Valentine Heart Cake Recipe

Valentine Heart Cake Recipe

Valentine Heart Cake Recipe

Ingredients

FOR THE SPONGE CAKE
 Butter 200 Gram
 Unsweetened cocoa powder 30 Gram
 Dark chocolate 100 Gram
 Flour 200 Gram
 Baking powder 8 Gram
 Salt 1 Pinch
 Sugar 200 Gram
 Eggs 5 Medium
 Milk 50 Milliliter
FOR THE HAZELNUT CREAM
 Butter 250 Gram
 Hazelnut spread 250 Gram
 Water 35 Milliliter
 Sugar 150 Gram
 Egg whites 1 Cup (16 tbs)
FOR THE CHOCOLATE GANACHE
 Dark chocolate 125 Gram
 Butter 20 Gram
 Heavy cream 125 Gram

METHOD


GETTING READY 
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). 
2. Grease and dust a large heart shape cake pan, one that holds 5 cups (1,2 lt) 

MAKING 
3. To make the cake batter - Combine the diced softened butter with the sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment and beat for at least 10 minutes until you have a very pale and foamy creamy mixture. 
4. Then, beating constantly, add one egg at a time, at room temperature, until you get a well creamed batter. 
5. Now beat in the melted chocolate, after cooling a bit, until blended. 
6. At this point, in a bowl, mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and the salt, and sift them into the creamed mixture alternating with the milk. 
7. Pour the resulting batter into the heart shape cake pan. Bake the cake at 350°F (180°C), after about 45 minutes test for doneness with a toothpick and, if needed, bake for an additional 5-10 minutes. 
8. While the cake is baking, move on to the hazelnut cream, to fill our heart layer cake. Beat the softened butter with the hazelnut spread. Set the mixture aside and place it in a cool place, but not the fridge. 
9. To make the Italian meringue, you need to have 2 different mixtures ready at the same time, so take a stand mixer with a whisk attachment and a candy thermometer. In a small saucepan, like this, combine 1/3 cup (125 g) of sugar with 2 1/3 tbsp (35 ml) of water and bring to a boil until it reaches 240°F (116°C) and becomes syrup, that's why you need a candy thermometer. 
10. While the sugar and water are simmering, beat 3,5 oz (100 g) of egg whites in the stand mixer, that is about 3 medium eggs, at room temperature; as soon as they turn white, add the remaining sugar (25 g). 
11. When the sugar syrup begins to bubble, do not use a spoon, but swirl the pan around, bring it to 240° using the candy thermometer. 
12. Now the syrup is at 240°F, so pour it in a thin stream into the bowl of the mixer and continue to beat until the mixture is cold. Once the mixture is cold, turn off the mixer you should get a stiff meringue. 
13. Add the butter and hazelnut mixture to the Italian meringue, beating at a lower speed. 

FINALIZING 
14. When the cake has cooled completely, slice it into 3 layers, and place the bottom layer on a serving platter. 
15. Save a couple of tablespoons of hazelnut cream, to use for decorating later and use half of the cream to fill the first layer. 16. Lift the central layer with 2 spatulas, to avoid breaking it, and place it on top, align the edges and spread the remaining hazelnut cream. 
17. Now cover with the top cake layer and move on to the coating, that is the chocolate ganache. 
18. To make the ganache - In a saucepan, combine the heavy cream with the butter and, as soon as it comes almost to a boil, add the roughly chopped chocolate, remove from the heat and stir until completely melted. 
19. Transfer the mixture to a pan, place it in an ice water bath, and beat with an electric beater until thick. The texture should be smooth, but thick and spreadable. 
20. Coat the heart cake using a spatula to make the surface smooth or wavy, as you prefer. 
21, Finally decorate the cake with the reserved hazelnut cream. 

NOTES 
Hazelnut paste is an unsweetened paste, made from ground hazelnuts, that is used to make the hazelnut flavoured cream.

RECIPE FROM http://www.ifood.tv/recipe/heart-cake-recipe