Valentine’s Day Cakelettes

Valentine’s Day Cakelettes

Just in time for Valentine’s Day.  

The special thing about these heart-shaped cakelettes is not the cake–that’s just a boxed Devil’s Food mix.  What’s special about these is the glaze; an absolutely orgasmic chocolate raspberry ganache.  This adds a hint of tartness to the sweet making these the perfect tea-time snack.  

The final touch is a drizzle of white chocolate…but be warned.  White chocolate melted is DIFFICULT to work with.  If you buy Lindt or Tobler, these contain cocoa butter and will melt nicely.  I don’t usually have those, but I do have white chocolate chips, which don’t contain cocoa butter.  I add about 1 tsp of Crisco to about a cup of white chips and melt in 30-second stages in the microwave, stirring after each 30 seconds.  This won’t drizzle from a spoon so I use a sandwich bag with a teenie portion of the corner cut off.  You must keep an eye though–it will clog because the white chocolate will lump up.  Just clear the lump by pinching the corner of the bag to release the solidified lump and you can start in again.  Of course, you CAN leave out this step; it’d be much easier.  It’s really only for decoration.  If you’re brave, then go ahead!  I did read somewhere that if you have a bit of drizzing to do, then use a squeeze bottle.  What was shown looked like an old-time plastic ketchup bottle.  That probably would work well and a set of mustard & ketchup bottles are cheap enough.  Every dollar store I’ve ever been in has had them.

• 1 box Devils Food cake mix
• (all ingredients called for on the box)
• 
  
• Chocolate Raspberry Ganache:
• 
  
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels
• 2 tbs unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup seedless raspberry preserves
• 
  
• White Chocolate Drizzle:
• 
  
• 1 cup white chocolate morsels
• 1 tsp vegetable shortening
• (and you may need more shortening, but add it in 1/4 tsp amts)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (or 325 degrees if using a dark or coated pan).

Line the bottom of a 15 x 10 x 1-inch jelly roll pan with baker’s parchment.  Mix cake according to box directions.  Spread in prepared pan.

Bake cake 20-25 minutes, turning pan halfway through the baking time.  Cake is done when center springs back or toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool on rack 10 minutes.  Release cake on rack and carefully remove parchment.  DO NOT INVERT.  The bottom will be the top!  Cool completely.

When cool, use heart-shaped cookie cutter (about 2-inches at widest part) and cut out heart-shaped portions of cake.  Place portions on a rack set in a large cookie sheet or jelly roll pan.

Prepare ganache by heating cream to a simmer.  Remove from heat and add remaining ganache ingredients.  Let sit for 2 minutes.  With wire whisk, beat ganache until smooth.  

Using a small ladle or very large spoon, coat each cakelette with ganache.  Ganache that has dripped into the pan beneath may be scraped up and reheated and used for additional glazing.  Let ganache set.  This will take about 4 hrs.

Melt white chocolate and shortening.  Stir until completely smooth.  Using a plastic sandwich bag or the squeeze bottle mentioned above, pipe thin lines of white chocolate diagonally across hearts.  Let set.

Makes about 36