Heart Shaped Cakes Little House Food

MINI HEART-SHAPED CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees with rack in the center of the oven. Butter an 18-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet, line with parchment paper, butter parchment, and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together cocoa powder, food coloring, and 1/4 cup boiling water. Set aside to cool.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and shortening on high speed until smooth. Add sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Stir buttermilk and vanilla into cocoa mixture. Into another medium bowl, sift together flour and salt. With the mixer on low, add flour mixture alternating with cocoa mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat until incorporated.
• In a small bowl, mix together vinegar and baking soda until baking soda dissolves; mixture will fizz. Add to batter and mix until just combined.
• Pour batter into prepared baking sheet, smoothing the top. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 20 to 30 minutes, rotating pan after 10 minutes.
• Cook cake completely on a wire rack. Using a 4-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out 12 hearts.
• Place 4 strips of parchment paper around perimeter of a serving plate or lazy susan. Place 1 layer on the cake plate. Spread a thin layer of frosting on the cake; top with another heart, bottom side up. Cover entire cake with a thin layer of frosting and transfer to refrigerator for 10 minutes. Repeat process with remaining ingredients.
• Remove cakes from the refrigerator and cover each cake with a generous layer of frosting, smoothing as you go around to create a flat surface.
• Place chocolate in a pastry bag fitted with a small plain round tip; decorate as desired.

HEART SHAPED SUGAR CUBES FOR PARTIES

Steps:

• In a glass measuring cup, place the sugar and a half teaspoon of water (don't use more water or you will dissolve the sugar). You can add drop or two of any shade food coloring you wish. Stir together until thoroughly combined. The sugar should feel and look like wet sand.
• Press your sugar into little silicon ice cube molds. Be sure to press really firmly so your sugar will hold tight together. Once you've pressed the sugar firmly down into the mold, turn the mold over and the hearts will fall right out onto a plate. They turn out of the molds very easily. If one breaks when you turn it out, just press it back into the mold and then turn it back out again.
• I placed the plate directly into the freezer, uncovered. I left it there for 2-3 hours and the cubes hardened up nicely. Once they hardened up and were no longer so fragile, I tucked them into a baggies and returned them to the refrigerator. You can store them in either the refrigerator or the freezer. They hold together well once they harden up in the freezer.
• Right after you take them out of the freezer, that's a good time to clean up the edges of the heart. The little sugar crumbs around the edges break off and will leave a nicer looking edge.
• Notes: I always buy these molds at Dollar Tree or Michael's. They usually have them in fun shapes depending on the season and time of year. 1/4 cup of sugar makes about 8 sugar hearts. If you wish to make more, just double or triple the recipe.