Heart Cake

Heart Cake

Heart Cake - A few weeks ago I saw this incredible cake on iambaker.com and knew I had to give it a try.  Now, i_am_baker I am NOT!  But I did give my best shot.  So this is what I've been up to this weekend.  Not sure if we'll be able to wait until Monday to cut into this baby.  I am so curious to see the inside.

For the White Cake, I doubled this recipe (adapted from The Southern Heritage Cakes Cookbook, Southern Living Books, 1983)

1/2 cup shortening
1 1/4 c. sugar
2 cups cake flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 egg whites, at room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of a large mixer, cream shortening with sugar until light and fluffy.  In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.  Measure out milk and add vanilla extract.  Add flour to creamed mixture alternately with the milk.   Be sure to begin and finish with the addition of flour.  In a clean bowl, beat egg whites to stiff peaks.  Fold the egg whites gently into the batter.

Divide batter between two greased and floured 8-inch round pans.   Bake at 350 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes.   Cool cakes in the pan 10 minutes before removing to cooling racks.

  For the Red Velvet Cake - I used a cake mix.  I admit it.  I deviated from the box directions a bit by substituting 1 c. buttermilk for the water and added 4 eggs, instead of 3.  I think it made the cake firmer.

Red Velvet cake crumbled and combined with about a cup of frosting.

Cakes carved out and ready to fill.

Cakes filled and ready to be put together.

 Crumb coating.

Heart Cake - finished.


Update:  Here's what it looks like from the inside.  Pretty cool!