It’s never too early to prepare for valentines. I mean, if we are already preparing for Christmas which is 51 days to come and gifts are already streaming my way, Valentines’ day ain’t that far off. Every slice is baked with a little love. We may find it hard to blurt out those three magic words to our better halves, but here is a simple way to show them how much love you can give. Shall we begin?

Making “Hidden hearts Loaf Cake”

Prep time: 45 mins  Bake time: 2 hours 15 mins  Total time: 3 hours

MAIN INGREDIENTS:

*Red Velvet Loaf cake*

• 3 eggs – room temp
• 170 g of butter -room temp
• 1 cup of granulated sugar
• 4 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 1-2 teaspoons of red gel food color -Americolor
• 1 -3/4  cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder

*Chocolate loaf cake*

• 3 eggs – room temp
• 170 g of butter -room temp
• 1 cup of granulated sugar
• 4 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 1 -3/4  cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 170 g of dark chocolate/chocolate chips – to be melted

*Important tools*

• Heart shaped cookie cutters
• Measuring cups
• mixing bowls
• an oven
• spatulas
• large sieve
• stand mixer / electric hand mixer
• loaf pan

INSTRUCTIONS:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 180°C. Making the red velvet loaf cake – By hand, cream together – butter + sugar. Move the mixture to the stand mixer and beat them until very fluffy and pale. Add in one egg at a time as you continue to beat the mixture. Next goes in – vanilla extract – mix for 30 secs then the red gel paste food color. In a different bowl, sift the baking powder + flour + cocoa powder. Into the flour mix, add the salt directly -combine them together and gradually add a half of the mixture to the butter mix – beat each half for another 30 seconds each until well combined. Generously coat the loaf pan with butter- bottom to the sides.

Bake for 1 hour 10 mins – Until when you poke it right in the middle, it comes out clean.

Step 2: Making the chocolate loaf cake: – Melt the dark chocolate/chocolate chips – till smooth and without any lumps to make a chocolate ganache – set aside to slightly cool. Cream together by hand first – sugar + butter. Using a stand mixer, cream the mixture together for 1 min till fluffy and pale. Add the eggs -one at a time while mixing. Add in the vanilla extract. In a different bowl – sift together – Flour + baking powder. In the flour mix, lastly, add the salt and mix. In the butter mix, add half of the flour mix -Fold them together, then half of the chocolate ganache to the batter. Repeat the remaining halves of both flour and ganache to form a chocolate batter.

Step 3: OPTIONAL – In case you don’t have heart-shaped cookie cutters, there’s no need to buy them. All you need to do is implement one. HOW?? By using an empty bottle + scissors. As shown in the pictures below.

Step 4: Preheat the oven to 180 C. Working on the red velvet cake & the chocolate batter. – Slice the red velvet cake to either thick or thin slices. Take out your heart-shaped cookie cutter and make clean cuts of the hearts. Place the cut-out cake slices in a ziplock bag and refrigerate them – until the next use. Align parchment paper to the pan /Or you can generously grease the pan both the bottom and sides. Pour a small amount of the chocolate batter into the pan, gently align the cut out heart-shaped red velvet cake to the batter as the hearts stand up -as shown below. Gently add in the remaining chocolate batter to the pan.

Bake in the oven for 1 hour 15 mins.

How beautiful is this delicious art?? Although, patience is a virtue – this is WORTH IT. The best part about this recipe is that, you aren’t limited to heart shapes only. Any other cookie cutter shape you have -same  procedure applies.

…and as always Bon appetite and Enjoy.

Acres & Acres of Love.

TD.

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