Valentines Day Heart Shaped Mini Chocolate Cake

I am a huge lover of chocolate but rarely take the time and effort to bake something from scratch. This year however I have committed to being more deliberate with how I choose to spend my “free” time. (Does that really even exist)??

This Valentine’s Day I wanted to be deliberate and intentional in creating something luscious, chocolatety, and seductive. A practice of self love and love for others, right?

Chocolate + raspberry with a minimal hint of orange will bring just that. I can’t wait to sink my teeth into this.

It may be a tad more work than a whipping up a cake mix from a box or buying something from the bakery, but I’m feeling excited to create something so wonderful.

Intentional. Deliberate. And soooooo good.

Ingredients

  • Cake Mix:
  • 1 1/2 cups of flour
  • 1 cup of white sugar
  • 1/3 cup of dark cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
  • 1 cup of water
  • 1/3 cup of vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon of white vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
  • Raspberry Cream Cheese Filling:
  • 4 ounces of cream cheese softened
  • 1/2 cup of powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup of raspberry jam
  • 1 cup of whipping cream
  • Two drops pure wild orange EO
  • 12 oz bag of dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • Red and white sprinkles (optional)

Instructions

  1. Beat softened cream cheese and raspberry in a bowl. Add powdered sugar and whipping cream, mix on high speed until smooth. Place in the refrigerator.
  2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Next, add the water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Beat well until mixture has no lumps.
  3. Fill up each opening halfway with batter. If you decide to make cupcakes instead, fill up liners about a 1/3 full. You can find the mold I use in my Amazon shop below.
  4. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Once done, place mini cakes on cooling rack and allow them to completely cool. (I place them in the refrigerator to speed up the process)
  5. Carefully cut the mini cakes lengthwise and place both halves on the cooling rack with a cookie sheet underneath. (You’ll need it later to catch the excess chocolate)
  6. Add a spoonful of the raspberry filling to the flat side of one cake half and top with the second half.
  7. Melt dark or semi-sweet chocolate until smooth according to package instructions.
  8. Pour melted chocolate over mini cakes until fully covered. Smooth out with a spatula if needed. Add festive sprinkles or candies of your choice. Place in the refrigerator until chocolate sets.