CHOCOLATE POUND CAKE WITH HIDDEN HEART
Creating a chocolate pound cake with a hidden pink heart is a fun and lovely way to surprise your loved ones for Valentine's Day. This chocolate cake is moist and has the perfect crumb of pound cake. Covered in sweet cream cheese glaze and topped with fresh raspberries.
Servings: 9 slices
Calories: 520kcal
Equipment
- Mosaic Non-Stick Loaf Pan 9"x5"
- Mosaic Silicone Spatula
- Mosaic Whisk
- Marble & Wood Cake Stand
Ingredients
Pink Hearts
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour sifted
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- ¾ cup (178 ml) whole milk room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon pink gel-food colouring
Chocolate Pound Cake
- 1 cup (126 g) all-purpose flour sifted
- ¾ cup (75 g) cocoa powder Dutch-processed
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ salt
- 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup whole milk room temperature
- ¼ cup (60 g) sour cream room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon instant coffee
Cream Cheese Glaze
- 3 cups (300 g) powdered sugar sifted
- ½ cup (120 g) cream cheese room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8-10 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
Pink Hearts
- Preheat oven to 350F / 177 C, middle rack position. If you are using a Mosaic Non-Stick Loaf Pan, no need to grease the pan. Otherwise, grease and flour a standard loaf pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together sifted all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
- In another large bowl, cream room temperature butter with granulated sugar until light and fluffy.1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- Add one egg at a time, fully incorporate each egg before adding the next one. Scrape down the mixing bowl with a spatula and add the vanilla extract and pink gel food colouring. Whisk it all in, until well combined.3 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon pink gel-food colouring
- Gradually add the milk to the butter and sugar mixture, alternating with the dry ingredients. Mixing just until combined, using a spatula at the end. Be careful not to overmix.¾ cup (178 ml) whole milk
- Transfer the batter to the loaf pan. Smooth the top with a spatula and give the pan a good tap on the counter to eliminate any air pockets.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 50–55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before transferring it onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Cut off the ends of the cake and slice the cake around the same thickness as your heart-shaped cookie cutter (mine is 1 inch thick). Cut out hearts from each piece of cake. Set aside in a small bowl, covered with food foil.
Chocolate Pound Cake
- Preheat oven to 350F / 177 C, middle rack position. If you are using a Mosaic Non-Stick Loaf Pan, no need to grease the pan. Otherwise, grease and flour a standard loaf pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together sifted all-purpose flour, sifted cocoa powder, salt and baking powder. Set aside.1 cup (126 g) all-purpose flour, ¾ cup (75 g) cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ salt
- In another large bowl, cream room temperature butter with granulated sugar until light and fluffy.1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- Add one egg at a time, fully incorporate each egg before adding the next one. Scrape down the mixing bowl with a spatula and add the vanilla extract. Whisk it all in, until well combined.4 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Take another medium bowl and whisk together sour cream, milk, and instant espresso.½ cup whole milk, ¼ cup (60 g) sour cream, ½ teaspoon instant coffee
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture, alternating with the sour cream and espresso mixture. Begin and end with the dry ingredients, mixing just until combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- Spoon a few scoops of chocolate batter on the bottom of the loaf pan and smooth it out. Set the heart-shaped pink cake cut-outs in the middle of the chocolate batter, neatly in a row.
- Cover the hearts with the remaining mixture by scooping the chocolate batter around the hearts and on top of the hearts. Make sure the pink hearts are well covered with the cake batter. Smooth the top with a spatula.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 50–55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before transferring onto a wire rack to cool completely and before decorating with the cream cheese glaze.
Cream Cheese Glaze
- Mix the cream cheese with half of the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, on medium speed, until smooth. Add another half of the powdered sugar and mix until smooth and combined.3 cups (300 g) powdered sugar, ½ cup (120 g) cream cheese, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add the heavy cream (spoon by spoon) and mix on medium speed until get a pouring consistency. Use a spoon to drizzle the icing on top of the fully cooled chocolate pound cake.8-10 tablespoons heavy cream
- Decorate the cake with fresh raspberries. Slice the cake in 1-inch thick slices and serve.
Notes
Pink heart cake can be pre-baked to save some time. The day ahead would be the recommended time. Once you bake the pink batter, let it cool and slice the cake to cut out the hearts. Keep the cut-out hearts in an airtight container until the assembly of the cake.
Cool the cake well before glazing with the cream cheese. If the cake is still warm, the glaze will slide down quickly, exposing the chocolate cake parts and the heart inside, which won't be ascetic. The cake will be easier to cut as well.
Store the leftovers of the cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator and consume within 3–5 days.
Freeze the cake, if making it ahead, for up to 3 months (without the cream cheese glaze). Cool the cake completely before placing it into an airtight container or double plastic wrap. Defrost at room temperature and glaze with cream cheese frosting just before serving.