WHITE CHOCOLATE SWEETHEART CAKE

Celebrating the one you love is best done… indulgently. But you also want it to be fuss-free and guaranteed to work. This cake is all of that, in one recipe.

Preparation time 20 mins Cooking time 50 mins Serves 12

225g unsalted butter,

at room temperature

1 cup caster sugar

2 free-range eggs

1†/ˆ tsp vanilla bean paste 375g white chocolate, melted Œ/Ž cup buttermilk

1†/Ž cups self-raising flour, sitted 500g full-fat block cream cheese 2 cups icing sugar

2 punnets raspberries

Red writing gel, to decorate

STEP 1 Preheat oven to 170°C fan-forced (190°C conventional). Combine 125g of the butter with caster sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat with the paddle attachment on medium speed for 5 minutes, until light. Beat in eggs one at a time, then fold in half of the vanilla.

STEP 2 Fold in 125g of the white chocolate, alternating with the buttermilk and flour. Spoon into a buttered and floured 22cm heart cake tin and bake for 45-50 minutes, until a skewer can be inserted and removed cleanly. Cool on a wire rack.

STEP 3 Combine remaining butter with cream cheese, icing sugar and remaining vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium speed for 10 minutes, until light. Fold in remaining chocolate.

STEP 4 Slice the cake into 3 layers using a bread knife, then sandwich back together with a little icing between each layer. Cover the cake with remaining icing, then decorate with raspberries and dots of red writing gel. Serve.