This chocolate Valentine’s Day heart cake was designed by my 9-year old son (who is now an adult!). He even instructed me on how I should put it together. His plan was to bake a sheet of cake and cut the layers with a heart shaped cookie cutter. Then stack them together with raspberry cream and pour a glossy chocolate ganache over the top. I know I’m biased, but I think he is brilliant. You can watch me make the cake in my Instagram video.
You can find many more cake recipes and all the tricks and techniques I’ve learned over my decades in professional kitchens in my book, Zoë Bakes Cakes!
Happy Valentine’s to my two sons, Henri and Charlie, and my husband Graham. My 3 muses.
Here is Henri’s vision, I must say this Valentine’s Day chocolate cake is as delicious as it is pretty.
Chocolate Valentine’s Day Heart Cake Filled with Raspberry Cream
Allow your valentine’s day heart cake to set at room temperature for about 20 minutes. If you need to refrigerate them, they will lose their shine. Once you return them to room temperature the shine will come back.
Leave simple or add some red pearls.
Or sprinkle with Raspberry Dust!
Ingredients
Devil's Food Cake
- 1 ½ cups sugar (320g)
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (215g)
- ½ cup cocoa powder (50g)
- 1 ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- ¾ cup buttermilk ¾ cup plus 1 tsp lemon if you don't have buttermilk
- ⅓ cup oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup coffee
- ⅛ cup rum use more coffee if you don't want the booze
Buttercream or 2 cups heavy whipping cream plus ⅓ cup raspberry preserves
Ganache
- 1 lb bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 2 cups heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Grease and line a 11×16″ Baking Sheet with parchment.
- Whisk together all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Sift the cocoa and baking soda if they are lumpy.
- Whisk in the liquid ingredients, until smooth. Pour into prepared pan and spread evenly with an offset spatula.
- Bake for about 20 minutes or until just set or a tester comes out with moist crumb.
- Cut the devil’s food cake with a Heart Cookie Cutter. Depending on the size of your cutter this will get you about 12 2-layer cakes per sheet.
To Make The Cream
- Whip the heavy cream until soft peaks, add the raspberry preserves and continue whipping until stiff peaks. Fill a Pastry Bag, fitted with a round pastry tip and pipe the cream on half of the heart shaped cakes.
- Top the cream with another layer of cake. Cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate while you make the ganache.
Ganache
- Heat cream until just to simmer. Remove from heat. Dump in all of the chopped chocolate, swirl the pot to make sure the chocolate is completely covered by the cream. Let sit for about 3 minutes and then gently whisk until smooth. Allow to cool slightly to thicken enough to cling to the cakes.
- To pour the ganache on the cakes you will need to set them on a cooling rack that is over a sheet pan lined with parchment. You want to do this to catch all of the dripping chocolate.
- Slowly pour the ganache over the heart cake, starting in the middle and working outward. Be sure to check all the sides as you go. As you can see there will be a lot pooled up on the parchment, but you will scrape that up and be able to remelt and use again. See my instagram video to make sure it is the right consistency.
- If your ganache starts to get too thick, return the pot to the stove and heat on very low heat, just for a moment.
- Allow your valentine’s day heart cake to set at room temperature for about 20 minutes. If you need to refrigerate them, they will lose their shine. Once you return them to room temperature the shine will come back.
Biased or not, I think you’re right on this one- he is brilliant! Those make me want to OM NOM NOM NOM…[face covered in chocolate] 🙂
Someone is following in Mama’s footsteps! I love that he even had an opinion about Valentine’s Day! You’ve got to teach those boys early! (I have two of my own.)
Thanks Bubbles!
Yes, I do my own styling and photography. It turns out that you can buy bags of rose petals at your local florist!
Cheers! Zoë
I love that your precious Henri had a Valentine vision; what a man after my own heart :)I think he is just brillant as well!
Oh, my lord! Henri has inherited his mother’s gifts. What a beautiful idea.
Zoë, do you do your own food styling for your pictures. The cake with the petals and then the bud atop is just stunning to me. Your talents have no end. (And I hope you don’t think me impertinent for asking!)
-Bubbles
Henri, great idea!! maybe we can do something like this with pancakes next time you come over.
Simply Amazing!
Beautiful cakes! Henri is going to break a lot of hearts when he’s older! 😉
Well done Henri!So beautiful and I’m sure it is so delicious (mmmm, raspberries with chocolate…)!
I couldn’t agree more with your son….it’s fantastic!
STUNNING…what a vision!! Simply amazing.
You’re right. He’s brilliant! It must be genetic!
hehehehe…do I have to take you to dinner if you send them over here?!
Thank you all for the fabulous comments. I will have Henri come and read them, he will be so proud that you liked his idea! 🙂
Happy Valentine’s Day to you all!
Zoë
ps Jen, I meant to send them home with A. Aaaargh!
Gorgeous, lady! Aaron came home talking about eating them at your house – I had to check in and see what all the stir was about! Lucky little devil!
Way to go Henri – you rock!!
Z – the pictures are awesome…you rock too! 😉
XO J
I think Henri got some of his mom’s culinary genius! These look delicious.
These are brilliantand so is your son- must come from his Mom.
Happy Valentine’s Day to you all!
OMG – very decadent! Love it.
that’s delightful 🙂
Those look amazing. I love chocolate and raspberry together.
your son is indeed a genius and so meticulous as well 🙂 these cakes are beautiful zoe..just splendid. x
The kid is a genius! How great that he likes to create recipes!
Henri…you are talented in so many ways…and this is just one of the many reasons you are my special, special friend! Happy Valentines to all the Francois…xoxo
I agree Zoe – your son is brilliant!
Henri, you are destined to become a most brilliant chef/dessert chef – this is a lovely dessert that melds so many wonderful flavors – chocolate, whipped cream, raspberry, blackberry. Here’s one dessert I’ll have to make !