Celebrate the season of love with a delightful and visually stunning Valentine’s Day Fault Line Cake! This exquisite dessert is not just a treat for the taste buds but also a feast for the eyes.
Whether you’re planning a romantic dinner or a festive gathering, this Valentine’s Day Fault Line Cake is sure to steal the spotlight and make your celebration extra sweet. So, let’s dive into the joy of baking and create a memorable masterpiece for the ones you hold dear.
Red Velvet Cake
Red velvet cake is the perfect cake for all things Valentine! With its bright red hue, tangy flavor and fluffy texture, it’s sure to please your sweet tooth.
- Cake flour: is a low protein content flour that helps to deliver a cake with a fine crumb.
- Baking powder: is a mixture of baking soda and cornstarch. Baking powder works twice, first when its introduced to moisture and second when it hits the heat.
- Dutch-processed cocoa powder: has a higher pH which neutralizes the acids and helps round out the flavor. Hot liquid such as water and coffee helps dissolve the remaining cocoa butter and helps distribute the flavor.
- Salt: helps with flavor.
- Unsalted butter: helps add flavor and texture to the cake. Using room temperature butter is best because it is malleable enough to be whipped, but firm enough to retain air. This helps to provide structure and leavening.
- Superfine sugar: helps to create an airy cake. TIP: You can make your own superfine sugar by processing granulated sugar in a food processor. Just be sure to add a few teaspoons more sugar in addition to the amount you need for the recipe. Then measure or weigh out and continue with the recipe.
- Vegetable oil: helps with moistness and also keeps the cake tender when chilled.
- Red Velvet Emulsion: adds taste and color to the cake.
- Eggs: binds, thickens and emulsifies.
- Buttermilk: adds a tangy flavor and helps with texture. It also tenderizes and creates fluffiness in the cake.
- Baking soda: is an alkali and must be used with an acidic ingredient such as buttermilk.
- Distilled vinegar: when mixed with baking soda vinegar creates carbon dioxide which leavens the cake. Once this action happens you should get the cake in the oven right away.
Cream Cheese Filling
- Mix all ingredients except the cream cheese together well.
- Add the cream cheese in at the very end of the mixing process.
- Cream cheese should be cut into chunks and at room temperature.
- After the cream cheese is added, mix for about 1 to 2 minutes. Keep a close eye on it at this stage to keep the filling from turning into soup. Don’t over mix!
Swiss Meringue Buttercream Tips
- Your mixer bowl should be clean and free of any traces of grease.
- Whisk the sugar and egg white together well before cooking, otherwise, the eggs may start to cook on their own.
- Make sure the water stays at a simmer in the double boiler.
- Your butter should be at room temperature before using, about 65 degrees.
- Add your butter in tablespoon pieces to the mixer bowl.
Fault Line Decorating Process
- Spread an even layer of buttercream over the top of the cake. Pipe a couple of rings of buttercream around the middle of the cake using a small offset cake spatula. Spread out the buttercream a bit, making sure you can place 3 rows of conversation heart candy around the buttercream ring.
- Start in the center and place conversation heart candy in a row, going around the cake. Place another row of heart candy on top of that row, moving all the way around. Lastly, place a third row of heart candy under the first row, going all around the cake, Creating 3 rows of heart candies.
- Fit a piping bag with Ateco piping tip #808 and fill with buttercream. Starting at the base of the cake, pipe 2 or 3 rings of buttercream, working upward until you reach the edge of the conversation hearts. Pipe another layer of buttercream rings over those to be sure you have enough buttercream that it extends over the layer of conversation hearts.
- Next, start from the top of the cake, and pipe another 2 or 3 rings working downward until you reach the conversation hearts. Pipe another layer of buttercream rings over those to be sure you have enough buttercream that it extends over the layer of candies.
- With a cake scraper, smooth out the buttercream, being careful not to push the buttercream into the candy. Once the buttercream is smooth, place the cake in the freezer for 15 minutes or refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow the buttercream to set.
- In a small bowl, combine 1/4 teaspoon gold luster dust and 3/4 teaspoons vodka and mix to combine. With a small food safe paintbrush, paint the jagged edges of buttercream around the conversation hearts to create a gold edge. If you have any buttercream left, you can pipe swirls on top and place a conversation heart on top of each swirl. (I used a Wilton 1M piping tip for my swirls.)
Baking and Cake Decorating Tools
- 3 8-inch round cake pans
- Nonstick baking spray
- Stand mixer
- Candy thermometer
- 8-inch round cake board
- Cake turntable
- Piping bag(s)
- Coupler or round piping tip
- Ateco piping tip #808
- 1 10.5 ounce package conversation heart candy
- Cake scraper
- Gold luster dust
- Vodka
- Food safe paintbrush
- Wilton piping tip #1M (optional)
Valentine’s Day Fault Line Cake Baking Schedule
- Day 1: Bake cake layers.
- Day 2: Prepare filling, buttercream, decorate and serve.
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Suggested Recipes
Adapted from The Sweetapolita Bakebook by Rosie Alyea
Valentine's Day Fault Line Cake
Yield:
24
Prep Time:
2 hours
Cook Time:
1 hour
Total Time:
3 hours
Step into the world of romance and indulgence with our enchanting Valentine's Day Fault Line Cake! Created with three layers of red velvet cake, cream cheese filling, pink Swiss meringue buttercream and conversation hearts!
