Simple reveal loaf cake perfect for Valentines

Yesterday I spent the day just loafing around… get it? Ha-ha – sorry! No really, I was having a bit of a chill day and really fancied a slice of cake. Loaf cakes are so simple and easy to do and as Valentines is just around the corner I thought I’d include a little twist.

Just because I love to bake and create fabulous detailed designed cakes doesn’t mean I don’t love a simply but yummy loaf-cake every now and again.

This cake is a chance to show off your baking skills and I promise you, it’ll taste delicious! The little hearts are such a nice surprise too. Loaf cakes are super easy to prepare and perfect for slicing and sharing with those you love.  This cake is simple enough for everyday baking yet perfectly lovely for special occasions – like Valentines!

Now, I say it’s simple – it is – but you do need to bake two cakes altogether so you will need to have a little patience – not something I’m great at either sometimes.

Cake 1 – Chocolate sponge

Ingredients

1. 120g unsalted butter
2. 120g light brown sugar
3. 2 large eggs
4. 30ml buttermilk
5. 55g plain flour
6. 55g self raising flour
7. 100g dark chocolate
8. 30g cocoa powder
9. 3tsp vegetable oil

Method

• Pre-heat the oven to 160 degrees C
• Melt the dark chocolate and set aside
• Line or grease an 8″ square tin
• Cream your butter and sugar for around 5 minutes (mixer preferred but by hand is fine)
• Add your eggs one at a time then add your buttermilk
• Combine the flours and cocoa powder in one separate bowl then add to your batter in two parts, combine just until smooth being careful not to overmix.
• Add your vegetable oil and melted chocolate and stir in
• Pour the mixture into your prepared tin and level out 
• reduce the oven temperature to 150 degrees C and bake for 30 minutes
• When baked and cool turn out on a wire tray and set aside to cool
• Now here is where you need your patience – when cool you can then use a heart cutter and cut your hearts from the sponge.  Mine were a little thick so I sliced in half to have thinner hearts but this is totally your choice and really doesn’t make much difference – just don’t go too thin or you’ll struggle later on to get them to stand in the tin.  Whilst the chocolate cake is cooling you can also make a start on weighing your ingredients and preparing for the second – and final cake.

Cake 2 – Vanilla sponge

1. 200g butter
2. 200g caster sugar
3. 3 large eggs
4. 50ml buttermilk
5. 1tsp vanilla bean paste – extract is also fine
6. 200g self raising flour

Method

• Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees C and put a tray of cold water in the bottom of the oven (the steam from the water stops your cake edges going too crusty and helps with a more even bake)
• Line your loaf tin with grease-proof paper or grease – whichever you prefer is fine
• Cream your butter and sugar for around 5 minutes (mixer preferred but by hand is fine)
• Add your eggs one at a time then add your buttermilk and vanilla
• Add the flour being careful not to over-mix – stop once it is just combined
• Take your loaf tin and spoon in one thin layer across the bottom – around 1.5-2cm deep
• Place the hearts in carefully in random positions
• Add the rest of your batter carefully making sure it goes between the hearts and keep going until covered – make sure no hearts fall over – not as hard as it sounds by the way – and it certainly doesn’t look pretty at this point either! 
• Bake at 180 degrees C for 10 minutes, then turn your oven down to 150 degrees C and bake for 45 minutes
• Voila – using a cake prong or knife check the cake is cooked through in the middle and if so leave to cool in the tin for 15/20 minutes
• Turn out on to a wire tray and leave to cool completely
• When cool – slice – Every slice will have a different design

Personally we didn’t think it needed any buttercream or icing as the cake is super-moist and totally lovely on it’s own.

Other ideas:

Instead of a chocolate sponge colour pink maybe?

Flavour it up – chocolate orange or hazelnut would be lovely.

Use any cutter – doesn’t have to be just hearts – you could even use somebody’s initials.

Enjoy! And Happy Valentines