Gluten Free Hidden Heart Cake
My gluten free hidden heart cake is a delicious chocolate cake with a special surprise in the centre! Perfect for Valentine's Day.
Servings: 16 slices
Ingredients
For the pink sponge:
- 115 g unsalted butter
- 115 g caster sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 85 g self-raising gluten free flour (see notes for substitutions)
- 35 g ground almonds
- 1 tsp milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Gel pink food colouring
For the chocolate sponge:
- 175 g unsalted butter
- 175 g caster sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 100 g gluten free self-raising flour
- 25 g cocoa powder
- 50 g ground almonds
- 2 tbsp milk
For the frosting:
- 175 g icing sugar
- 2 tbsp dark cocoa powder
- 90 g unsalted butter room temperature
- heart sprinkles (gluten free)
Instructions
To make the pink sponge:
- Pre-heat the oven to 180'C / 160' Fan / Gas 4 and grease and line a 20cm square baking tin.
- Add the butter and sugar to a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric whisk until pale and creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat again until combined. Sift in the flour, add the ground almonds and beat again until it forms a thick cake batter.
- Add the milk and a couple of drops of food colouring and mix until fully combined. Add as much or as little food colouring to achieved the desired colour - I wanted my pink vibrant, but a little goes a long way!
- Pour the batter into the cake tin and smooth the surface. Bake in the centre of the oven for approx 20-25 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow the sponge to cool completely before the next step.
- Once the cake has cooled, take a small (approx 5cm) heart-shaped cutter and cut as many hearts as possible from the pink sponge. You will need to be able to line these up next to each other to fill the length of a 2lb loaf tin (approx 8-9 hearts).
To make the chocolate sponge:
- If you have turned the oven off, preheat it once more to 180'C / 160' Fan / Gas 4. Grease and line a 2lb baking tin and set aside.
- Add the butter and sugar to a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric whisk until pale and creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat again until combined. Sift in the flour and cocoa powder and add the ground almonds and milk, and beat again until it forms a thick cake batter.
To construct the hidden heart cake:
- Spread a little of the cake mixture into the lined loaf tin, until the bottom is covered.
- Next, line the hearts up, one against the other, stood upright in the batter (see photo in blog post above). Carefully spoon the rest of the cake mix around the hearts until they are completely covered.
- Gently bang the cake tin against the worktop to get rid of any bubbles, before placing in the oven. Bake for 45-50 minutes until the cake is well risen and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove and cool on a baking rack.
- Once cooled, make the frosting by beating together the icing sugar, cocoa powder and butter until smooth. Use a small palate knife to smooth the frosting over the cake and add some sprinkles to finish.
Video
Notes
- Weighing Scales vs Cups: You can toggle this recipe card to convert the ingredients into cups. However, I always recommend using weighing scales – these are cheap to buy and much more accurate. And in gluten free baking, a tiny variation can make a huge difference!
- Step-by-Step Photos: Check out the blog post above for step-by-step photos to show how to construct this hidden heart cake. It's easier than you think!
- Storing and Freezing: This cake can be stored for up to a week in an airtight container, and can also be frozen. See the post above for tips.
- Like this Recipe? It would mean SO much to me if you could leave a 5* review and tell all your gluten free friends about this Hidden Heart Cake!
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 406kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 130mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 31g
