Hidden heart loaf cake

Wow your loved ones with this fun hidden heart cake. This gluten-free sponge cake is surprisingly easy to make.

Ingredients

For the pink sponge

• 175g/6oz unsalted butter, softened
• 175g/6oz caster sugar
• 3 free-range eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 175g/6oz gluten-free self-raising flour
• ¾ tsp gluten-free baking powder
• ¼ tsp xanthan gum
• bright pink food colouring gel

For the chocolate sponge

• 175g/6oz unsalted butter, softened
• 175g/6oz caster sugar
• 3 free-range eggs
• 150g/5½oz gluten-free self-raising flour
• ¾ tsp gluten-free baking powder
• ¼ tsp xanthan gum
• 25g/1oz cocoa powder

For the chocolate icing

• 55g/2oz dark chocolate, broken into pieces
• 125g/4½oz unsalted butter, softened
• 90g/3¼oz icing sugar
• 25g/1oz cocoa powder

To decorate

• gluten-free chocolate sprinkles
• pink heart cake scraps

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4 and grease and line a 900g/2lb loaf tin with non-stick baking paper.

2. To make the pink sponge, cream together the butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy in a large mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer. Gradually add the eggs and vanilla extract while whisking. Mix until well combined.

3. Mix in the gluten-free self-raising flour, xanthan gum and gluten-free baking powder, followed by enough pink food colouring gel to make a bright pink batter.

4. Spoon the mixture into the loaf tin ensuring it’s even.

5. Bake for around 45–50 minutes until golden and cooked through. To check it’s ready, slide a skewer into the sponge – if it comes out clean then it’s done.

6. Leave to cool in the tin briefly before turning it out onto a cooling rack.

7. Once fully cool, cut a thin slice off each of the two ends of the cake to reveal the bright pink sponge.

8. Use a heart shaped cookie cutter to measure and cut the cake into slices the same thickness as the cutter. Then use the cutter on each slice to make pink heart shaped sponges (keep the offcuts as they can be used for decoration later). Put to one side while making the chocolate sponge.

9. To make the chocolate sponge, ensure the oven is preheated once more to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4 and grease and line a 900g/2lb loaf tin with non-stick baking paper again.

10. Cream together the butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy in a large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer. Gradually add the eggs, mixing until combined.

11. Mix in the gluten-free self-raising flour, xanthan gum, gluten-free baking powder and cocoa powder.

12. Spoon 2–3 tablespoons of the cake mixture into the prepared tin and spread to cover the base. Then place the pink sponge hearts standing up in a line down the centre of the tin and carefully spoon the rest of the chocolate mixture around the hearts so they are covered.

13. Bake for around 45–50 minutes until cooked through. Insert a skewer again to check that it’s ready.

14. Leave to cool in the tin briefly before turning it out onto a cooling rack.

15. While it cools, make the icing. Melt the dark chocolate carefully in the microwave or in a bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water. Once it’s melted, let it cool a little.

16. Beat the butter until light and fluffy in a medium-sized bowl with an electric whisk or in a stand mixer, then add the icing sugar gradually followed by the cocoa powder. Once fully combined, mix through the melted dark chocolate.

17. Spread the chocolate icing all over the top of the cake and finish with some of the offcuts of pink sponge crumbled up and extra chocolate sprinkles.

Hidden heart loaf cake