Hidden heart loaf cake
(Image credit: Future)

Hidden shape cakes have got to be one of our favourite food trends - there's something so satisfying about cutting into a cake to reveal the hidden surprise within.

We knew how to do it with one shape in a cupcake so we thought we'd challenge ourselves to do a whole loaf - with every slice revealing the same shape.

Sounds hard? It was actually pretty easy! Follow our step-by-step pics below to make your own. You can choose whatever shape you like - we chose the heart for Valentine's Day.

Ingredients

Pink heart cake

  • 2 eggs
  • 125g butter
  • 125g sugar
  • 125g self-raising flour
  • Red food colouring

Loaf cake

  • 4 eggs
  • 225g butter
  • 225g caster sugar
  • 225g self-raising flour
  • 1tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

To decorate

  • Strawberry Marshmallow Fluff
  • Chocolate buttons/candy melts

Step 1

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.

To make the pink cake, combine all the ingredients together (aside from the food colouring) and mix either by hand or with a electric whisk until all ingredients are combined. Add the red food colouring in slow drops until you get the desired result. Remember that baking will dilute the colour so it's best to make it a stronger shade than you would like.

Pour the mixture into a greased baking tray at bake for 25 mins or until springy to the touch. Allow to completely cool in the tray then gently cut out as many shapes as you can with your cookie cutter.


Step 2

To make the loaf cake, mix all the ingredients together until completely combined.



Step 3

Line your loaf tin with greaseproof paper and lay a thin layer of the loaf cake mixture onto the base.


Step 4

Place the hearts into the loaf in a straight line. You will need to hold the first few in place but the line will steady itself the more you add.


Step 5

Place a full line of hearts into the loaf tin. Leave a slight gap at the front and back for the cake mixture.



Step 6

Place a spoonful of mixture at each end of the row of hearts.


Step 7

Spoon mixture down the sides of the hearts to keep them in place.


Step 8

Gently cover the tops of the hearts, making sure not to stir the mixture too much - otherwise the colours will run. Bake in the oven at 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 for 35mins or until golden and springy to the touch.



Step 9

Allow to cool then decorate as you please. We topped with a thin layer of Strawberry Marshmallow Fluff and rows of candy melts.


Step 10

Hidden heart loaf cake

(Image credit: Future)

Slice into your cake to reveal the perfect layers of hidden hearts!

Holly Boultwood
Content creator

Holly has over 15 years' experience understanding and creating digital content that people want to read and share. Holly's has created news and lifestyle content for brands, such Now Magazine, Best Magazine and Goodto.com.