The chocolate heart cake is a uniquely delicious dessert. A heart-shaped cake made with a soft chocolate base, then filled with mascarpone cream and wild berry jam. Can you imagine the fantastic taste of the soft cocoa layers embracing this creamy and velvety filling, enriched by the sweetness of the jam? In short, a real delight and beautiful to present at the table. Moreover, the preparation is easy and quick, the dough is simple, it takes just 5 minutes to prepare, then just put it in a heart-shaped mold. For the decoration, I prepared a chocolate ganache, to which I applied some chocolate hearts. Perfect to serve for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, or any other special occasion, to impress everyone in no time and with minimal effort
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 6 People
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 810.51 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 73.82 (g) of which sugars 46.90 (g)
- Proteins 11.61 (g)
- Fat 55.39 (g) of which saturated 22.05 (g)of which unsaturated 9.32 (g)
- Fibers 5.50 (g)
- Sodium 140.88 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 223 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Chocolate Heart Cake Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup whole milk (room temperature)
- 1/2 cup butter (melted)
- 2 eggs (room temperature)
- 1 oranges (grated zest)
- teaspoons vanilla extract (1)
- pinches salt (1)
- packets baking powder (1)
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup mascarpone (cold)
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
- 7 oz 60% dark chocolate (chopped)
Tools
- Molds IBILI 820724 heart-mold, stainless steel, non-stick coating, 9.5 inches
- Electric whisks Moulinex HM3101 Quick Mix Electric Mixer with Whisks and Kneading Hooks, 300W, 76.6 Decibels, White
- Thermometers ThermoPro TP02S Instant Read Digital Cooking Thermometer with Long Probe 5.3 inches and LCD Display Thermometer for Meat, BBQ, Wine, Milk, Oil Frying, Candy, Grill, Food, Water
Chocolate Heart Cake Steps
In a bowl, combine the sifted chocolate, flour, almonds, sifted baking powder, sugar, citrus zest, vanilla, and salt. Mix well, then add the eggs lightly beaten with a fork, milk, the oil, and mix everything with a hand or electric whisk until you get a smooth mixture.
Pour the batter into a heart-shaped mold, then bake in a preheated static oven at 350°F for about 30 minutes. After performing the toothpick test, remove from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove from the mold and let it cool completely on a wire rack. When the cake is completely cool, you can proceed to slice it and fill it
Start by separating the yolks from the whites. Place the yolks in a stand mixer or bowl, where you’ll later whip everything up. Dissolve the sugar in the water, stirring with a teaspoon. Place the sugar over heat until it becomes a clear liquid syrup or reaches a temperature of 250°F (use a kitchen thermometer).
Pour the sugar into the yolks in a thin stream and whip with electric whisks at maximum speed until you get a frothy mixture, tripled in volume and cold (5 minutes). Soften the cold mascarpone with a spoon to make it softer.
At this point, gradually mix small amounts of egg cream into the mascarpone, first a couple of tablespoons, then another two, and so on, gently combining from the bottom up with a spatula to avoid deflating the mixture. Until you get a velvety and fluffy mascarpone cream
Bring the cream to a boil; you can add aromas to taste (vanilla, cinnamon, instant coffee, 1 tbsp of liqueur, lemon zest). Once removed from the heat, combine it with the previously chopped chocolate. Mix well and let it cool at room temperature.
Then whip with electric whisks to obtain a soft and fluffy foam. The ganache cream should be soft and creamy, spreadable. If a firmer consistency is desired, it can be refrigerated for a few hours, covered with plastic wrap.
To cut the cake, use a long sharp knife, and place the ready-to-fill cake disc on the presentation plate. On the cake base, start by adding spoonfuls of jam and spreading them evenly. Add the mascarpone cream with spatula strokes, and more jam on top. At this point, close your heart cake.
Finally, cover the cake with the chocolate ganache using a spatula, covering the entire cake. Decorate the surface with small chocolate hearts. And here is your splendid cake ready
Storage, Tips, Chocolate Heart Cake Notes
To achieve a more full-bodied and voluminous mascarpone cream, you can add 100ml of whipping cream. Whip it to firm peaks, very cold, and incorporate it little by little into the cream, with slow movements from bottom to top. The cake can be stored in the fridge for 2 or 3 days
