Still looking for that perfect dessert for Valentine’s Day? Well, why not make these Individual Sweetheart Cakes. Soft & spongy vanilla cake, filled with chocolate cream and fresh raspberry puree. Decadent at it’s very best!
This vanilla, chocolate & raspberry concoction is just perfect for Valentine’s Day…or any other day for that matter. When I started out in the kitchen earlier today, I wasn’t sure what I was aiming for exactly, but has time progressed so did these little cakes. Just delicious!
Note: For this cake I used the basic vanilla roulade recipe. I did this because I like how that cake is flat and makes for thin & light layers. If you find this step too tedious, you could easily make a regular vanilla cake, put it in a sheet pan and bake for a shorter time. If you do this, the cake will rise through the middle, so it won’t be so uniform in the layers.
What to do with the scrap cake?ย
- Cut it up and freeze it
- ย It is delicious used in a trifle!ย
- You could also put them in a food process and make cake crumbs with them.ย
- These are great in whipped creams,ย ice cream sundaes, or sprinkled over custards.
Individual Sweetheart Cakes
The perfect individual little sponge cakes for Valentine's Day
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 527kcal
Ingredients
For the Sponge Cake
- 4 large eggs
- 1/4 Cup flour
- 4 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 Cup white sugar plus 1 tablespoon
- 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
- Drop of white vinegar
For the Filling & decorating
- 1 Cup whipping cream double cream (not low fat)
- 1 Teaspoon sugar
- 1 Tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1/2 Cup Fresh raspberry purรฉe
- Powered sugar for dusting the outside of the cake
- raspberries
- 2 oz dark chocolate melted
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to a very high heat of 450 degrees F. Make sure you rack is in the middle of the oven. Grease and line with parchment paper a large baking tray with a one inch rim. A tray about 12 x 8 would work well, or the closest you have to it would be just fine. When you have lined it with parchment paper, grease this as well, not forgetting the sides. Important or the cake will be difficult to get off the paper when baked. Have ready a cooling rack with a damp tea towel spread on top.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and the cornstarch. Set aside
- I always separate the eggs when they are cold as it is much easier to do this way. So take two the of eggs and separate them. In a medium sized bowl you can put the whites and then in your large mixing bowl add the 2 yolks. Set aside the egg whites. In the large mixing bowl that already has the 2 yolks you will now add the additional two eggs. Now add your sugar to the eggs and mix on a high speed until very light and about tripled in size. This usually takes about 5 minutes. Once you have done this, mix in the vanilla extract for about 30 seconds. Next, sift in the flour and gently stir it in until it is combined. You don’t want to do this too long or you will deflate the batter.
- Remember those egg whites you put aside, well it is time to whisk those up. Mix on a high speed until they are foamy. This usually happens straight away. Then add your dash of vinegar and continue mixing on high speed until soft peaks form. Next, add the sugar and continue mixing. This will probably only take about a minute more. Stiff peaks should form and it should have a glossy appearance.
- The next thing you have to do is fold the egg whites into the cake batter. I always start with folding in a small amount first and gently stirring it around to combine it. Once I have done this, I add the rest and gently stir it in to combine it.
- Pour the batter onto your prepared baking tray and make sure it is evenly spread out. Bake for 5-7 minutes. It should be risen and when touched it will spring back slightly. Remove from oven and immediately invert it onto a damp tea towel that is laid out over a baking rack. Remove the baking tray and gently peel back the parchment paper. Leave to cool completely.
- While the cake is cooling, make your filling. In a medium bowl, combine the cream, sugar, and cocoa powder. Stir, cover and put in the fridge for about 10-15 minutes. Remove from fridge and beat on high speed until light and fluffy. Cover and put back in the fridge until ready to use
- Cut the cooled cake into 12 squares. With a heart shaped cutter, cut a heart out of each square. You will use three hearts for each cake. To assemble, lay one heart out and spoon the chocolate cream evenly on the top. Spoon over the raspberry purรฉe and smooth out evenly as well. Top with another heart and repeat the filling steps. Top with the last heart. Repeat for all four cakes. Use a butter knife to go around the sides of the little cakes to scoop off any filling that may be falling out. This is just to make them prettier. When you cakes are finished, drizzle over the melted chocolate, decorate with fresh raspberries and sprinkle over powdered sugar.
- Ready for Valentine’s Day!
*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.
Nutrition Facts
Individual Sweetheart Cakes
Amount Per Serving (1 individual cake)
Calories 527
Calories from Fat 297
% Daily Value*
Fat 33g51%
Saturated Fat 19g119%
Cholesterol 268mg89%
Sodium 98mg4%
Potassium 234mg7%
Carbohydrates 49g16%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 30g33%
Protein 10g20%
Vitamin A 1145IU23%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 77mg8%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Thanks For Stopping By & Hope To See You Soon!
