Makes 4-6 small cakes or 1 large cake
Everyone will heart these melt and mix chocolate heart cakes. They are dark, decadent and delicious and perfect to share with someone special.
I love anything heart shaped and am a sucker for heart shaped bakeware. I just can’t help myself. So with Valentine’s Day fast approaching, I couldn’t wait for an excuse to put my heart shaped baking tins to good use. If you don’t have heart shaped tins, don’t lose heart – ha, see what I did there? – you can use round fluted tins instead.
I really wanted to get married on Valentine’s Day but on 2007 it fell midweek so we got married the Saturday nearest to it instead. In retrospect, I’m pleased our anniversary doesn’t fall on Valentine’s Day because going out for dinner to celebrate would be an (expensive) nightmare! Side note: our wedding cake was covered in love heart sweets… I wasn’t joking when I said I love all things heart-related!
When we were dating, we made a big fuss about going out on Valentine’s Day but now we’re older, wiser and have anniversary celebrations to enjoy, our Valentine’s celebrations are much more low key albeit just as heartfelt.
I’ve updated this recipe with some new pics and a Thermomix conversion but however you make this recipe, it’s too easy! In case you’re wondering, you can’t taste the coffee at all in this cake but it definitely adds to the wonderful texture so don’t be tempted to give it a miss!
I’ll be away this Valentine’s Day but I’ll leave one of these individual chocolate heart cakes in the freezer for David to enjoy. I hope he enjoys a little piece of my heart!
Are you a fan of Valentine’s Day?
Ingredients
100g butter, chopped plus 1 teaspoon for pan
100ml boiling water
1 tablespoon instant coffee
100g dark chocolate, chopped
150g caster sugar
2 medium eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
100g self-raising flour
1 tablespoon cocoa
1 tablespoon icing sugar, to decorate
25g dark chocolate, chopped, extra
How to – Traditional
- Preheat oven to 160ºC. Grease six individual round or heart shaped fluted tins (or grease and line a 20cm diameter cake tin.)
- Pour boiling water over coffee and stir to dissolve. Heat butter, chocolate, sugar and coffee in a heatproof pan set over a pan of simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and cool for 15 minutes.
- Beat in eggs and vanilla, then fold in sifted flour and cocoa powder until smooth.
- Pour into the cake tins and bake for about 20 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. If you’ve made a big cake, test after 30 minutes.
- Leave for 20 minutes before removing from tin. Dust with icing sugar and put on a serving plate.
- Melt chocolate in microwave in 30 second bursts until completely melted. Use a teaspoon to drizzle the chocolate over the cake. Serve immediately with cream or ice cream or enjoy on it’s own.
How to
- Preheat oven to 160ºC (140 C fan forced). Butter two heart-shaped cake tins (12 centimetres diameter at widest point) or a round 20-centimetre diameter cake tin, and line with baking paper.
- Pour boiling water over coffee and stir to dissolve. Add butter, chocolate, sugar and coffee to TM bowl and melt for 3 minutes at 60C on speed 2 or until completely melted. Allow to cool.
- Add eggs and vanilla and mix for 5 seconds on speed 4.
- Add sifted flour and cocoa powder and mix for 5 seconds on speed 4.
- Pour into the cake tins and bake for about 20 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. If you’ve made a big cake, test after 30 minutes.
- Leave for 20 minutes before removing from tin. Dust with icing sugar and put on a serving plate.
- Melt chocolate in microwave in 30 second bursts until completely melted. Use a teaspoon to drizzle the chocolate over the cake. Serve immediately with cream or ice cream or enjoy on it’s own.
