You can call me a romantic but I just LOVE making heart-shaped goodies for Valentine’s Day. Whether it’s just for me, the kids, or for my hubby. These chocolate heart-shaped cakes are just perfect for Valentine’s night! Topped with raspberries and my deliciously healthy coconut whipped cream, you’ll be sure to impress.
Here are my tips for making Chocolate Heart-Shaped Cakes
Almond or Hazelnut Flour
What’s the deal with the different flours? Well, if you want a more smooth, cake-like texture, go for the almond flour. I have some friends who are allergic to almonds (I was sensitive for a bit, myself), so I’ve also made this recipe with hazelnut flour. However, it is equally delicious with the hazelnut flour, which gives it a nuttier, more crumbly taste and texture.
Flax Eggs
If you want to stay vegan (or simply like the nutritional properties of flax seeds), you can make this cake with the flax “eggs” as noted in the recipe. If you prefer to use traditional eggs (a.k.a.“chicken eggs”), feel free to do so. Each flax egg is equivalent to one chicken egg.
Cacao Powder
I buy a big bag of cacao at Costco because we use it a LOT. It looks, tastes, and acts just like cocoa powder except that it is cold-processed, versus the heat-processing used for cocoa. As such, it retains more of its nutritional content. If you don’t have any, feel free to use regular cocoa.
Coconut Whipped Cream
Although you can likely buy pre-made coconut whipped cream in your grocery store, I prefer to make my own. It is super simple and only takes a few minutes. The key is ensuring your ingredients and the bowl are well-chilled to help the cream fluff up. When you make it yourself (it’s only 3 ingredients), you’ll know exactly what’s in it.
Have fun making these little cakes. You can be creative and make these your own! If you want, you can melt some chocolate with a little coconut oil to make a chocolate drizzle on them, as well.
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Chocolate Heart-Shaped Cakes with Raspberries and Coconut Whipped Cream
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 8 tiered mini cakes
- Category: Dessert
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Call me a romantic but I just LOVE making heart-shaped goodies for Valentine’s Day! Whether it’s just for me, the kids, or for my hubby, these chocolate heart-shaped cakes are just perfect for Valentine’s night! Topped with raspberries and my deliciously healthy coconut whipped cream, you’ll be sure to impress.
Ingredients
Coconut oil, for greasing
2 ½ cups almond or hazelnut flour
¼ cup cacao powder (a more anti-oxidant rich version of cocoa)
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
2 flax eggs (see note)
¾ cup 100% pure maple syrup
1 TB vanilla extract
Coconut Whipped Cream
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees and grease the sides of 2 8-inch cake pans with coconut oil, laying down parchment on the bottom of the pans.
2. In a large bowl, whisk dry ingredients (flour through salt). In a medium bowl, whisk together flax eggs, maple syrup and salt. Pour wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry and mix until just combined.
3. Divide batter evenly between the pans and bake for 10-15 minutes (these cakes are on the thin side), or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
4. Allow to cool completely on wire racks before cutting with heart-shaped cookie cutters, preferably of different sizes.
5. Once cut, assemble by placing a larger heart-shaped cake on a plate, spoon on some coconut whipped cream, then add a smaller heart-shaped cake, more whipped cream, and then add raspberries for garnish.
Notes
Each flax egg is made by mixing 1 TB flax meal with 3 TB warm water and allow to sit 5-10 until gel-like. If preferred, you can replace each flax egg with one chicken egg.