Heart Chocolate Cake

You just have to fall in love with this heavenly combination of chocolate, cream and raspberries.  Make it in a round tin if you don’t have a heart-shaped one.

Prep : 20 minutes plus setting time

Cook : 40 minutes

Best for : Family

Serves : 8

INGREDIENTS :

v  3 large eggs

v  2 tbsp milk

v  180g soft butter

v  180g caster sugar

v  180g self raising flour

v  30g cocoa powder

Filling :

v  150g raspberries

v  200 ml double cream

Icing :

v  2 tbsp raspberry jam

v  100g dark chocolate

v  30g unsalted butter

METHOD :

1. Preheat the oven to 160 fan / 180 C / 350F/ Gas 4.  Grease and line the base of an 8” (20 cm) heart shaped (or round) sandwich tin.
2. Mix together all of the cake ingredients into a bowl using an electric whisk until smooth. Spoon into the tin and level the top.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes until well risen and shrinking away from the sides of the tin. Remove from the tin and leave to cool on a wire rack.
4. To make the filling, whisk the cream until stiff, then fold in the raspberries and spread over the bottom half of the cake. Slice the cooled cake in half through the middle and spread the cream mixture over the bottom half. Put the top layer on top of the cream and press down.
5. For the icing, melt the jam in a saucepan until runny and then spread over the top of the cake.
6. Melt the chocolate and butter together in a small bowl over a pan of simmering water making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water, then leave to cool and thicken slightly.
7. Spread over the top of the cake but not down the sides. Leave to set for 1 hour, then serve with pouring cream if you like.
8. This could also be made in an 8” round tin