low fodmap ✓ | gluten-free ✓ | lactose-free ✓ | soy-free ✓ | vegetarian ✓| nut-free✓
Hidden Heart Cake. This cake is chocolate & vanilla flavoured, simple to make, & guaranteed to impress!
If you are looking for a fun and creative Valentine’s day dessert, you are at the right place and this cake should definitely be at the top of your list.
I made a few smaller hearts, instead of 1 big. But you can make only 1 if that’s what you prefer. The method is the same.
Hidden Heart Cake Recipe
This is a gluten-free chocolate and vanilla pound cake! The texture is melt-in-your-mouth, tender, light, and buttery. It is perfectly sweetened, vanilla & chocolate flavoured and so delicious!
How to make this Hidden Heart Cake
This cake might look all fancy and difficult. But once you know the technique, it is actually a straightforward cake to make! And anyone can make it!
To make this hidden heart (or hearts) cake you will need to make 2 cakes! One vanilla pound cake and one chocolate pound cake.
There are 2 options to make hidden heart cake. One option is to hide a couple of hearts inside (2,3 or 4), and the other option is to hide only 1 heart (this might be a slightly simpler option).
How to make the first option (to hide a couple of smaller hearts):
First, you will make the vanilla pound cake.
When the vanilla pound cake is baked, you will need to let it chill in the fridge for a few hours or if you want to speed up the process you can place it in the freezer for 30min.
Once it is chilled, using the depth of the heart cookie cutter as a guide, cut the pound cake into slices the same thickness as the cookie cutter. Now using the cookie cutter, cut out the hearts of each slice. (if you have, you can use 2 different sizes of heart shaped cookie cutters)
Once you have the hearts, start preparing the 2nd (chocolate) pound cake.
To assemble the cake:
You will need to place the hearts in 3 or 4 layers. To do that: transfer some of the chocolate cake batter into the prepared loaf tin, just enough to create a thin layer of batter at the bottom. Now arrange the sponge hearts in a row along one side of the loaf tin, then pour enough chocolate cake batter to cover the heart. Proceed by arranging sponge hearts in another row along the other side of the loaf tin (the opposite side from the first layer of sponge hearts). Now again pour from the cake batter enough to cover this layer of heart sponges. Repeat these steps until you finish your heart sponges and achieve the desired layers of heart sponges.
You should finish your cake with a layer of chocolate cake batter (as the last layer, covering the heart sponges).
How to make the second option (hide only 1 heart inside):
A slightly easier option is to hide only 1 heart inside.
First, you will make the vanilla pound cake.
When the vanilla pound cake is baked, you will need to let it chill in the fridge for a few hours or if you want to speed up the process you can place it in the freezer for 30min.
Once it is chilled, using the depth of the heart cookie cutter as a guide, cut the pound cake into slices the same thickness as the cookie cutter. Now using the cookie cutter, cut out the hearts of each slice.
Once you have the hearts, start preparing the 2nd (chocolate) pound cake.
To assemble the cake:
Transfer some of the cake batter into the prepared loaf tin, just enough to create a thin layer of batter at the bottom. Arrange the sponge hearts in a row along the middle of the loaf tin. Pour/spoon the rest of the chocolate batter around and over the row of sponge hearts, smooth out the top and it’s ready to bake!
To find the exact amount of the ingredients and step-by-step instructions, scroll to the end of this page.
what flour to use to make it?
I like to use my universal homemade gluten-free flour blend. Which is a mix of the following flours :
3. Sweet Rice Flour (Glutinous Rice aka Sticky Rice)
4. Tapioca Flour (tapioca starch is the same as tapioca flour)
5. Xanthan Gum
If you can’t make that one, you can try with any gluten-free flour mix (just make sure it contains xanthan gum because that helps in binding the dough). The final result using different flour mix might vary slightly, depending on what flours your mix contains.
To find the recipe for my gluten-free flour mix click, HERE.
*FODMAP tips:
*To make sure that your flour mix is fodmap friendly I recommend that you make your own gluten-free flour mix, I always make this one. Or always read the ingredients of the store-bought gluten-free flour mixes. Make sure your mix doesn’t contain soy flour, chickpea/besan/gram/garbanzo bean flour, lentil flour, coconut flour, amaranth flour, or lupin flour.
