Valentine's Victoria Sponge Mini Heart Cakes

I have a thing about cream cakes. They're a huge weakness of mine, like Kryptonite to Superman, but instead of dying, they make you happy. Well, that is until you realise you ate one too many and have to bust out the fatty pants (jogging bottoms)!

But who cares? I mean, fatty pants are more comfy than regular ones, right? I 'like' my fatty pants.

Take Victoria Sponge Cake for example, so light and fluffy and perfect for Valentine's. I just had to make them pink and into mini heart shaped little treats of love. They also make the perfect Valentine's Day gift for a loved one too.

So, are you going to bake something for Valentine's Day or are you going to buy something instead?

Last year I wondered the supermarket aimlessly trying to get my shopping done when I found myself completely stranded in the Valentine's aisle, which suddenly appeared without warning, transformed from the aisle where my favourite face cream usually was! It's great having an aisle full of glowing fluffy and pink themed Valentine's goodies, but where's the blasted face cream gone?!

This recipe is really easy to make yet look fantabulous but if cream cakes aren't your thing, there are plenty of delicious treats on my blog!

Save Recipe Print

Victoria Sponge Mini Cakes

Beautifully light and fluffy, pastel pink, filled with whipped cream and strawberry conserve and topped off with a dusting of powdered sugar.

Prep time:15 minutes
Cook time:15 minutes
Yield: 12 mini cakes

Ingredients:

For the Victoria sponge cake:

• 200g butter, softened
• 200g caster (superfine) sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 200g plain (all-purpose) flour, sifted

For the filling:

• 150 ml double (heavy) cream
• conserve or jam

For decoration (optional):

• dusting of icing (powdered) sugar

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 180℃/350℉/Gas Mark 4. Grease and flour your heart muffin pan, or cake tin. (see notes)
2. To make the Victoria sponge cake, cream the butter and sugar until pale, light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time followed by a tablespoon of flour if it starts to curdle until all the eggs are combined. Add the remaining flour and vanilla extract and mix until just incorporated. If you will be tinting your cake mix, you will need to use gel food colourings and add it at this point until your desired shade is reached.
3. Pour the batter into your heart muffin pan and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. If using a large cake tin, increase baking time accordingly.
4. Once baked, allow the cakes to cool in their tin for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack upside down and allow to cool completely. Once cool, wrap each cake in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 1-3+ hours (15-25 mins in the freezer) until the sponge has firmed up.
5. Once firm, using a serrated knife trim any mounds from the tops of the cupcakes (this will be the bottom) then cut the cakes in half. Like making a sandwich, use a teaspoon and spread some of the conserve or jam onto both halves of the cakes. Pipe or spread whipped cream onto one half of the cake and use the other half to sandwich together. Repeat on all of the remaining cakes.
6. For decoration (optional), dust a little icing (confectioners') sugar onto the top of the mini cakes.

NOTE: If you don't have a heart shaped muffin pan, you can bake a regular large cake and use cookie cutters to cut out your shape(s).