Heart-Shaped Red Velvet Cake

Ingredients

• 250 g All-purpose flour (Sift before use)
• 20 g Unsweetened cocoa powder (Unsweetened)
• 1 cuillère à café Baking powder (Approximately 5 g)
• 1 pincée Salt (Approximately 0.5 g)
• 150 g Unsalted butter (At room temperature, softened)
• 200 g Brown sugar (vergeoise) (Can be replaced with white sugar)
• 15 ml Liquid vanilla extract (Approximately 1 tablespoon)
• 3 unités Eggs (At room temperature)
• 150 ml Cultured milk (buttermilk) (Can be replaced with light sour cream or milk + vinegar)
• 1 cuillère à café Liquid red food coloring (Can be gel or powder, adjust to desired intensity)
• 250 g Mascarpone (Very cold, remove from freezer just before use)
• 200 ml Whole milk cream 30 % (At room temperature)
• 50 g Powdered sugar (Can be replaced with ground granulated sugar)
• 1 sachet Vanilla sugar (Approximately 8 g, or 1 tsp extra vanilla extract)

Instructions

1. Soften the butter and mascarpone

   Take the butter out of the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for about 1 hour. Place the mascarpone in the freezer for 10 minutes so that it is firm before whisking.

   Time: PT1H05M

2. Prepare the dry ingredients

   In the small bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and add the salt. Lightly mix with a whisk.

   Time: PT5M

3. Cream the butter and sugar

   In the large bowl, beat the softened butter with the brown sugar until a creamy and slightly pale texture is achieved.

   Time: PT7M

4. Add the vanilla

   Incorporate the liquid vanilla extract and mix for an additional 1 minute.

   Time: PT1M

5. Incorporate the eggs

   Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition so that the mixture remains homogeneous.

   Time: PT3M

6. Mix the dry and wet ingredients

   Pour the dry mixture into the bowl containing the butter, in several additions, mixing gently with the spatula.

   Time: PT5M

7. Add the buttermilk and coloring

   Fold in the cultured milk (buttermilk) and the liquid red food coloring. Mix gently until a homogeneous and well‑colored batter is obtained.

   Time: PT2M

8. Prepare the pan and pour the batter

   Grease the 24 cm pan with butter or non‑stick spray. Pour the batter into the pan and smooth the surface with the spatula.

   Time: PT5M

9. Bake the cake

   Place the pan in the preheated oven at 180 °C and bake for 30 minutes. The cake is done when a blade inserted in the centre comes out clean.

   Time: PT30M

   Temperature: 180°C

10. Cooling

    Remove the cake from the oven, let it rest 10 minutes in the pan, then unmold onto a rack and let cool completely (about 20 minutes).

    Time: PT30M

11. Prepare the mascarpone whipped cream

    In a cold bowl, whisk the mascarpone with the cream until a firm texture is achieved. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla sugar, then continue whisking until the whipped cream is smooth and well‑aerated.

    Time: PT7M

12. Cut the hearts

    Place the cooled cake on a board. Trace two heart shapes using a template or a large serrated knife. Carefully cut out the two hearts and set aside the scraps.

    Time: PT10M

13. Grate the scraps into crumbs

    Grate the cake scraps with a fine grater to obtain small crumbs for decoration.

    Time: PT5M

14. Fill and frost the hearts

    Spread a layer of about 1 cm of whipped cream on the first heart, place the second heart on top and completely cover both hearts with the remaining whipped cream, smoothing the sides with a spatula.

    Time: PT10M

15. Final decoration

    Sprinkle the cake crumbs over the top and sides. Optionally decorate with a drizzle of flavored syrup (vanilla, orange) or a few drops of almond extract.

    Time: PT5M

Nutrition Facts

Calories

350

Protein

5 g

Carbohydrates

45 g

Fat

18 g

Fiber

1 g

Ingredient Substitutions

• Instead of All-purpose flour: whole wheat flour, gluten-free flour
• Instead of Unsweetened cocoa powder: Dutch-processed cocoa, decaffeinated cocoa
• Instead of Baking powder: baking soda + cream of tartar
• Instead of Salt: sea salt
• Instead of Unsalted butter: margarine, vegetable oil (changes texture)
• Instead of Brown sugar (vergeoise): cane sugar, coconut sugar
• Instead of Liquid vanilla extract: vanilla bean, vanilla flavoring
• Instead of Eggs: chicken eggs, duck eggs (different flavor)
• Instead of Cultured milk (buttermilk): diluted plain yogurt, milk + vinegar
• Instead of Liquid red food coloring: natural beetroot coloring
• Instead of Mascarpone: ricotta + cream, cream cheese + yogurt
• Instead of Whole milk cream 30 %: heavy cream, double cream
• Instead of Powdered sugar: ground granulated sugar
• Instead of Vanilla sugar: vanilla extract

Equipment Needed

• Two mixing bowls (one small, one large)
• Hand mixer or electric whisk
• Silicone spatula
• Measuring tools (cups and spoons)
• 24 cm round cake pan
• Parchment paper or butter for greasing the pan (optional)
• Oven
• Cooling rack
• Cake slicer or cake saw
• Fine grater (optional)
• Pastry bag or tablespoon for the whipped cream (optional)
• Serving platter (optional)

Critical Steps — Do Not Skip

• Soften the butter properly (not melted).
• Do not over‑mix the batter after adding the flour.
• Precise baking at 180 °C for 30 minutes.
• Allow the cake to cool completely before filling.
• Whisk the mascarpone whipped cream until a firm texture is achieved without over‑whipping.

Chef Tips from the Video

• Add a teaspoon of white vinegar to the buttermilk to enhance moistness.
• For a brighter color, let the batter rest 10 minutes before baking; the coloring develops further.
• Lightly dust the top with cocoa powder before baking for a subtle marbled effect.

Troubleshooting

Storage

Refrigerator: Store the cake covered 2‑3 days.

Freezer: Wrap tightly and freeze up to 2 months.

Room temperature: Consume the same day, away from heat.

Make-Ahead Tips

• Bake the cake the day before and keep it in the refrigerator, then fill just before serving.
• Mascarpone whipped cream keeps for 24 hours refrigerated, covered with plastic wrap.