*All the ingredients used in this recipe are FODMAP friendly, however, As a general rule always read the labels of the ingredients that you use as there can be sneaky FODMAP’s in any product. To educate yourself on which foods are high in FODMAP’s I’d strongly recommend downloading Monash Unversity FODMAP Diet.
Hidden Heart Cake
Ingredients
For the Vanilla Pound Cake
- 3 (150g) eggs
- 60 ml lactose-free milk 4 Tbsp
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 160 g gluten-free flour (1 1/4 cups)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 100 g sugar (1/2 cup)
- 170 g unsalted butter (3/4 cup)
For the Chocolate Pound Cake
- 25 g cocoa powder
- 80 ml hot brewed strong coffee
- 180 g gluten-free flour (1 1/2 cup)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 225 g butter (1 cup)
- 200 g sugar (1 cup)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 4 latge eggs
- 2 tbsp milk
Instructions
To make the vanilla pound cake
- In another bowl or the bowl of your electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter until smooth. Add the sugar and vanilla extract and beat, on medium high speed, until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Add the eggs one at a time, beating in between each egg.
- Add in the milk and mix just until combined. You don’t want to over-mix it. The batter will be thick.
- Spoon the batter into your prepared loaf pan and level the top. Bake for 60-65 minutes or until the center is set and the top is brown. You can check the center with a toothpick to see if it’s done.
- Remove from the oven and let cool at room temperature for about 30min and then transfer it in the fridge for a 2 or 3 hours or in the freezer for 30min. Cooling your cake like this will make slicing and cutiing heart shapes much easier (without the cake crumbling)
To make the Chocolate Pound Cake
- In a separate bowl, whisk the cake flour with the baking powder and salt.
- In another bowl or the bowl of your electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter until smooth. Add the sugar and vanilla extract and beat, on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Add the eggs one at a time, beating in between each egg.
To Assamble the cake:
- If you are hiding multiple hearts: Once the vanilla pound cake is chilled, using the depth of the heart cookie cutter as a guide, cut the pound cake into slices the same thickness as the cookie cutter. Now using the cookie cutter, cut out the hearts of each slice.
- To make the cake with multiple layers you will need to arrange the hearts in a few layers.(I did mine in 4)
- Butter or spray with a non stick vegetable spray, a 9 x 5 x 3 inch (23 x 13 x 8 cm) loaf pan. Transfer some of the cake batter into the prepared loaf tin, just enough to create a thin layer of batter at the bottom. Arrange the sponge hearts in a row along one side of the loaf tin.
- Pour enough cake batter to cover the hearts, and proceed by arranging sponge hearts in another row along the other side of the loaf tin (the opposite side from the first layer of sponge hearts). Pour again from the chocolate cake batter, just enough to cover this layer of heart sponges.
- Repeat these steps until you finish all your heart sponges (and acheive the desired number layers) . You should finish your cake with a layer of chocolate cake batter (as the last layer).
- Bake for about 1h or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
If you are hiding only 1 heart inside (slightly simpler option):
- Once the vanila pound cake is chilled, using the depth of the heart cookie cutter as a guide, cut the pound cake into slices the same thickness as the cookie cutter. Now using the cookie cutter, cut out the hearts of each slice.
- Butter or spray with a non stick vegetable spray, a 9 x 5 x 3 inch (23 x 13 x 8 cm) loaf pan. Transfer some of the cake batter into the prepared loaf tin, just enough to create a thin layer of batter at the bottom. Arrange the sponge hearts in a row along one side of the loaf tin.
- Arrange the sponge hearts in a row along the middle of the loaf tin. Pour/spoon the rest of the chocolate batter around and over the row of sponge hearts, smooth out the top and and bake in the pre-heated oven at 355 ºF (180 ºC) for about 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Allow to cool in the loaf tin for about 10 minutes, then remove from the tin, and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack.
- The hidden heart cake keeps well in a closed container in a cool dry place for 3 – 4 days.
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