Mini Devil's Food Cakes with Raspberries and White Chocolate

While I will never claim to be a fan of Valentine's Day, I am most certainly a fan of Valentine's Day desserts. I'd say the traditional "date night" dessert would have to be a chocolate lava cake of some sort, likely garnished with a sprig of mint, a single strawberry and sprinkle of powdered sugar. Although it's tasty, it's dated and should probably go to the dessert retirement home. (Nobody wants that sprig of mint, anyway.) 

It's time we think outside of the box….and into the cage. A white chocolate cage, that is! I've been wanting to do a post about chocolate cages for a while because they are actually pretty easy and the payoff is a unique and fancy-pants dessert. They're also great at masking what would otherwise be a couple un-exicting, un-frosted cake layers. This white chocolate cage is absolutely perfect for my annual Valentines dessert. Individual devil's food cakes are filled with whipped cream and raspberries, then hidden within a fun white chocolate pattern. So to my Valentine traditionalists out there….You'll be thrilled to see your beloved chocolate cake and berries still make an appearance this V-day. It just got a much needed makeover. 

Devil's Food Cakes  

Makes 2 4-inch layer cakes

Devil's Food Cake
INGREDIENTS

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1/3 cup strong coffee, at room temperature

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch pan, line with parchment paper, then grease the paper.

In a large bowl, whisk or sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated, then mix in the vanilla.

With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk until the batter is completely mixed and smooth. Slowly mix in the coffee and beat until just incorporated.

Pour into the pan and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Raspberry Filling

INGREDIENTS

2 (6-ounce) containers of raspberries, rinsed

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

DIRECTIONS

Combine 2 cups of raspberries and the sugar in a shallow saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until the raspberries are broken down and thickened. Set aside to cool. 

Set the remaining raspberries aside to top the finished cakes. 

Whipped Cream

INGREDIENTS

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

Beat the cream, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Start on medium so the cream doesn’t splatter, then increase the speed to high once the mixture starts to thicken. Beat until stiff peaks form.

Assemble the Cakes

Use a 4-inch circle cookie cutter to cut 4 cake circles. Set the scraps aside to eat later! (or, while you make the raspberry filling:)

Place one cake circle on a small plate and top with a large spoonful of raspberry filling. Scoop a large spoonful of whipped cream on top. Place second chocolate cake circle on top, then repeat the raspberry and whipped cream. Assemble the second cake in the same way.

Arrange remaining raspberries in a circular pattern on top of the cakes, then place in the fridge while you make the white chocolate cage. 

White Chocolate Cage

YOU'LL NEED

1 1/2 cups white chocolate 

Parchment paper

Ziplock bag

DIRECTIONS

Cut 2 strips or parchment paper that are 3" tall by 13" wide and set on a flat surface. 

Place the white chocolate chips in a heat safe bowl. Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds, then stir, repeating until the chocolate is just about melted. Scoop the melted chocolate into a ziplock bag, then cut off the very tip of one of the corners.

Working quickly, pipe lines across the parchment paper. (You can do whatever design you like here, so get creative! Just remember that all the lines need to be connected in some way.) While the chocolate is still wet, carefully pick up the parchment strips and place on another flat surface. (This will give your chocolate cage clean edges.) 

Watch the chocolate so that it doesn't harden too much. You want it cooled enough that you can touch it without smudging it, but soft/flexible enough to bend. It only took a couple minutes for my chocolate to get to this point. 

Remove the cakes from the fridge and carefully wrap the parchment (chocolate side in) around the cakes. Let the white chocolate fully harden for another 5 minutes, then carefully peel away the parchment. Unless your kitchen is cool, it's best to keep the cakes in the fridge until serving. 

Chocolate Glazed Cinnamon Heart Cakes

Roses are red, Violets are blue

Sugar is sweet...and so are these heart cakes!

Love it or hate it, Valentine's Day is here. Time to bust out those stale-chalky conversation hearts and tell your loved ones how much you care. (I happen to love conversation hearts, btw.) This year, I'm paying homage to these tiny cinnamon heart candies. 

I like to eat them by the handful, but this Valentine's Day calls for a more substantial dessert. FOOD & WINE has a delicious cinnamon cake recipe–the perfect upgrade for those mini cinnamon candies. I added a touch of red food coloring, cut the cake into hearts and it seemed only natural to drizzle some chocolate glaze on top! What you've got is a perfect sized cake that says 'I love you'. The chocolate glaze makes these mini cakes irresistible, so treat your main squeeze, your best buddy or just treat yourself and enjoy the feast of Saint Valentine.

Cinnamon Cake

Recipe adapted from FOOD & WINE

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened, plus more for buttering the paper
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 cup cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream

red gel food coloring (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter a 9x13" cake pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper and butter the paper. Dust the pan with flour, tapping out the excess.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk the 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour with the cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter with the sugar at medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until incorporated. In 3 alternating additions, add the dry ingredients and sour cream, scraping down the side of the bowl between additions. Add in the red food coloring, a little at a time, until you have the desired color.

3. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the cake on the middle rack of the oven for about 30 minutes, until golden and springy and the edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Transfer the cake to a rack and let cool for 15 minutes, then turn the cake out and let cool completely. Remove the parchment paper.

The color of the cake is so pretty with the flecks of cinnamon, it's sure to come out beautiful even without the food coloring. But I thought the red was perfect for Valentine's Day!

Now, onto the chocolate glaze...

Chocolate Glaze

Recipe from FOOD & WINE

INGREDIENTS

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (about 1/3 cup)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup boiling water

DIRECTIONS

1. In a small saucepan, melt the chocolate with the butter over moderately low heat. Whisk in the sugar, then stir in the boiling water until smooth. Remove from the heat. Place a piece of plastic directly on the surface of the glaze and keep warm until ready to use.

Assemble the Heart Cakes

makes 6 cakes

1. Once the cake is cooled and flipped onto your work surface, use a 4" heart cookie cutter (or just use a sharp knife) to cut 6 hearts. Drizzle the tops of the cakes with the chocolate glaze and garnish with a few cinnamon heart candies. (If the glaze gets too hard, pop it in the microwave in 10 second increments until smooth again.) Let the glaze set for about an hour before serving. Store cakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.