Ingredients
SPECIAL TOOLS
- 3 8-inch round cake pans
- Nonstick baking spray
- Stand mixer
- Candy thermometer
- 8-inch round cake board
- Cake turntable
- Piping bag(s)
- Coupler or round piping tip
- Ateco piping tip #808
- 1 10.5 ounce package conversation heart candy
- Cake scraper
- Gold luster dust
- Vodka
- Food safe paintbrush
- Wilton piping tip #1M (optional)
RED VELVET CAKE
- 3 cups cake flour (12 ounces/345 grams), sifted
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Dutch-process cocoa powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 cups (14 ounces/410 grams) superfine sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons Red Velvet Bakery Emulsion or 1 tablespoons vanilla extract with 3 tablespoons red liquid food coloring
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
CREAM CHEESE FILLING
- 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces/297 ounces) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- Pinch of salt
- 1 8oz package cream cheese, cut into cubes and softened
SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM
- 1 cup (about 8 large eggs/240 ml) egg whites
- 2 cups (14 ounces/400 grams) granulated sugar
- 3 cups (6 sticks/675 grams) unsalted butter, cut into cubes, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Pink gel food color
Instructions
RED VELVET CAKE
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 3 8-inch round cake pans with non-stick baking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cocoa, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, oil and emulsion on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time and mix until each is just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Reduce the speed to low. In 3 additions add the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk in 2 additions and mix until just combined.
- In a small bowl, whisk the baking soda and vinegar together, and quickly whisk into the batter. Divide the batter evenly among the 3 prepared cake pans.
- Bake cakes in the center of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Let the cake layers cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Loosen the sides of the cake with a knife and invert them on to the wire rack to cool completely.
CREAM CHEESE FILLING
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed for 5 minutes. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, lemon juice and salt. Reduce the speed to low and beat for 1 minute.
- Increase the speed to medium and beat until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium-low and add the cream cheese and beat until smooth, about 1 minute. Do not over beat or the filling will become soupy.
SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, pour in the egg whites and sugar and whisk by hand until combined. Fill a medium saucepan with about 2 inches of water and bring to a simmer. Place mixer bowl on top, being sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water and attach a candy thermometer.
- Whisking occasionally, heat the egg mixture until the temperature reaches 160 degrees. Once the mixture reaches 160 degrees, transfer to a stand mixer and beat the mixture on high speed for 10 minutes or until medium-stiff peaks form. At this point the outside of the mixer bowl should be room temperature. Switch out the whisk attachment with the paddle attachment and with the mixer on low speed, add the butter one tablespoon at a time, and then add the vanilla extract. Once combined, turn up the mixer speed to medium-high and beat until the buttercream is smooth about 5 minutes. Add a small amount of pink gel food color to the buttercream and mix until combined.
ASSEMBLE
- Place one cake layer on the center of an 8-inch round cake board, and set on a cake turntable. Fit a piping bag with a coupler or round piping tip and fill with buttercream. Pipe a buttercream dam around the edge of the cake. Spread about 3/4 cup cream cheese filling on top in an even layer with an offset cake spatula. Place second cake layer on top and pipe another buttercream dam around the edge and spread another 3/4 cup cream cheese filling on top. Place last cake layer on top (top side down).
CRUMB COAT
- Apply a thin layer of buttercream over the top and sides of the cake creating a crumb coat. Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes or in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
DECORATING
- Spread an even layer of buttercream over the top of the cake. Pipe a couple of rings of buttercream around the middle of the cake and using a small offset cake spatula. Spread out the buttercream a bit, making sure you can place 3 rows of conversation heart candy around the buttercream ring.
- Start in the center and place conversation heart candy in a row, going around the cake. Place another row of heart candy on top of that row, moving all the way around. Lastly, place a third row of heart candy under the first row, going all around the cake, Creating 3 rows of heart candies.
- Fit a piping bag with Ateco piping tip #808 and fill with buttercream. Starting at the base of the cake, pipe 2 or 3 rings of buttercream, working upward until you reach the edge of the conversation hearts. Pipe another layer of buttercream rings over those to be sure you have enough buttercream that it extends over the layer of conversation hearts.
- Next, start from the top of the cake, and pipe another 2 or 3 rings working downward until you reach the conversation hearts. Pipe another layer of buttercream rings over those to be sure you have enough buttercream that it extends over the layer of candies.
- With a cake scraper, smooth out the buttercream, being careful not to push the buttercream into the candy. Once the buttercream is smooth, place the cake in the freezer for 15 minutes or refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow the buttercream to set.
- In a small bowl, combine 1/4 teaspoon gold luster dust and 3/4 teaspoons vodka and mix to combine. With a small food safe paintbrush, paint the jagged edges of buttercream around the sprinkles to create a gold edge. If you have any buttercream left, you can pipe swirls on top and place a conversation heart on top of each swirl. (I used a Wilton 1M piping tip for my swirls.)
- Carefully transfer to a cake pedestal and serve.
Notes
The cake layers will keep for 2 days wrapped tightly in plastic wrap at room temperature.
The filling will keep covered at room temperature for up to 6 hours, and then refrigerated in an air tight container for 3 days. Bring chilled frosting to room temperature and beat on low speed to soften.
Assembled cake can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 282Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 272mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 0gSugar: 10gProtein: 4g
*Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary.*