Heart Shape Cake Recipe

Rating 5.0
| 1
Savor the romance with this heart shape cake. Layers of velvety red wine chocolate cake are paired with luscious mascarpone cream and fresh raspberries. No need for molds, this heart shaped cake can be made with standard round and square cake pans.
Utensils Dessert
Globe New American
27
ingredients
29
steps
210
minutes
Giselle is a recipe developer and content creator that loves all things sweet and savory. She runs her own food blog, The Busy Spatula, and her work has been featured on Yahoo!, Marvel Studios and the Kitchn.

Ingredients

Servings:
12
For the Red Wine Chocolate Cake
3 cup(s)
all-purpose flour
3/4 cup(s)
Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp
baking powder
1/2 tsp
baking soda
1 tsp
instant coffee granules
1/2 tsp
ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp
salt
9 oz
unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cup(s)
dark brown sugar
1 cup(s)
granulated sugar
3
large eggs
1 tblsp
pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cup(s)
red wine
For the Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream
5
large egg whites
1 1/4 cup(s)
granulated sugar
a pinch of salt
16 oz
unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
1 tblsp
vanilla extract
food coloring, optional
For the Fresh Raspberry Mascarpone Cream Filling
1 1/2 tblsp
cold water
3/4 tsp
powdered gelatin
8 oz
heavy whipping cream plus 1 teaspoon, divided
1 1/2 oz
powdered sugar
3/4 tsp
pure vanilla extract
a pinch of salt
8 oz
mascarpone cheese, cold
6 oz
fresh raspberries

Directions 29 steps | 210 Minutes

Step 1

Bake the red wine chocolate cake. Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease and line two 6-inch square and two 6-inch round baking pans. (See notes 1.)

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Step 2

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, instant coffee granules, cinnamon and salt.

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Step 3

In the bowl of a standing mixer with the paddle attachment or with an electric mixer, beat the butter, dark brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.

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Step 4

Add the eggs and the egg yolks, one at a time, until well incorporated.

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Step 5

Stir in the vanilla extract and red wine and mix until well combined.

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Step 6

Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Do not over mix.

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Step 7

Evenly divide the batter into the four pans. Bake for 18-23 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

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Step 8

Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 10-15 minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely. (See notes 2.)

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Step 9

While the cakes are cooling, make the Swiss meringue buttercream. Fill a medium pot with an inch of water and bring to a strong simmer. In the bowl of a standing mixer, whisk egg whites, sugar and salt together.

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Step 10

Place the bowl over the pot of simmering water and whisk the egg whites and sugar mixture continuously until the mixture becomes lighter and no longer grainy, about 5 minutes.

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Step 11

Remove the bowl from the pot and transfer the bowl into the mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Mix on high until mixture becomes white and fluffy and completely cool. Check for this by seeing if the outside of the bowl is cool to the touch. (See notes 3.)

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Step 12

Add the butter, one tablespoon at a time, until a silky smooth frosting forms.

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Step 13

Add the vanilla extract and food coloring, if using. Mix until well combined. Set aside.

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Step 14

Prepare the fresh raspberry whipped cream filling. In a small bowl, add the cold water and sprinkle the powdered gelatin. Let the gelatin bloom for 5 minutes.

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Step 15

Once the gelatin has bloomed, microwave the gelatin in 5-second intervals until the gelatin melts into a liquid. Do not overheat.

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Step 16

Stir in one teaspoon of heavy cream and set aside.

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Step 17

In a cold bowl, add eight ounces of heavy cream. Whip on medium speed until foamy.

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Step 18

Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Whip until the soft peaks form.

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Step 19

With the mixer on low speed, slowly add in the gelatin mixture. The gelatin should still be in liquid form. If it has turned back into a solid, stop the mixer and microwave the gelatin for 3-5 second increments until it turns back into a liquid.

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Step 20

Once the gelatin is completely incorporated, add the mascarpone cheese and mix until stiff peaks form. Do not overmix or the mixture will clump.

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Step 21

Assemble your heart shape cake. If desired, cut the rounded domes off of the top of all the cakes. Slice the two round cakes in half.

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Step 22

On a cake board, place a square cake layer in the center, with a corner pointed south so the square looks like a diamond. Place two round halves on either side.

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Step 23

Use an off-set spatula to smooth a layer of the whipped mascarpone cream and place fresh raspberries on top, with the pointed side facing up.

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Step 24

Layer the second layer of whipped mascarpone cream on top of the raspberries until smooth. Top with the remaining square cake and two round halves, with the flatter, bottom-side of the cake facing up. 

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Step 25

Crumb coat the cake with a thin layer of Swiss meringue buttercream. Place the cake in the freezer until the buttercream is firm, about 10 minutes. When you touch the cake, it should feel solid.

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Step 26

Remove the cake from the freezer and completely frost the cake with buttercream. The finish should be smooth. Place the cake in the freezer until the buttercream is firm, about 10-15 minutes.

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Step 27

Pipe the rosettes. With a piping bag fitted with a star tip, fill it with the buttercream. Hold the bag straight with the tip slightly above the cake. Squeeze to form the center of the rosette and move in a circle to create your rosette. Decrease the pressure as you come full circle to avoid creating a tip. 

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Step 28

Repeat the steps, covering the top entirely with rosettes. If there are gaps in between the rosettes, pipe little stars in between to close it. If you want a smooth edge, use an off-set spatula around the cake to smooth out any buttercream that was piped beyond the border of the cake. (See notes 4.)

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Step 29

Slice, serve and enjoy!

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Notes:

  1. If you only have one square and one round baking pan, just repeat the baking step twice. Be sure to clean and dry the pans thoroughly before baking the second layer.
  2. The cakes can be baked a day in advance. Bake, cool completely and completely wrap in plastic wrap and keep at room temperature.
  3. It is important that the egg white mixture is completely cool or the buttercream will be loose. 
  4. If your rosettes seem a bit loose and look like they may lose their shape, freeze the cake for about 10-15 minutes to firm up the buttercream.

Nutrition Per Serving
View All
CALORIES
1014
FAT
63.9 g
PROTEIN
9.7 g
CARBS
96.8 g

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1 Comments
1 Comments
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Chrystal G.

Chrystal

28 Jul 2022

Amazing! The video was so helpful in learning this recipe

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