's best not to freeze Schneeballen, as the gelatin and whipped cream don't hold up well to freezing.
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Guten Appetit!
Raspberry Snowballs (Schneeballen)
Ingredients
for the Biscuitboden (sponge cake base):
- 4 large eggs
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (100 g) sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (140 g) gluten-free flour blend or regular flour for non-gluten-free
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
for the Schneeballen (snowballs):
- ½ of a baked Biscuitboden, recipe above (4 cups cubed)
- 6 ounces (170 g/1½ cups) frozen raspberries, defrosted, juice reserved (or use fresh)
- 1¼ teaspoons powdered gelatin
- ⅓ cup (35 g) sugar
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups (480ml) whipping cream (minimum 33% fat)
- 1½ cups medium, unsweetened, shredded coconut
Instructions
to make the Biscuitboden:
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (180℃). Grease a 9 or 9½-inch (23 or 25cm) springform pan and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper cut to fit.
- Put the eggs, salt, and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer and beat them on high speed for a full 10 minutes, until they are light and very fluffy and creamy, and a pale yellow colour.
- Add the vanilla near the end of the beating time.
- Sift the flour and baking powder over the eggs and fold them in gently with a spatula. Fold them just until the flour is mixed in, there may still be a few light streaks of flour left.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cake springs back when you lightly press the top of the cake in the center with your finger.
- Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then run a knife around the edge to separate the cake from the pan, and invert it onto a cooling rack. Remove the bottom, peel off the parchment paper, and let the cake cool completely.
- Cut the cake in half. Use half to make the Snowballs, and reserve the other half for another use. (Wrap it well in plastic food wrap, put it into a resealable freezer bag, and freeze it for up to 6 months, if you don't plan to use it right away.)
to make the Schneeballen (snowballs):
- Drain out 2 tablespoons of juice from the defrosted raspberries. It's okay if a bit of raspberry pulp comes along. If you can't easily get 2 tablespoons, make up the difference with a bit of water. Put the juice into a small bowl or measuring cup and sprinkle it with the gelatin. Stir to combine and let it sit for 10 minutes to gel. (If you are using fresh raspberries, mash them and push them through a sieve to get 2 tablespoons of juice, then reserve the mashed pulp and any remaining juice to add to the cream later.
- While the gelatin is softening, cut the cake into ½-inch (1 cm) cubes. Set aside.
- When the raspberry juice and gelatin have thickened, heat them in the microwave just long enough to dissolve the gelatin (10-15 seconds), or set the bowl over a small pot of simmering water just until the gelatin dissolves. Let cool slightly.
- Whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form.
- Pour the raspberry juice with gelatin into the cream while you are whipping it and continue beating until stiff peaks form.
- Fold the remaining defrosted raspberries and any accumulated juices (or the fresh mashed raspberries and their juices) into the whipped cream.
- Fold the sponge cake cubes into the raspberry whipped cream. (Put everything into a larger bowl if the mixer bowl is too small to mix it easily.)
- Put the shredded coconut into a shallow bowl. Set out 16 paper cupcake liners.
- Use an ice cream scoop (or a large spoon) to scoop out about ⅓-cup (60 ml) portion of the mixture (a slightly heaped scoopful). Drop it into the bowl of coconut and roll it around gently to coat it in coconut, shaping it with your fingers as you roll it. It is very soft and needs a gentle touch. (It's okay if it's not a perfect ball.) Place the ball into a muffin cup, and repeat until the mixture is all used up.
- Chill the balls for at least an hour before serving, to let the balls firm up. The balls are best if chilled for 2-3 hours before serving, and can be made up to 24 hours ahead and kept in a single layer in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
- The balls will keep, if covered and chilled, for up to 5 days.
Rachel
OMG this is so good! I just made a batch, they are so airy and delicious! I love them, I will definitely do them again. Berry season is coming, do you think I could make them with strawberries or blueberries? Might not mix as well I guess. Maybe I will just put the raspberry snowball on top of a bowl of berries. Can't wait to try that!
Thank you so much for this delicious recipe and all your hard work you put in your blog. Can't wait to see your beautiful garden in your posts this year, you inspire me so much!
Margaret
Aw, thank you so much, Rachel! You have just made my day with your wonderful comment. ❤️ I am so glad you like the Schneeballen 😍 as much as we do. They are a hit with everyone I serve them to. I really love your idea of trying other fruits! I think if you use frozen strawberries or blueberries and then defrost them, they'll release a little bit of juice to set the gelatin, and then you can chop up the berries and stir them in. If you use fresh fruits, you may just need to use a little bit of another fruit juice (like apple juice) to set the gelatin, and then fold in the chopped fresh berries. Now I'm excited to try it with other fruits, too!
I am getting so eager to start working in the garden, but unfortunately, we just got another thin coating of snow last night, and the temperatures are still very up and down so I think it may be a few weeks yet! But there's always hope...
Diane Galambos
Fabulous. Bought frozen raspberries 300g. Oddly that became 1.5 cups once the liquid came off. Used it all - fine. Definitely a keeper! Danke! 🙂
Margaret
Gern geschehen, Diane! So glad you like the Schneeballen - they are a real treat! And I figure that since there's fruit in them, that negates any calories! 😉