Ingredients

For the sponge:

• 200g salted butter, softened at room temperature
• 200g caster sugar
• Four medium eggs
• 200g self-raising flour
• 2 tsp vanilla extract or bean paste

• You’ll need 1.5 kg if doing the piping style. If going with chocolate fingers, you’ll only need half of this amount
• 500g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
• 1kg sifted icing sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract or paste
• You can add a layer of jam if you like

• Red and pink gel food colouring
• Alternatively, you can keep it simple and ice all over, add chocolate fingers around the outside and fill with fruit or chocolates.

Tools

• A stand mixer with paddle attachment or bowl and wooden spoon
• Medium-sized palette knife
• If you want to pipe over it like I have, some plastic piping bags with larger round, star and petal nozzles.

Method

To make the cake:

1. Grease, base and sides the tins
2. Preheat the oven to 180C fan.
3. Cream together the butter, sugar and vanilla until pale and creamy.
4. Beat in the eggs one at a time until incorporated
5. Add the flour on slow until mixed
6. Bake for about 25-30 minutes until golden and cooked through and a cake tester comes out clean in the centre, leave to cool in the tins for 5 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely
7. Make the frosting by beating the butter and vanilla until creamy then add the icing sugar gradually, combining on slow until the powder disappears, then beat on high until fluffy and light
8. Sandwich the cakes together with buttercream and jam if you like, crumb coat all over with a thin layer of frosting and chill until firm.

1. Once set, use a large bread knife to mark a cross in the middle of the cake, so you have marks around the edge at 12,3,6 and 9 o’clock
2. Now cut off a half-moon shape from the top on each side, so once between 12 and 9 and then another between 12 and 3. Remove the pieces. You’ll be left with one side pointed. When you now assemble the cake t’s best to do this on a cake stand, board or plate, whatever you’re using as it will be tricky to move unless you use a sheet of baking paper underneath then it can be moved if you set it in the fridge again
3. Using extra frosting, spread some around the rounded edges of the sponge
4. Take the offcuts and place them against the large cake, rounded sides outwards and using your palms press them onto the cake to form the rounded humps of the heart shape, then spread over with extra frosting to smooth over and join, filling any cracks.
5. To decorate, either split into three and tint a third red and a third pink and load into mixed piping bags to create the piped effect as shown, or this cake can be covered in ganache, frosting, rough iced or even add chocolate fingers around the edge, allow to chill then fill with mixed berries or chocolates of your choice. It’s a great cake to customise for a loved one as you can tailor it to their favourite fillings.

1. Either split into three and tint a third red and a third pink and load into mixed piping bags to create the piped effect as shown, or this cake can be covered in ganache, frosting, rough iced or even add chocolate fingers around the edge, allow to chill then fill with mixed berries or chocolates of your choice. It’s a great cake to customise for a loved one as you can tailor it to their favourite fillings.