I have been chomping at the bit to get into Valentine’s food. I have always loved Valentine’s Day. It is such a happy occasion, just dwelling on love with the color pink abounding everywhere. Ever since I was a child I’ve relished creating Valentine’s cards with secret messages in conversation heart candies and hours of artistry ensuring no one was missed. There is a lot of Boulder Locavore love coming your way in the next few weeks and some fun surprises too so please stay tuned!
Sometime last fall a clever photo on Pinterest caught my attention. There was no corresponding recipe or article so I’m not even exactly sure what it was. It looked like maybe some seasonal bread with a spice bread pumpkin shape in the middle. I was instantly smitten. Loving anything ‘with a surprise inside’ I marveled at what a delight it would be to cut into a loaf of bread and find a pumpkin.*
As time goes, the whirlwind of the holidays whisked the image from my memory until recently when I was experimenting with some gluten free pound cake mixes. Though I love to make everything I can from scratch, it’s not always possible in the life of a busy mom-blogger. When I can I like to try out mixes so if I’m in a pinch I have a ‘go to’ selection and am not experimenting late the night before a special treat is due somewhere early the next day, knowing from experience not all gluten free mixes are created equal.
During my experimentation the bread-in-the-bread popped to mind again. I also have a passion for figuring things out, re-engineering and repurposing so decided to couple the two endeavors together to see if I couldn’t pull off a gluten free Valentines-themed surprise.
I’m NOT a fancy baker. I admire ‘Martha’ and the rest of the beautiful bakers out in cyberspace who create flawless confections that look to be made from porcelain but have come to terms with the fact that knack does not dwell actively (or dormantly) in my culinary DNA. I’m more of a rustic dessert girl. Being that as it is, I generally have low expectations that anything hinting at a fussy creation will work at my more broad-brush baking hand.
After carefully engineering what I hoped would be an unexpected, smile-invoking confection I crossed my fingers and pulled out the serrated knife. Mere words cannot express my excitement when cutting into the molten-brown, chocolately pound cake to reveal a brilliant fuchsia heart beaming from the center of every slice. I witnessed the magic of the surprise on the faces of my familial taste testers as well. As enchanting as is the visual is of this pound cake, the flavor is truly the star. Deep, dark chocolate enveloping a glorious cherry-flavored heart. Yin and yang, kismet, meant to be; two flavors comingled in their destiny to create a happy bite.
*I love the way the internet works! I received a comment with a link to the original charming pumpkin CAKE (not bread, well it’s actually bread in the middle): Peekaboo Pumpkin Cake. What a fun full-circle moment. Click here to see the original inspiration for Hidden Heart Valentine’s Pound Cake. Fun to compare notes on the approach.
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Kayle (The Cooking Actress) says
THIS IS JUST THE CUTEST!!! It’s gorgeous. I looove it!
Toni Dash says
Thanks Kayle!
Aimee @ ShugarySweets says
This is gorgeous Toni! Pinned!
Toni Dash says
Thank you Aimee! Coming from ‘the Master’ that is quite a compliment.
PolaM says
This is amazing! Looks really delicious!
Toni Dash says
Thanks Pola! Love something that looks good and tastes even better than that. Can’t beat pound cake!
Connie Findley says
This is brilliant. I can’t wait to make this. Keep the Valentine’s day love and creativity flowing.
Toni Dash says
The same whimsy as the Volcano Cake I think! I love making fun things like this and am glad you do too!
Colleen, The Smart Cookie Cook says
Wow, this is so pretty and impressive! I always wondered how to make a cake like this. Thanks for solving the mystery!
Toni Dash says
Thank you Colleen! I realized afterwards if you don’t care if the heart is on its point, you could also lay them on their sides, like ‘Lazy Heart Pound Cake’! I like them like them standing at attention though even though it’s a bit trickier to make.
Jennifer-The Adventuresome Kitchen says
I love the whimsy! My littlest’s birthday is next weekend and she wants lemon cupcakes, but I think I see a little birthday ‘surprise’ coming! What a fabulous idea!
Toni Dash says
And the possibilities are endless aren’t they? Pretty soon my family will not believe there is NOT something inside of the cake!
sara says
SO CUTE! This is such a great idea, love it! 🙂
Toni Dash says
Thanks Sara! It was really fun to make.
Sommer@ASpicyPerspective says
Toni, that is awfully impressive… and cute!
Toni Dash says
Thanks Sommer! It was really fun….especially when slicing into the pound cake to see it worked!
ASHLEY says
thank you for posting this! i saw the exact same picture of the pumpkin one. i had got to thinking a few weeks back on how i wanted to make that but for valentines day. pink heart and all. you read my mind! i have been trying to figure out how to make the hearts stand up on their own. this will help me when i go to make mine! so thank you for this!
Happy Valley Chow says
This is such a cool idea! I might have to make this for my fiance 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
marla says
Adorable cake for Valentine’s Day!! Pinning now 🙂
Toni Dash says
Thank Marla!
Lexie says
Toni…so whimsical! Love it. Love your site!!! xoLexie
Toni Dash says
Thank you Lexie! I too love the whimsy and surprise of it!
