Bake-a-Mania: Surprise Hidden Heart Cake

Slice this delicious heart cake and find the surprise heart shaped design running through the middle.....how gorgeous can it be!! Just perfect to win anyone's heart over.

This is like something out of Ripleys believe it or not, isnt it?

At least that is what I thought when I first saw the cake. I was amazed at how a heart shape came to be so perfectly designed inside another cake. This cake left such an indelible mark on my mind that ever since I saw it I have been itching to try it out. It has been on my wish list of things to try out at least once in my lifetime since long and finally I am able to strike it out. Yay!!

But believe me this has no magic trick. In fact when you go through the recipe you will see just how simple it is and yet so effective.

I kind of took a shortcut by using a store bought cake mix as there was just too much going on that day. Aren't we all allowed to cheat sometimes and what really matters is the thought behind the dish. In case you don't want to be lazy like me and want to have the real deal follow this great recipe of Martha Stewart's Classic pound cake and make two times the recipe as we need two cakes.

So here goes; the secret is unveiled to the great magic cake.....Go ahead and surprise your loved ones with this cute little heart baked inside the cake.

Recipe inspired by Martha Stewart's Hidden Heart Cake

Serves 10-12

prep time: 30 mins

cooking time 30 min plus 30 minutes

1 box Betty Crocker super moist devil food cake

1 box Betty Crocker super moist yellow cake mix

1/2 tsp red food coloring gel

A small cookie cutter

A 5 X 9 inch loaf pan

First take the yellow cake mix and following the directions given behind the box mix up the ingredients inside the box. Once that is done add the red coloring gel to the yellow cake mix.

Pour the prepared batter in a 5 by 9 inch loaf pan and bake according to the instructions. Once the cake is baked cooled and removed from the pan, transfer it to the freezer for about 20 minutes as it is much easier to cut a frozen cake.

Take a serrated knife and cut the entire loaf into thick 3/4 inch to 1 inch slices. Then use the cookie cutter to cut hearts from the center of each slice. (I actually managed to get two hearts from 1 slice. You can do that if you position cutter carefully and start from one extreme corner of a slice)

Once your hearts are done, go ahead and prepare your second batch of chocolate batter following the instructions given behind the box, For best results use the same loaf pan you used for the first cake. Be sure the pan is very clean and re-greased. Place a very thin layer of batter on the bottom of the loaf pan.

Then carefully stack the hearts in an upright position inside the pan in a straight line. Gently press the bottom point of the hearts into the layer of batter on the bottom of the pan.

Pour the remaining batter on the sides of the hearts and then top of the hearts. make sure that they are completely covered with the batter. Use a rubber spatula to smooth the top surface, then bake as per the instructions given behind the box. To make sure the cake is fully baked insert a toothpick near the centre till it comes out clean.