Chocolate Pound Cake with Hidden Heart

Creating a chocolate pound cake with a hidden pink heart is a fun and lovely way to surprise your loved ones for Valentine's Day. This chocolate cake is moist and has the perfect crumb of pound cake. Covered in a sweet cream cheese glaze and topped with fresh raspberries. The perfect balance between the sweet chocolate crumble and tangy glaze.

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes (2x)

Servings: 9 slices

Tools:

• Mosaic Non-Stick Loaf Pan – 9” x 5”

• Mosaic Silicone Spatula

• Mosaic Whisk

• Marble & Wood Cake Stand

Why should you bake this chocolate pound cake for Valentines Day?

1. Charming surprise – This popular recipe has gained affection for its charming surprise element – a pink heart baked within the rich chocolate layers around it. The anticipation of discovering the hidden heart while cutting the slices adds an extra touch of romance to celebrate love on this special occasion. Whether shared with a significant other, family, or friends, this cake is sure to bring joy to your Valentine’s Day celebrations.

2. Rich chocolate pound cake – This sweet delight is all about moist chocolate crumb infused with cocoa and espresso powder in a rich velvety texture. Plus, enjoy the cream cheese glaze generously drizzled on top of the pound cake and the tangy fresh raspberries. The perfect combo for chocolate pound cake.

Share the love with a slice, and let the hidden heart make your celebration extra sweet!

What size loaf pan is best for this recipe?

When it comes to size, this recipe is written for a loaf pan measuring 9 x 5 inches. I always rely on Mosaic non-stick bakeware from Home Hardware.

For this recipe, I have used the Mosaic Non-Stick Loaf Pan which allows for the loaf to slide out easily after baking. I don’t need to grease or flour my loaf pan, because of its non-stick coating. This loaf pan also has a diamond pattern for even distribution of heat, so my chocolate pound cake was baked to perfection.

Ingredients:

Butter: Provides richness and flavour to the cut-out hearts and to the chocolate pound cake. It contributes to the tender and moist texture of the crumb.

Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the cake, balancing the deep cocoa flavour. It also contributes to the cake’s structure and helps achieve the desired texture. For a brownie texture of the cake, you can use brown sugar.

Eggs: Add moisture, structure, and richness to the cake. This helps to bind the ingredients together and contributes to the overall texture and stability of the cake.

Vanilla Extract: Enhances the flavour and adds a warm, aromatic note to the cake.

All-Purpose Flour: Provides structure to the cake. Sift the flour prior to adding it to the batter. This will make the cake fluffier, and you won’t have any flour spots in the cake.

Unsweetened Cocoa Powder & Instant Coffee Powder: Adds rich chocolate flavour and colour. Use Dutch-processed cocoa powder for less acid flavour.

Baking Powder: A leavening agent that helps the cake rise by producing carbon dioxide gas.

Salt: Enhances the overall flavour of the cake, and it helps to balance the sweetness and intensify the chocolate taste.

Sour Cream & Whole Milk: Adds moisture to the cake, resulting in a tender and moist texture.

Pink Gel-Food Colouring (for hidden heart): Use a high-quality gel-food colouring for bright rich pink colour.

Cream Cheese, Powdered Sugar, and Heavy Cream: With this combo, you will have a creamy and luscious finishing glaze, that makes the cake even more decadent.

Directions:

Pink Hearts

1. Preheat oven to 350F / 177 C, middle rack position. If you are using a Mosaic Non-Stick Loaf Pan, no need to grease the pan. Otherwise, grease and flour a standard loaf pan.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together sifted all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

3. In another large bowl, cream room temperature butter with granulated sugar until light and fluffy.

4. Add one egg at a time, fully incorporate each egg before adding the next one. Scrape down the mixing bowl with a spatula and add the vanilla extract and pink gel food colouring. Whisk it all in, until well combined.

5. Gradually add the milk to the butter and sugar mixture, alternating with the dry ingredients. Mixing just until combined, using a spatula at the end. Be careful not to overmix.

6. Transfer the batter to the loaf pan. Smooth the top with a spatula and give the pan a good tap on the counter to eliminate any air pockets.

7. Bake in the preheated oven for 50–55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

8. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before transferring it onto a wire rack to cool completely.

9. Cut off the ends of the cake and slice the cake around the same thickness as your heart-shaped cookie cutter (mine is 1 inch thick). Cut out hearts from each piece of cake. Set aside in a small bowl, covered with food foil.

Chocolate Pound Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350F / 177 C, middle rack position. If you are using a Mosaic non-stick loaf pan, no need to grease the pan. Otherwise, grease and flour a standard loaf pan.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together sifted all-purpose flour, sifted cocoa powder, salt and baking powder. Set aside.

3. In another large bowl, cream room temperature butter with granulated sugar until light and fluffy.

4. Add one egg at a time, fully incorporate each egg before adding the next one. Scrape down the mixing bowl with a spatula and add the vanilla extract. Whisk it all in, until well combined.

5. Take another medium bowl and whisk together sour cream, milk, and instant espresso.

6. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture, alternating with the sour cream and espresso mixture. Begin and end with the dry ingredients, mixing just until combined. Be careful not to overmix.

7. Spoon a few scoops of chocolate batter on the bottom of the loaf pan and smooth it out. Set the heart-shaped pink cake cut-outs in the middle of the chocolate batter, neatly in a row.

8. Cover the hearts with the remaining mixture by scooping the chocolate batter around the hearts and on top of the hearts. Make sure the pink hearts are well covered with the cake batter. Smooth the top with a spatula.

9. Bake in the preheated oven for 50–55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

10. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before transferring onto a wire rack to cool completely and before decorating with the cream cheese glaze.

Cream Cheese Glaze

1. Mix the cream cheese with half of the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, on medium speed, until smooth. Add another half of the powdered sugar and mix until smooth and combined.

2. Add the heavy cream (spoon by spoon) and mix on medium speed until get a pouring consistency. Use a spoon to drizzle the icing on top of the fully cooled chocolate pound cake.

3. Decorate the cake with fresh raspberries. Slice the cake in 1-inch thick slices and serve.