Love Bites: Heart-Shaped Cake
As Valentine's Day draws near, the love is in the air here at The Kokomo Post. In our latest endeavor to make this day extra special, we're thrilled to unveil our latest series, "Love Bites." Join us as we meet up with local chefs and bartenders who teach us simple ways to elevate our celebrations. In the third episode, we had the pleasure of teaming up with Adrienne Partlow, owner of The Radish Market & Cafe, and Josh Lastname, the cafe's manager, as they guided our host, Erin, through the creation of a heart-shaped cake—a surefire way to win over the hearts of your Valentine.
The Radish Market & Cafe is known for its commitment to sourcing local goods from an array of vendors. Soon, they'll be introducing their own shelf-stable products, including a housemade cake mix—an exciting addition to their collection. The recipe for our Valentine's Day masterpiece begins with a jar of their signature vanilla cake mix, combined in a mixing bowl with two eggs, a half cup of milk, a splash of vanilla, and butter. Once all of the ingredients have been added to the bow, it’s time to mix, being sure not to over-mix. Adrienne assures us that a few clumps in the batter are perfectly acceptable.
Since we're celebrating the season of love, the batter is poured into a heart-shaped silicon cake pan, ready to be baked at 350 degrees for 20-35 minutes. As Adrienne walks Erin through the baking process, she then hands the baton to Josh, who guides her through the art of cake decoration.
Josh, armed with a second heart-shaped cake, demonstrates the creation of a layered masterpiece. Beginning with a border of icing piped around the edge of the first cake and jam spooned into the center, serving as a delicious filling. The second cake is gently placed atop, with the icing and jam acting as the glue to hold everything together.
Next comes the icing—applied using a piping bag, Josh and Erin apply the first layer of icing. The first layer, known as the "crumb coating," provides a base for the final layer of icing, resulting in a polished finish. With store-bought icing and piping tips, the two then add decorative touches to the cake, using a star-shaped tip to dot a border around the edges.
In keeping with the Valentine's Day theme, the duo decides to top the cake with a sweet message, spelling out "Love" using a toothpick to trace out their design and then tracing again with the icing. And just like that, our delicious masterpiece is complete—a labor of love for that special someone!
As you prepare to celebrate Valentine's Day, let "Love Bites" be your guide to creating memorable moments that will leave your Valentine feeling loved. Join us in spreading love, one delectable bite at a time. You can watch the full episode by clicking here.
