Chocolate Love Cake

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Chocolate Love Cake

You don't really need a heart-shaped
cake to express feelings of admiration
for someone. A cake made by you is
certainly enough. But when you want
that festive presentation-for a
Valentine's Day party, a birthday, a
coming home f te-then this is it.
Serving: 12 to 16
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 to 35 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes

FROSTING:
Whipped Chocolate Ganache, flavored with kirsch if
desired
CAKE:
Solid vegetable shortening for greasing the pans
Flour for dusting the pans
1 package (18.25 ounces) devil's food cake mix with
pudding
1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
GARNISH:
White and dark chocolate curls
1 cup fresh cherries with stems, or 1 cup rose petals

1. Prepare the ganache, adding 1 tablespoon kirsch or

other cherry liqueur if desired. Cover the bowl with
plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator to chill for 1
hour.
2. Meanwhile, place a rack in the center of the oven and
preheat the oven to 350F. Generously grease one 8 inch round and one 8 -inch square cake pan with solid
vegetable shortening, then dust with flour. Shake out
the excess flour. Set the pans aside.
3. Place the cake mix, cherry pie filling, eggs, and

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Chocolate Love Cake

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almond extract in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an

electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the
machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a
rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium
and beat 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again
if needed. The batter should look well combined. Divide
the batter between the prepared pans, smoothing it out
with the rubber spatula. Place the pans in the oven side
by side.
4. Bake the cakes until they spring back when lightly
pressed with your finger, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove the
pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to
cool for 10 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edge
of each layer and invert each onto a rack, then invert
again onto another rack so that the cakes are right side
up. Allow to cool completely, 30 minutes.
5. When the ganache is nearly chilled, place the electric
mixer beaters in the refrigerator to chill for 10 minutes.
Remove the beaters and the bowl of ganache. Whip the
ganache on high speed for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the
frosting lightens in color and triples in volume.
6. Place the square cake layer on a large serving platter
so that one point faces you. Cut the round cake layer in
half, and place the halves on adjoining sides of the
square, to form a heart shape. Spread the frosting over
the top and sides of the cake with clean, smooth
strokes.
7. Scatter the chocolate curls on top of the cake, and
the cherries or rose petals around it. Slice and serve.
Store this cake, covered in waxed paper, in the
refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Source:

Chocolate from the Cake Mix Doctor by Anne Byrn

2001 Workman Publishing

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2/10/2007