Katrina @ In Katrina's Kitchen says
You know I just couldn’t love this more, right?! xoxox
Toni Dash says
Awwww….thanks Katrina!
Julia | JuliasAlbum.com says
So pretty, very creative! Perfect surprise cake for a Valentine’s day.
Ana Vale says
Really impressive! Thanks so much for the tip! I’ll try it for sure!
Toni Dash says
Thank you Ana! It is like making a craft and baking all in one! Very fun to make with a great reward when it’s done!
sarah @ two tarts says
Very nicely done, it looks perfect. Had no idea you could do this!
Toni Dash says
Thanks Sarah. This was a product of determination to figure it out and make it happen!
Sue Troller says
How adorable and delicious does that look! I can’t wait to make it and surprise my “valentine” birthday boy! Thank you for the wonderful idea.
Toni Dash says
I love that idea Sue! If he is anything like my tots, the surprise is almost better than the delicious cake!
Sandra says
Yea! I knew some crafty baker would take my idea and make it work for other holidays. This turned out wonderful! Love. Love. Love it. It’s been pinned a million different places on Pinterest, but the original Peekaboo Pumpkin Pound cake came from this post at SheKnows.com. http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/975551/pumpkin-pound-cake.
Fantastic job!
Toni Dash says
Thank you!! I found the pumpkin cake/bread so charming and was disappointed when I clicked for an original link and it went nowhere. Maybe for the best; I’d never copy someone else’s work and republish and this gave me the determination to figure out a gluten-free method to make something similar. When you say you knew some crafty baker would take your idea, are you SheKnows.com? I’ll go take a peek now. Would love to see how similar the approach was.
Christine Hunter says
I have been searching for something to send to my grandaughters for valentines day and this looks perfect! Can you tell me where I can find chocolate pound cake mix ? The only brand my 2 local stores sell is a duncan hines regular pound cake mix.
Toni Dash says
Hi Christine. What a great surprise for your Granddaughter! I am gluten free so used the Pamela’s mixes cited in the recipe notes. They are regular cake mixes but provide preparation methods for pound cake. You might look at the mixes you found to see if they do the same or certainly if you have a scratch recipe you could use that as well!
Liz says
I JUST had to find out how you made this, Toni! Beautifully executed, my friend…and so impressive!!!
Toni Dash says
Thanks Lizzy! A fun cross of baking, engineering and crafting I’d say. And fortunately one that worked the first time.
Sarah says
For those who don’t like chocolate cake, I want to see if this work the same with vanilla pound cake for both the heart and the surrounding cake.
Is it possible that the pink heart would tinge the white cake? I want the lines of the heart to stay clean if possible!
Toni Dash says
Sarah I have only made what I’ve shared here however since the inner pink heart is fully cooked when encased within the outer mix I would not think it would ‘bleed’ though could not say for sure.
Kasia says
Wow that’s simply briliant! will need to try it!
Toni Dash says
Thanks Kasia! I hope you will. I never thought baking a cake could be ‘thrilling’ but when you cut into this one, it is.
Tara says
I love this and called my friend to send it to her for Valentine’s day. Awesome!
The only thing is, when I try to share this on Facebook it doesn’t come with a photo – I wonder why? Maybe the buttons or the post?
Tara
Toni Dash says
Thank you Tara! I think what you are describing is a Facebook glitch; I’ve had the same thing happen periodically myself. Maybe try again tomorrow? I’ve done nothing special to the post that would prohibit a thumbnail to pop up when you post the link.
Erin @ Adventures of a Hungry Redhead says
Wow! This is so cool! And really, it doesn’t need to be valentine’s day to gift someone a cake with a heart inside 🙂 Please tell me you’re making truffles with the leftover scraps…
Toni Dash says
Nope; Cherry Pound Cake Bread Pudding (the next recipe posted)!
Joa says
Cute idea! Did you ever try making one of each flavor, then cutting out the shape after slicing each, and inserting the heart on the plate? I know it wouldn’t hold together as nice as yours tho.
Toni Dash says
Cute idea Joa! Had not thought of that in my engineering quest to figure out how to make this cake happen but I love that idea; kind of ‘mix and match’ love.
Becky PS says
I tried it!
I loved it!
I blogged about it!
Thanks so much for sharing.
http://sewinstitches.blogspot.com/2013/02/try-it-tuesday-cake-for-your-valentine.html
MsTara says
Me too!
Me too!
Me too!
Awesome cake!
The Gala Gal in Cleveland
galagalcleveland.blogspot.com
gemma says
I made one for my boyfriend, he loved it, thanks for the tutorial.
you can see mine here
http://submarinesandsewingmachines.blogspot.nl/2013/02/valentine.html
MsTara says
I tried this for an Anniversary party that I was doing a dessert table for! The husband’s favorite cake is pound cake. I was dissappointed that he wanted pound cake because I couldn’t think of how to make pound cake pretty. I searched the internet for ways to dress up a pound cake and came across your cake and bells went off in my head! I HAD to try it! My first attempt ended with a cake still raw on the bottom (I didnt know until I tried to remove it from the pan). But I still cut it and PERFECTION! So I gave it another try the next morning, this time baking longer at a lower temp. PERFECTION!!! It was a hit! You can see pics on my blog galagalcleveland.blogspot.com. Thank You!!!!!!!
