Recipes>Chocolate Recipes

Heart-shaped Chocolate Box Cake

by Molly Bakes from Chocolate

Serves 8–10

A stunning heart-shaped chocolate cake, with a sponge and raspberry buttercream filling, decorated with decadent truffles. The perfect Valentine’s Day or wedding anniversary cake recipe to impress your loved one.

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Introduction

It may seem ambitious but this cake and chocolate combination is easier than you might think. It makes an impressive Valentine’s Day gift where you can show off both your chocolate and baking skills. The idea is to use the cake as a chocolate box to showcase your home-made truffles.

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Ingredients

Essential kit

You will need 2 x 25cm heart-shaped tins.

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. Grease and line the cake tins with baking paper.

Put the cocoa powder in a heatproof bowl. Pour the boiling water into the cocoa and stir until smooth. Leave to cool slightly before adding the milk. Stir to combine.

In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt together. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, cream the 125g butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the sugar and beat for another 5 minutes. Mix in the vanilla extract.

Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing for 1 minute between each addition.

Gently add half the flour and mix in until just combined, then add half the cocoa mixture. Repeat with the remaining flour and cocoa mixture, then pour evenly into the prepared heart-shaped tins.

Bake for 30 minutes or until a cocktail stick inserted into the centre of one of the cakes comes out clean.

Turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

Use a fork to mash the raspberries, then set aside.Beat the butter until smooth and creamy, then add the sugar gradually and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla. Add the mashed raspberries and beat until combined. Beat in the milk.

TO ASSEMBLE

Level the cooled cakes with a palette knife. Place one of the cakes on a cake board or stand to form the bottom layer, and spread a thick layer of buttercream over it. Top with the second cake, then spread a thin layer of buttercream over the top and then the sides of the whole cake, covering it completely. This is your crumb coat to be covered in chocolate.

TO DECORATE

Line one of the now empty cake tins with cling film.

Once set, carefully remove the chocolate from the tin and place over the top of the layer cake.

For the sides of the cake, cut 2 strips of acetate, each the length of one side of the heart (from the top centre point to the bottom centre point) and about 5cm deeper than the crumb-coated cake. You can use baking paper as a template by tracing round the cake.

Using a palette knife, spread a thick layer of chocolate on one of the strips of acetate, covering the entire surface. Working quickly and with the chocolate facing the cake, position the strip around one side of the cake – from the bottom centre point to the top centre point. Use your hands to smooth it in place. Leave to set, and repeat with the second strip of acetate for the other side of the cake.

Once the chocolate has set, gently peel away the strips of acetate.

You will now have a beautiful chocolate box cake to fill with your home-made truffles or filled chocolates of your choice. This method can also be used for a square or round cake if preferred.

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Ingredients

Method

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