Classic Cakes, Just for Two, with Recipes

Chocolate Cake with Passionfruit Filling
This recipe makes 2 complete cakes; you'll need two pans for each cake.

• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 3 tablespoons boiling water
• 1/3 cup cake flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
• 1/4 cup frozen passionfruit purée, thawed (find at your local supermarket)
• 1 egg yolk, beaten
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 recipe Vanilla Buttercream, divided in half (scroll to bottom for recipe)*
• 4 ounces purchased fondant
• Powder pink paste food coloring
• Red paste food coloring

Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously coat two 3 1/2-inch heart-shaped pans with butter; dust with flour. Shake out excess flour; set aside.

In medium mixing bowl combine cocoa powder and boiling water; stir to dissolve. Cool 10 minutes. In small bowl combine flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder and salt; mix well. In third bowl combine egg and vanilla; stir in 1 tablespoon cocoa mixture.

Add flour mixture and butter to remaining cocoa mixture; beat with electric mixer on medium speed 1 1/2 minutes. Add cocoa-egg mixture one half at a time, mixing well after each addition. Pour into prepared pans. (Reserve remaining batter.)

Bake 22 to 24 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans. Cool completely. Trim edges of cakes if necessary. Bake two more cakes with remaining batter.

Meanwhile, in small saucepan combine 1/4 cup sugar and unflavored gelatin; whisk in thawed passionfruit purée and egg yolk. Cook and whisk constantly over medium heat until thick (10 to 12 minutes). Whisk in softened butter. Transfer to small bowl; place in bowl of ice water. Cover top with plastic wrap; cool.

Place one cake on small plate; top with half of chilled passionfruit mixture. Top with another cake. Make second cake with remaining cakes and filling. Tint 1/3 cup Vanilla Buttercream with pink food coloring. Place frosting in pastry bag fitted with small round tip. Tint 2 tablespoons of buttercream red. Place in pastry bag fitted with small round tip. Set aside. Frost top and sides of cakes with remaining buttercream. Wrap and freeze one cake for up to 1 month, if desired. Chill second cake in freezer 1 hour before decorating.

To decorate one cake, reserve 1/2 ounce fondant; set aside. Tint remaining fondant with pink food coloring to desired color (add additional white fondant if color becomes too deep). Roll fondant to 1/8- to 1/4-inch thickness on surface sprinkled with powdered sugar. Place fondant over chilled cake; smooth over cake and trim edges. Roll out reserved fondant to 1/8- to 1/4-inch thickness. Using 1/2- to 1-inch small flower cookie cutter, cut flower shapes from fondant. Using your fingers, gently pull up edges to resemble a flower. Brush bottom of flowers with water and attach flowers to cake. Pipe small dots of red buttercream in center of flowers. Pipe small pink beads around base of cake with pink buttercream. Store cake in refrigerator. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving. Makes 2 cakes (2 servings each).

*Freeze remaining buttercream up to 1 month.