Recipe: Valentine's Mini Heart Cakes + Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day! Have you got anything planned for this special day? Hubby has been busy in the kitchen this morning making these gorgeous Valentine cakes for us all.

Valentine's Mini Heart Cakes

The cake is made using Delia Smith's all-in-one sponge cake recipe, which she describes as "the best sponge of all and will work even if you've never made a cake before in your life". It was indeed easy to put together, and the cake came out from the oven looking very beautiful. The recipe makes 1 large sponge cake, but for Valentine's we opted for 4 mini heart-shaped ones. The cake is sandwiched with fresh whipped cream and sliced strawberries (heart-shaped ones, no less), and then finally topped with a pink fondant heart with the words "I ♥ U". For the special someone you are presenting this cake too, I am sure they will definitely get your "love message" ;)

Everyone adored the cake, not only does it look fantastic and soooo sweet, it tasted delicious too. For us, this tastes just like butter cake - rich with a nice crumb. Thanks to Hubby for making these for us, with so much love :) We love you too!

Pretty and delicious! We definitely feel the love

Handmade Valentine crafts - origami heart and roses

Here's a very sweet card I received from Hubby for Valentine's Day 2014

Valentine's Mini Heart Cakes (All-in-One Sponge Cake)
Recipe by Baby Sumo, cake recipe adapted from Delia Smith's Complete Cookery Course
Preparation time: 40 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Makes 4 mini hearts

Ingredients
110g self raising flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
110g butter, at room temperature
110g caster sugar
2 large eggs
2-3 drops vanilla extract

1 cup whipping cream
6-8 fresh strawberries
Pink fondant
Snow powder (or icing sugar), for dusting

Special tools:
Heart-shape cutter (large and small sized ones)
Cookie word stamp


1. Preheat oven to 170°C (no fan).

2. Lightly grease two 7 inch (18cm) sponge tins and line with baking paper.

3. In a large mixing bowl, sift flour and baking power, holding the sieve high to give the flour a good airing. Then, simply add all the ingredients to the bowl and whisk them - preferably with an electric whisk until thoroughly combined.If the mixture does not drop off a wooden spoon easily when tapped on the side of the bowl, then add 1 or 2 teaspoons of tap warm water and whisk again.

4. Divide the mixture between the two prepared tins, level off and bake in the centre shelf of the oven for 30 minutes. Once ready, leave them in tins for about 30 seconds, then loosen the edges by sliding a palette knife all around and turn them out onto a wire cooling rack. Peel off baking paper carefully and allow to cool completely.

5. Meanwhile, roll the pink fondant out as thin as possible, then cut using the small heart-shaped cutter. Stamp with your choice of words - we picked "I ♥ U" - onto the fondant and set aside.

This is the tool for stamping the words onto the fondant

I love you :)

6. Using an electric whisk, whip the cream until stiff. Cut off strawberry tops at an angle (V-shaped), and slice into thin heart-shapes.

One of the perks from helping out in the kitchen - getting to lick cream off the whisk

Slice the strawberries into attractive heart-shapes

7. Each cake will yield 4 small hearts, hence 2 cakes = 8 hearts. Cut out using the larger heart-shaped cutter. Spread cream onto one layer of cake, top with sliced strawberries, then top with another piece of cake. Place heart-shaped fondant in centre, then dust lightly with snow powder. Repeat for remaining 3 cakes. Serve immediately or place in fridge (as cake contains cream).

Your kids can help spread the cream onto the cakes

Note: If you do not have any fondant, you can replace with a single sliced (heart-shaped) strawberry on top.

Love is in the air

I am submitting this to Cook-Your-Books #9 hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours .

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