Valentines Cake With Surprise Inside

1 1/2 cups softened u salted butter

3 cups sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla

6 eggs

1 1/2 cups whole milk

3 3/4 cups flour

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

MAKES 4 pounds of cake

*make the recipe smaller or larger by doubling or even tripling up or down

Make sure the butter and eggs are room temperature
Add in the butter and sugar into a bowl
Also add in the vanilla
Beat the mixture together using a handmixer or a stand mixer for 5-8 minutes or until light and fluffy
While the butter is mixing, crack the eggs into a separate bowl
Also sift together dry ingredients including the salt
What does swifter dry ingredients into a separate bowl also
While the butter is still beating, add in your eggs one at a time
Once all the eggs are mixed into the butter mixture, add in a half of a cup from the flour mixture and continue mixing
Next add in a 4th cup of your milk into the bowl
You want to make sure that you start with your dry ingredients and end with your dry ingredients when you are putting in the flour and milk
Continue alternating pouring in the milk and flour mixture until the very last thing you mix into the cake batter is the flour mixture
The reason we do this is because if we put milk into a fatty mixture like the butter and egg mixture it would just be sloshing around and separating
That's why you always want to make sure to end and start with your dry ingredients
Poured the cake batter into prepared baking pans lined with waxed paper
Make sure to flatten the batter in the pan so that it bakes evenly
Also bring the pan with the batter onto your work surface
This removes any air bubbles that have formed
Bake the cakes into a 350° preheated oven and bake the cake for 30 to 50 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean

Grab a heart shaped cookie cutter the size of how large you want your cake to be
Take your fully cooked and cooled cake out of the pan carefully and lay it on top of your work surface
Using the cookie cutter, Cut a heart out of the cake or multiple hearts but I just did one because I cook that one heart into two layers
I did a total of four layers of cake but you can do however many you want
But to make that surprise inside of the cake you'll need at least three layers of cake
Using a smaller heart cookie-cutter, take the cookie cutter and place it on top of one of the heart shaped cakes you've cut already and make sure it is
in the middle
Press down onto the cookie cutter and cut the heart
Take the smaller cut out cake and set it aside
Do the same process to another heart-shaped cake layer or if you're using three layers only do it to one layer
To make sure that both of the two layers that were cut out are the same I put the cake with the smaller heart cut out on top of the uncut cake layer and place the smaller heart cookie-cutter into the already cut shape of the heart of the larger cake and press down
Once you have finished you'll end up with two layers of cake with smaller hard to cut out and two layers without smaller hearts cut out
If you were doing three layers you'll end up with one cake with a smaller heart cut out and two cakes with out any heart cut out
Always remember to chill your cake in the refrigerator

This step is optional because you can use any kind of candy you want but I chose chocolate
Melt chocolate on a double boiler without anything but chocolate
Melt untill the chocolate is a smooth consistency
Poured the melted chocolate into a piping bag
Tear a sheet of waxed paper and place it on top of your work surface
Start piping little hearts or any kind of shape
After you have finished piping the chocolate, place the chocolates into the refrigerator until firm

Take a regular cut out layer of cake and place it on to a platter. Spread a thin layer of butter cream on top of the layer. Next add in a cake layer with a smaller heart cut out directly on top of the regular cake layer and make sure it lines up. Next, spread a thin layer of frosting around the heart shaped cut out. Place another cake layered just like the second cake layer on top of it and spread another thin layer of icing around the heart shaped cut out. Next fill in that little chamber with your chocolate pieces or any kind of candy you want until it reaches the top of the last layer. I didn't want my candy to reach the top of the cake layer so I filled the rest of the chamber with buttercream. Put your last cake layer there on top making sure it lines up and ice the entire cake with a thin layer of buttercream. This is a crumb coat. Place the iced cake into the refrigerator until when you lightly put a finger on top of the buttercream your finger will be clean. Next, take the cake out of the refrigerator and spread a thick layer of buttercream around the whole cake. Pipe on any details you want. I piped on tiny roses on top of the cake and decorate the rest of the cake with the leftover candy. Place the finished cake into the refrigerator until it is firm.

This is a very easy and fun cake to make this Valentine's Day
When you slice into the cake, the candy hidden inside will fall out onto the platter
I made this cake for my wife and she was amazed at how it looked and tasted
This Vanilla cake was buttery and rich
I hope you make this surprise cake this Valentine's Day for a loved one or for yourself :)
Enjoy!