AACJFAMILY says
how do you prevent the inside from over cooking?
Toni Dash says
I think there is an insulation effect when baking the hearts inside the outer cake. As noted in the recipe, the outer cake may be done before indicated on the box or recipe you use since the middle of the cake is already cooked. I would check it early for doneness. It has turned out perfectly each time I’ve made it and I’ve noted other websites/blogs who have used my same technique after I published the recipe with the same end result!
gwen says
Sadly mine didn’t turn out well 🙁
I think the hearts were too small…
oh well! Thanks for this recipe! 😀 I’ll definitely try it again!
Toni Dash says
Oh no Gwen! Can you tell me more? I’m happy to try to help troubleshoot. I’ve made the recipe numerous times with no issue. I’ve also seen variations of it now on the internet using different size hearts and different types of cake that have turned out beautifully. Please send me an email if you want my help trying to figure out what went wrong.
Gwen says
Thanks for replying but oops i somehow can’t “email boulder locavore”!
I think i’ll just try baking it again 🙂
Toni Dash says
I checked the Email Boulder Locavore box in the sidebar and it is working Gwen. I’m sorry you are having difficulties. Feel free to try it again if you wish. Good luck on the baking!
Daraya says
Love the cake! Do you think brownies would work instead of pound cake for the hearts?
Toni Dash says
I think you could make hearts from Brownies Daraya I just don’t know how well the overall pound cake would bake due to the pound cake and brownies being different consistencies. If you try it please let me know how it works!
Katy says
Haha, I did not do a good job:
http://thecraftykatydid.wordpress.com/2013/03/04/hidden-heart-never-again/
Toni Dash says
Yes you DID do a good job! I love your cake. And your post! Maybe you want to try the Hidden Rainbow Easter Egg Cake?! Thanks for sharing your post.
heather @french press says
such a sweet treat for valentines day 🙂 I actually have one very similar posting later this week
Laura @MotherWouldKnow says
What an amazingly creative way to up the ante on pound cake! I have a cookbook with recipes for cakes that have designs inside, but it really intimidated me. This recipe with the step-by-step photos is inspiring and confidence-building rather than intimidating. Many thanks!
marg love says
If the cherry hearts are baked first, don’t they dry out being baked again?
Toni Dash says
They don’t Marg. Perhaps since it’s pound cake which is richer cake or insulated inside the outer cake but they are moist, and normal!
Linda says
Wouldn’t it be a whole lot easier to just carve a heart shaped “log” down the length of your pink pound cake? You could use your cookie cutter as a guide. Then you wouldn’t need help holding all those hearts together while you poured in the chocolate pound cake. One hand to hold the log on it’s point and one hand to ladle in the batter. Makes a lot more sense and I’d think it would save a lot of time.
Toni Dash says
I think your idea is a good one Linda however I do not know how you would push a cookie cutter all the way through the pound cake. Also since I only bake gluten-free, the texture of the cake is different and I do not believe the pound cake would hold together for that tactic. If you try your method please leave us a comment and let us know how it works! I can say the method shared in the recipe here is not difficult and has worked every time.
Linda says
I meant to just use the cookie cutter as a guide to the shape. Carve the heart-shaped log with a sharp knife!
Toni Dash says
Oh, gottcha! Sadly Linda I’m just not that coordinated! I’m sure the hearts would not look like hearts when I was done!
themadscientistskitchen says
Beautiful cake. I too had seen this but unlike you did not remember it till I saw your pic. Thanks. Hope I can try it out some time soon.
EILEEN DEMARS says
i’m not going to have someone helping to hold the hearts and i got to thinking that i could try putting the hearts in upside down. haven’t tried your darling cake idea yet, but plan to tomorrow. am thinking another thing would be to pour some cake into the bottom, then put hearts in and line them up…will see what happens. thanks for the idea, though!
Toni Dash says
I thought of the same idea about the hearts Eileen (turning them upside down) as they’d be more stable that way but I really wanted them facing up then the cake was cut. Also if you look at the photo you’ll see when I added a bit of batter to steady the hearts at the bottom (in the recipe) it does cause the hearts to float up a bit and they can poke out the top if too much batter is added to the bottom. I’m sure you’ll work it out; just passing along tips from my experimentations!
Nayana says
Hi Toni, could you please tell me the measurements of your loaf pan. Most of the pans are 2.75 deep and the cookie cutters are mostly larger in size. I’ve been dying to bake one of these types of cake but unable to get hold of right kind of loaf pan and cookie cutter if you could guide or would be really helpful.
Toni Dash says
Hi Nayana. I can certainly do that and get back to you (not at home at the minute). I did look up loaf pan sizing and in deed there are three sizes. My guess it the one I used may be larger but will post here when I’m able to measure it.
Connie says
This looks absolutely delightful. I can’t wait to give it a try.
Aubrey says
That is really neat. I always wondered how they did that.
Liz Mays says
This was super clever! I’d love to make the hidden hearts a surprise too. This sounds like such a treat.