Heart Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch heart-shaped pan with butter and dust with some extra bread crumbs.
• Cream 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon butter in a bowl with an electric mixer; mix in 2/3 cup white sugar and vanilla sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, until light and foamy.
• Place 5 ounces chocolate in top of a double boiler over simmering water. Stir frequently, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching, until chocolate is melted, about 5 minutes. Cool for a few minutes, then blend into egg mixture. Mix almond meal with bread crumbs and fold into the chocolate batter. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven on the lowest rack for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and cook completely, about 1 hour. Remove from pan.
• Place 5 ounces chocolate in top of a double boiler over simmering water. Stir frequently, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching, until chocolate is melted, about 5 minutes. Cool for a few minutes, then mix in confectioner's sugar.
• Cream 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter in a bowl with an electric mixer until creamy. Stir in chocolate-sugar mixture and almond extract until ganache is smooth.
• Cut heart cake horizontally into 2 layers. Cover the bottom layer with some chocolate ganache and place second layer on top. Cover heart on all sides with remaining chocolate ganache.
• Roll out marzipan into a thin layer on parchment paper. Cut out circles with a small glass to make petals; you need about 12 petals per rose. Roll one of the circles into a spiral shape for the center of the rose. Add the next marzipan circle and roll it around the center piece. The marzipan should just stick together. If you need extra "glue", use some water. Decorate cake with pink roses and other candy to your liking.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Coat a 9-inch round and a 9-inch square cake pan (2 inches deep) with cooking spray. Prepare the cake mixes as directed; divide between the pans. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Let the cakes cool, then remove from the pans. Trim the tops of the cakes with a long serrated knife to make them level. Cut the round cake in half as shown.
• Working on a cake board (you can cut the board into a heart shape to fit the cake) or a cutting board, position the 2 half circles of cake against 2 sides of the square cake to make a heart.
• Cover the cake with the white frosting, using the frosting to fill in any gaps between the cakes.
• Combine the marshmallows and water in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave, stirring with a rubber spatula, until melted and smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the green food coloring and stir until smooth.
• Transfer the marshmallow mixture to a stand mixer. Gradually add all but 1/2 cup of the confectioners' sugar and beat until combined. Beat in the butter.
• Scrape the marshmallow fondant onto a sheet of parchment and knead in confectioners' sugar until it's no longer sticky. Dust the parchment with more sugar; roll out the fondant until it's large enough to cover the cake, at least 13 by 16 inches.
• Carefully flip the parchment and fondant onto the cake; peel off the parchment. Gently press the fondant against the sides of the cake and smooth with your hands; trim the excess. Brush off the extra sugar.
• Use the wide end of a chopstick to press letters into the fondant (it's best to do this before the fondant dries out). Use a small brush to paint hot pink or red food coloring in the letter indentations.

Steps:

• For the frozen hearts: Press the softened sorbet into 4 cavities of an 8-cavity silicone heart mold (2 1/4-inch hearts). Freeze at least 6 hours and up to overnight.
• For the chocolate domes: Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Once completely melted, let the chocolate cool to about 90 degrees F. The chocolate should still be melted and warm, not set.
• Meanwhile, wash and dry the outside of 4 medium round balloons. Inflate the balloons so they are about 5 inches in diameter.
• Holding onto the tied end of a balloon, dip it into the melted chocolate so that two-thirds of the balloon is covered in chocolate. Let the excess chocolate drip off. Place the balloon chocolate-side up in a coffee mug. Repeat with remaining balloons and chocolate. Let set at room temperature until hardened, 4 to 6 hours.
• Once the chocolate is complete set and hard, very carefully pop each ballon with a knife and remove it from the interior of the chocolate dome. Place the domes open-side down on a warmed baking sheet and gently swirl to create a smooth edge. Transfer to a clean baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Store in a cool place.
• For the white chocolate sauce: In a medium pot, heat the cream over medium-low heat until hot and bubbling around the edges. Immediately add the white chocolate chips and vanilla and whisk until the chocolate is completely melted and incorporated into the cream. Keep warm until ready to serve. You can make the sauce in advance and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator; reheat in a pot over low heat before serving, adding more cream if needed to thin it out.
• For the assembly: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the crumbled sandwich cookies, brownies and fresh and freeze-dried raspberries. Gently toss to combine.
• Line up 4 plates or wide shallow bowls (like pasta bowls). Place a 3-inch ring mold in the center of one of the plates and spoon in a quarter of the fruit and crumble mixture. Carefully remove the cutter. Repeat on the remaining plates. If you don't have a 3-inch cutter, neatly spoon the mixture into the center of each plate in a circle about 3 inches in diameter.
• Make sure the white chocolate sauce is nice and hot and transfer to a measuring cup or small pitcher.
• Working quickly, remove the raspberry sorbet hearts from the molds and place one onto each portion of the crumble mixture. Carefully cover each heart with a chocolate dome. Present to your guests and pour the hot chocolate sauce over the dome to melt and reveal the dessert.

