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Valentine's Day Hidden Heart Cake

Celebrate Valentine's Day in style with this Hidden Heart Cake, a delicious vanilla sponge loaf cake with a vibrant red heart revelead with every slice, and vanilla icing on top. It's a rich and indulgent Valentine's Day cake that will impress your loved ones, and it's easy to make with a handful of ingredients.

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 30 mins
Cooling Time
2 hrs
Total Time
3 hrs 40 mins
Servings: 10 slices
Calories: 501 kcal
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: International

Ingredients

For the sponge
  • 300 g self-raising flour
  • 300 g butter, soft
  • 250 g granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon red food colouring, paste
For the glaze
  • 200 g icing sugar ( confectioners' sugar)
  • 2 tablespoon milk
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
For decorating
  • 1 tablespoon red sponge crumbs ( or sprinkles)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius ( 350 Fahrenheit).
  2. To make the sponge, add the soften butter and sugar to a large mixing bowl.
  3. Use a hand mixer to beat them well until creamy.
  4. Add the eggs one by one, beating well after every egg added.
  5. Sift in the flour, add the baking powder and vanilla extract, and use a spatula to mix everything well into a batter.
  6. Transfer a quarter of the batter to a different mixing bowl, add the red food colouring, and mix well to get a smooth red batter.
  7. Line a square baking tray ( mine is 20 cm, 8 inches in diameter) and add the red batter to it in one even layer.
  8. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the sponge from the oven, and leave it to cool down completely.
  9. Freeze it for 10-15 minutes once it's cool.
  10. Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out hearts from the red sponge.
  11. Butter and flour a regular loaf tin.
  12. Add 3 tablespoons of the remaining vanilla batter to the bottom of the tin, making sure it's nice and even.
  13. Arrange the hearts on top of the batter, pressing down well to make sure the hearts are stuck into the batter.
  14. Cover the hearts with the rest of the batter.
  15. Bake at 170 degrees Celsius (340 Fahrenheit) for 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
  16. Remove the cake from the oven and leave it to cool down completely.
  17. To make the icing, mix the icing sugar, vanilla extract and milk to get a smooth, runny glaze.
  18. Pour the glaze over the cake, then decorate with crumbs left from the red sponge.
  19. Allow the glaze to set before slicing the cake.

Notes

  • Click on the US Customary at the bottom of the list of ingredients to see the amounts listed in cups and ounces.
  • Make sure the oven is well preheated when the cake goes in, this is ensure that the cake rises rapidly before the hearts can shuffle around.
  • It is crucial to have plenty of batter left for covering the hearts, otherwise the top of the hearts will be exposed during baking.

Nutrition Information

Calories 501kcal (25%) Carbohydrates 67g (22%) Protein 4g (8%) Fat 25g (38%) Saturated Fat 16g (80%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 6g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 65mg (22%) Sodium 195mg (8%) Potassium 44mg (1%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 45g (90%) Vitamin A 755IU (15%) Calcium 16mg (2%) Iron 0.3mg (2%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 10slices

Amount Per Serving

Calories 501

% Daily Value*

Calories 501kcal 25%
Carbohydrates 67g 22%
Protein 4g 8%
Fat 25g 38%
Saturated Fat 16g 80%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 6g 30%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 65mg 22%
Sodium 195mg 8%
Potassium 44mg 1%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 45g 90%
Vitamin A 755IU 15%
Calcium 16mg 2%
Iron 0.3mg 2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.