Mini Heart Cakes

Perfect for gifting on Valentine's Day, our mini heart cakes are made with yogurt so they are deliciously light, moist and tangy with a refreshing lemon flavour.

We are excited to share our mini heart cakes as not only do they taste great, they make the cutest gifts for Valentine's Day.

Individually sized heart shaped cakes are a great way for everyone to enjoy these moist, tangy, tender crumb cakes with refreshing lemon flavour.

Its a simple one bowl recipe and one that younger members of the family can help with decorating.

You will need either a muffin tray with heart shapes or a baking tray with a raised edge and a heart shape cookie cutter.

These mini cakes are great on their own or dusted with powdered sugar and as they are not too sweet, you can add toppings such as this lemon icing glaze, fresh berries and cream, or your favourite frosting.

They are a perfect treat for any time of the day, we even love them for breakfast.

If you like tangy desserts you may also like our banana yogurt cake, Greek yogurt fruit dip, orange frozen yogurt, strawberry frozen yogurt or yogurt pancakes.

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Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Step by step instructions
• Helpful tips
• Substitutions
• Making heart shapes
• Need a bigger cake?
• Storage
• You may also like ...
• Pairing
• Recipe
• Reviews

Ingredients

• eggs - use at room temperature for better mixing.
• caster sugar - is ideal as it dissolves easily in the mixing process. See our substitutions below for notes on using granulated sugar.
• plain yogurt - adds moisture and gives a wonderful tangy flavour. Plain Greek yogurt will also work (see recipe card notes).
• olive oil - or any vegetable oil. Oil makes the cakes moist and more tender compared to butter which gives a denser crumb.
• all purpose flour - sift once before using for fluffier cakes.
• baking powder - sift with the flour for better mixing.
• cornstarch - sift with the flour for better mixing.
• lemon zest - or orange zest, for a refreshing citrus flavour.

See the recipe card below for quantities.

Step by step instructions

5. Pour the cake mixture in the sections of a muffin tray with heart moulds and bake.

6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan before turning out.

7. Make sure the cakes are cool before icing or the icing will melt off.

8. Dust the cakes with powdered sugar and serve with fresh berries.

Why not try them with our lemon icing glaze or this chocolate frosting.

Helpful tips

• Bring the eggs to room temperature before using so it mixes properly.
• Take care not to over mix the flour mixture or you will get dense flat cakes.
• Make sure the baking powder is within date or the cakes will not rise.

Substitutions

Here are a few ideas for substitutions in case you're short on of any these ingredients, or to suit tastes and diets.

• plain yogurt - instead use 210g (¾ cup) Greek yogurt + 120 mls (½ cup) milk.
• lemon zest - substitute with 1 tablespoon orange zest.
• olive oil - or any vegetable oil. You could use 110 grams (½ cup) butter but this will make the cakes more dense.
• caster sugar - use the same quantity of granulated sugar and grind to a fine powder. Granulated sugar does not dissolve as easily as caster sugar.

Making heart shapes

We use a Le Creuset non-stick heart muffin tray for these mini cakes.

Although the pan is non-stick we apply a very thin layer of oil or butter to ensure the cakes pop out easily.

If you don't have a similar tray, make a large cake (see below for tips), then use a heart shape cookie cutter to press out the shapes.

Need a bigger cake?

Our mini cakes recipe can also be used to make a larger cake.

For a large heart shaped cake - follow the steps in the recipe then pour into a larger heart shape pan and bake till a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Using cookie cutters - If using heart shaped cookie cutters you will need to make a large thin cake. Pour the mixture into a baking pan with a rolled edge, e.g. a pan roughly 33x45x5 cms or 13x18x2 inches, and bake for 20 minutes or till a toothpick comes out clean.

Storage

The cakes will dry out if left uncovered so wrap leftovers in plastic or store in a sealed container and keep in a cool area or in the fridge for up to 3 days.

To freeze, double wrap in plastic or place in a sealed container with parchment paper between the layers. Thaw on the counter and bring to room temperature before serving or decorating.

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Pairing

These are our favourite things to serve with mini heart cakes:

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Recipe