Steps:

• For the cake: Place a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-by-4 1/2-inch loaf pan and a quarter sheet pan (13 by 9 inches).
• Sift the flour and salt into a medium bowl; set aside. Whisk the whole eggs, yolks, milk and vanilla together in a medium bowl; set aside. Beat the butter in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment at medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Gradually add the granulated sugar 1/4 cup at a time until well combined. Turn the machine off and scrape down the paddle and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Continue to beat the butter mixture on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
• Turn the machine off and scrape the sides of the bowl again. Turn the mixer to its lowest setting and gradually add in the flour mixture 1/4 cup at a time until just combined. Slowly add the egg mixture. Remove the bowl from the mixer, scrape any batter off the paddle and make sure the batter is well combined. (Take care not to overmix.)
• Divide the batter in half. Fold the red food coloring into one half and the green into the other half with a rubber spatula until no streaks remain.
• Pour the red batter into the prepared quarter sheet pan and bake until set, but slightly under-baked, about 18 minutes.
• Turn the cake out onto a parchment-lined surface. Let cool slightly, then cut 12 hearts out of the sheet cake with a 2- or 3-inch heart cookie cutter.
• Pour enough green batter into the prepared loaf pan to just cover the bottom. Nestle the hearts point-end down in a row down the center of the batter, so that they snugly fit the length of the pan. Spoon the remaining batter on top and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the top springs back when lightly pressed, 50 minutes to 1 hour.
• For the glaze: Meanwhile, whisk together the confectioners' sugar, milk and vanilla in a medium bowl to make a thick but pourable glaze.
• Cool the cake in the pan on a rack set into a rimmed baking sheet, 10 to 15 minutes. Invert the cake onto a plate. Re-invert the cake and set it right-side up on the rack. Pour the glaze over the cake while still warm, allowing excess glaze to drip into the pan below. Allow the cake to cool completely. Slice into the cake to reveal the heart inside.
• The cake will keep wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature for 4 to 5 days, and freezes well for up to 1 month.
• Combine the beet juice, beet powder and cocoa powder in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Combine the matcha powder with 3 tablespoons water in another small bowl and whisk until smooth. Use the beet coloring in place of red food coloring and the matcha coloring in place of green coloring in the Hidden Heart Cake.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease a 900g loaf tin and line with a long strip of baking parchment. Cream 175g butter and 175g sugar until light and fluffy. Beat 3 of the eggs and pour in, a little at a time, mixing after each addition. Sift together 140g flour, 1⁄2 tsp baking powder and the cocoa, then fold into the butter mixture along with the almonds. Combine 100ml milk, 11⁄2 tsp vanilla and all the food colouring and add to the batter, then mix until evenly coloured.
• Pour into the prepared loaf tin and bake for 1 hr 10 mins until a skewer comes out clean. Cool for 10 mins in the tin, then transfer to a wire rack. When cool, cut the cake into 4cm slices. Using a 5cm cutter, stamp out the hearts (save any remaining cake for another treat).
• Repeat step 1 to make a second cake mixture - you won't have cocoa or food colour in this batch. Pour 3⁄4 of the mixture into the prepared loaf tin. Push the bottoms of the hearts into the batter in a tightly packed row. Spoon over the remaining cake mixture, covering as much of the hearts as possible. bake for 1 hr or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool for 10 mins in the tin, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• For the icing, gently heat all the ingredients over a low heat until combined. Leave to cool, then chill until needed. Spread over the cooled cake and decorate with the sprinkles, if using. Will keep for 3 days stored in a cake tin.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Grease or lightly spray bottoms only of one 8-inch round and one 8-inch square pan.
• In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil and egg whites with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour batter into pans.
• Bake square pan 25 to 29 minutes, round pan 29 to 34 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Cut round cake in half. Put square cake on tray with one point toward you. Place cut side of each half against one of the top sides of square cake to make a heart as shown in diagram.
• Tint frosting with a few drops food color. Frost cake with frosting. Store loosely covered.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees with rack in the center of the oven. Butter an 18-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet, line with parchment paper, butter parchment, and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together cocoa powder, food coloring, and 1/4 cup boiling water. Set aside to cool.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and shortening on high speed until smooth. Add sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Stir buttermilk and vanilla into cocoa mixture. Into another medium bowl, sift together flour and salt. With the mixer on low, add flour mixture alternating with cocoa mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat until incorporated.
• In a small bowl, mix together vinegar and baking soda until baking soda dissolves; mixture will fizz. Add to batter and mix until just combined.
• Pour batter into prepared baking sheet, smoothing the top. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 20 to 30 minutes, rotating pan after 10 minutes.
• Cook cake completely on a wire rack. Using a 4-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out 12 hearts.
• Place 4 strips of parchment paper around perimeter of a serving plate or lazy susan. Place 1 layer on the cake plate. Spread a thin layer of frosting on the cake; top with another heart, bottom side up. Cover entire cake with a thin layer of frosting and transfer to refrigerator for 10 minutes. Repeat process with remaining ingredients.
• Remove cakes from the refrigerator and cover each cake with a generous layer of frosting, smoothing as you go around to create a flat surface.
• Place chocolate in a pastry bag fitted with a small plain round tip; decorate as desired.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom only of 8-inch round cake pan and 8-inch square pan with cooking spray or grease with shortening. In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil and egg whites with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour 2 cups batter into round pan and remaining batter into square pan.
• Bake 27 to 32 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove from pans; place on wire racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Cut round cake in half. On serving tray or large platter, arrange square cake and round cake halves into heart shape (see diagram); attach cakes with small amount of frosting. Spread frosting on sides and top of cake. Arrange chocolate candies around top edge of cake. About 2 inches inside chocolate candies, arrange cinnamon candies in heart shape.
• Place 3-inch heart-shaped open cookie cutter in center of cake. Pour candy decors evenly inside cookie cutter; remove cookie cutter from cake. Arrange conversation heart candies and chocolate candies around smaller heart.