Chocolate Heart Cake Recipe

Chocolate Heart Cake  Recipe

Chocolate Heart Cake Tested Recipe

Chocolate Chiffon Cake:


3 large eggs, separated

1 large egg white

1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar, divided

2/3 cup (85 grams) all purpose flour

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (40 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed)

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (120 ml) safflower, canola, or corn oil

1/3 cup (80 ml) water

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Chocolate Whipped Cream:

1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy whipping cream

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons (28 grams) granulated white sugar

3/4 tablespoon cocoa powder (I use Dutch-processed)

Ganache:

8 ounces (227 grams) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, cut into small pieces

3/4 cup (180 ml) heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter

1 tablespoons cognac or brandy (optional)

Garnish:

Fresh Raspberries (optional)

Raspberry Sauce (optional)

METHOD:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven.  Butter and flour an 9-inch heart-shaped cake pan (with 2 inch (5 cm) sides).

Chocolate Chiffon Cake: 
Separate the eggs, placing the whites in one bowl and the yolks in another.  To the whites, add the extra egg white and then cover both bowls with plastic wrap.  Bring them to room temperature (about 30 minutes) before using.
Meanwhile sift together 2/3 cup (130 grams) granulated white sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the oil, water, and vanilla extract.
In your electric mixer beat the egg yolks for a minute or two on high speed.  Turn the mixer on low speed and slowly pour the oil mixture into the egg yolks until very well combined.  Gradually add the flour mixture and beat until well incorporated.
In a separate mixing bowl, with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until foamy.  Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until soft peaks form.  Gradually beat in the remaining 1/3 cup (65 grams) of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.  With a large rubber spatula or wire whisk, gently fold the egg whites into the batter just until blended (being careful not to deflate the batter).
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 35 to 45 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.  (When lightly pressed the cake will spring back).  Cool on a wire rack.  To remove the cake from the pan, run a sharp knife around the inside of the pan to loosen the cake.  Invert onto a wire rack.
For Chocolate Whipped Cream: 
In a large mixing bowl combine the whipping cream, vanilla extract, sugar, and cocoa powder.  Cover and chill the bowl and beaters in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, preferably an hour, so the cocoa powder has time to dissolve.  Beat the mixture until stiff peaks form.
To Assemble the Cake:  
Once the Chocolate Chiffon Cake has cooled completely, place on a flat surface and, using a serrated knife, cut the cake, horizontally, into two layers.  Turn over the top layer of the cake (so the top of the cake becomes the bottom) and spread with the chocolate whipped cream.  Place the second layer of cake, cut-side down, on top of the chocolate cream, gently pressing to compact. Cover with plastic wrap and place the cake in the refrigerator for several hours, or even overnight, before covering with the ganache.
For the Ganache:
Place the chopped chocolate in a medium sized stainless steel bowl.  Set aside.  Heat the cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Bring just to a boil.  Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for a few minutes so the chocolate melts.  Gently stir with a whisk until smooth.  Add the liqueur, if using.
To Cover the Cake with the Ganache:
Put the cake on a wire rack that is placed over a baking sheet.   In this way if the ganache drips it will end up on the baking sheet, which makes clean up easier.  Pour the ganache onto the center of the cake and, with a large spatula, spread the ganache over the top of the cake, using big strokes to push the ganache over the sides of the cake, to create an even coating of ganache.   If there are any bare spots on sides of the cake, cover with some of the ganache that has accumulated on the baking sheet.  (If there is leftover ganache, strain to remove any crumbs and use to make truffles.)
Gently transfer the cake to your serving platter and place the cake in the refrigerator until serving time.  This cake can be made a day or two before serving.  Decorate the top of the cake with fresh raspberries, if desired.  Raspberry Sauce would also make a nice accompaniment to this dessert.
RECIPE FROM http://www.joyofbaking.com/ChocolateHeartCake.html

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