Skip to main content
1-Chocolate-hidden-Heart-Cake-web.jpg
230Total Time
1Prep Time
130Bake Time
8Serves
A challenge

Hidden Heart Cake

2 Reviews

  • Nut Free
  • Vegetarian

About the bake

Have a go at baking this lovely romantic loaf cake, which has a surprise centre when cut - perfect for a valentine’s gift!

230Total Time
1Prep Time
130Bake Time
8Serves
A challenge

Method

  1. Step 1:

    Pre-heat the oven to 180°C (fan 160°C, gas mark 40. Line and grease a 2lb loaf tin.

  2. Step 2:

    First make the pink sponge. Cream together the sugar and softened butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the beaten eggs, adding a tablespoon of the flour after each addition if it looks like the mixture is starting to curdle.

  3. Step 3:

    Mix in the vanilla extract. Sift together the baking powder and flour before folding into the mixture.

  4. Step 4:

    Add the pink food colour until you get to your desired shade. Note: a concentrated, artificial colour will give a stronger shade and not lose its colour in the oven as some natural colours may.

  5. Step 5:

    Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and bake for 40-45 minutes or until well risen, firm and a skewer comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

  6. Step 6:

    Once cooled cut the cake carefully into 3cm slices and stamp out a heart shape from each slice using a heart cutter, which is approximately 5cm/2in diameter. Tip: use your pink cake off cuts to make cake pops – you could even freeze to do this at a later date.

  7. Step 7:

    For the chocolate sponge: Cream together the sugar and softened butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the beaten eggs, adding a tablespoon of the flour after each addition if it looks like the mixture is starting to curdle. Mix in the chocolate extract. Sift together the baking powder, flour and cocoa powder before folding into the mixture with the milk.

  8. Step 8:

    Grease and line the 2lb tin again. Add a small amount of the chocolate mixture to the tin until it is approximately 3cm deep – try to keep the thickness the same all the way along the bottom.

  9. Step 9:

    Pack the heart shaped cut outs together tightly in a row and gently place in the centre of the loaf tin, leaving a gap of approximately 2cm at each end. Be careful not to push the cut outs right to the bottom of the tin. Spoon over the remaining cake mixture, ensuring the top of the hearts are covered.

  10. Step 10:

    Bake for approximately 45-50 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes before removing onto a wire rack.

  11. Step 11:

    To make the buttercream: melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water before leaving to cool slightly. Beat the icing sugar into the softened butter and add the vanilla. Mix in the melted chocolate, adding the milk if required.

  12. Step 12:

    Decorate your cake once cooled with the buttercream and chocolate sprinkles.

Ingredients

  • For the Pink Sponge

    • 3 Large free range egg(s)
    • 175g Unsalted butter (softened)
    • 175g Silver Spoon Caster Sugar
    • 175g Self raising white flour
    • 1/2 tsp Baking powder
    • 1 tsp Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Extract
    • A few drops Pink food colouring gel
  • For the Chocolate Sponge

    • 3 Medium free range eggs (beaten)
    • 175g Unsalted butter (softened)
    • 175g Silver Spoon Caster Sugar
    • 150g Allinson's Self Raising Flour
    • 1/2 tsp Baking powder
    • 35g Cocoa powder
    • 1 tsp Chocolate extract
    • 1 tbsp Milk (whole)
  • For the Chocolate Buttercream

    • 75g Plain chocolate (70% cocoa)
    • 150g Unsalted butter (softened)
    • 300g Silver Spoon Icing Sugar
    • 1/2 tsp Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Extract
    • 1 1/2 tbsp Milk (whole)
  • To Decorate

    •  Chocolate sprinkles (to decorate)

Utensils

  • 2lb loaf tin
  • Spatula
  • Heart shaped cutters

Great recipes and more at BakingMad.com

Exclusive gifts and kits to take your baking to the next level Competitions and baker of the month prizes More than 1,000 recipes to try.