This exquisite cake is sculpted into a perfect heart shape and enveloped in a velvety layers of Swiss meringue buttercream, smoothed to a flawless, porcelain-like finish. Intricate, hand-piped sugary rosettes in ombre shades of blush and crimson cascade down the sides, creating a lush floral tapestry that appears almost too delicate to touch. To finish the design, dainty edible pearls and a fine dusting of shimmering gold leaf are scattered across the top, catching the light like morning dew on a crystalline garden.
The Velvet Raspberry Kiss Sponge to go inside this cake
Yield: Two 20cm (8-inch) heart-shaped layers
Ingredients
The Dry Base:
- 250g All-purpose flour
- 300g Caster sugar
- 15g High-quality cocoa powder (unsweetened)
- 1 tsp Baking soda
- 1/2 tsp Salt
The Wet Core:
- 2 Large eggs (room temperature)
- 240ml Vegetable oil (for a moist, soft crumb)
- 240ml Buttermilk (essential for the "velvet" texture)
- 1 tbsp Red gel food colouring
- 1 tsp White distilled vinegar
- 1 tsp Vanilla bean paste
The Fruit:
- 150g Fresh raspberries (tossed in a tablespoon of flour to prevent sinking)
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat your oven to 180°C. Grease your heart-shaped cake tins and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- Whisk Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Sifting is crucial to ensure there are no lumps in the "velvet" texture.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate jug, whisk the oil, buttermilk, eggs, red colouring, vinegar, and vanilla until perfectly smooth and vibrant red.
- The Fold: Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the liquid mixture. Use a large metal spoon or whisk to combine until just smooth. Do not over-mix, as this will make the cake tough rather than velvety.
- Add the Berries: Gently fold in the floured raspberries by hand.
- Bake: Divide the batter evenly between the two tins. Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Cooling: Allow the cakes to cool in the tins for 10 minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack. They must be completely cold before you begin decorating with your sugary rosettes.
Pro-Tips for the Perfect Heart Cake
- The Levelling Secret: Once the cakes are cool, use a serrated knife to trim the domed tops. This ensures your heart shape is flat and stable for stacking.
- Crumb Coat: Because Red Velvet creates bright red crumbs, always apply a thin "crumb coat" of frosting first and chill it for 30 minutes before applying your final decorative layer of rosettes.
- Vibrant Colour: Use gel food colouring rather than liquid. Gel provides a much deeper "Valentine Red" without thinning out the cake batter.
