Hidden Heart Cake

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Grease and flour a long rectangle baking pan (approximately 30cm or a 2lb loaf tin).

2. ,Cream together 200g Stork and 200 g sugar. Add the 4 eggs to the mixture one by one and beat in.

3. In a separate bowl mix together 300g flour, 2 tsp baking powder and a pinch of salt and stir into the mixture alternately with 100 ml milk.

4. Colour the mixture bright red with the food coloring (start with a small amount and then keep adding until you get the colour you want).

5. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake in the oven for approximately 55 minutes. Test with a skewer; it should come out clean when the cake is done. Let the cake cool for about 10 minutes and remove it from the tin.

6. Leave the cake to cool entirely on a wire rack. Once completely cooled cut into thick slices. Cut heart shapes out of the slices of cake.

7. Prepare the cake mixture a second time as described in steps 1-3. Pour a small amount of the mixture onto the bottom of the prepared pan. Arrange the hearts closely together in a row in the mixture. Fill pan with the rest of the mixture. Bake for approximately 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Once cooked remove from the oven and leave to cool as before.

8. If desired, a chocolate topping can be added: Melt 200g chocolate either in the microwave or over a bain marie. Pour over the cooled cake. Cut the cake into slices and serve, enjoying every heart, one bite at a time.

You can play around with different colours and cookie cutters to create other hidden effect cakes. If you don’t fancy a heart, how about a butterfly or a star?

Recipe courtesy of Stork