Happy Valentine's Day

If you're celebrating Valentine's with that special someone and wondering about what to give him or her, why not something out of the box? Instead of the usual chocolates, bake your own cake and wrap it nicely :)

The good thing about this gift is that you can add your personal touch, suit his or her tastes and is an almost foolproof gift for someone who seems to have everything! (It's not only if he/she doesn't like cake...but hey, that's rare). Here's just one idea for the cake. Click here for another.

Hope you all had a fantastic weekend! Happy Valentine's Day:)

Almond Sponge Cake with Chocolate and Raspberry

adapted from Gourmet Traveller

makes a 20cm (8") cake

Almond Sponge Cake

Ingredients

50g almond meal

190g cake flour

8 eggs

220g caster sugar

80g butter, melted and cooled

Method

1. Butter and line 2x20cm round cake pans and preheat the oven to 160C.
2. In a food processor, pulse the almond meal and flour until fine. Triple sift.
3. Beat the eggs and sugar until thick, pale and triple in volume (can take between 7-15 minutes depending on your mixer's speed).
4. Fold in the flour.
5. Fold in the melted butter.
6. Distribute evenly among the pans and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and springy to the touch.
7. Unmold and cool on a wire rack 

Raspberry Filling 

Ingredients

130g raspberry jam

1/2 cup raspberry

1 tbsp water

Method

1. Place jam, raspberries and water in a small saucepan over low heat.
2. Stir until melted and well combined.

Dark-chocolate Raspberry Ganache

Ingredients

200g dark chocolate, chopped

50g raspberry filling

2 tbsp milk (can also be 200ml heavy cream)

Method

1. Place chocolate and raspberry filling in a saucepan over low heat.
2. Stir together until melted and combined.
3. Add the milk and stir until smooth.

Assembly

1. Spread the raspberry filling on each of the cake layers.
2. Place one layer over the other, with the filling between them.
3. Pour the chocolate ganache over the cake.
4. Top with ferrero roche, dust with cocoa powder.
5. Place in the refrigerator to harden