Mini Chocolate Cake for Two

Instructions

For the cakes:

1. Position oven rack to center of oven and preheat to 325°F/165°C.
   Use butter to grease 2 each, 4-inch x 2-inch (10 cm x 6 cm) round, springform cake tins.
   To a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa, set aside.
   Add the chocolate to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high in 30 second increments, stirring in between until melted.
2. To a large bowl beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the eggs to the butter and sugar one-at-a-time while beating then the milk and mix.
3. If it starts to look curdled or separates, don't worry it's not a fail. It just means the butter and sugar was not creamed long enough. It will turn out smooth when you fold in the flour. Fold in the flour mix and chocolate into the butter mix and fold until well mixed and smooth.
4. Divide the batter evenly between the 2 pans and bake for 30 minutes (depending how your oven is calibrated) until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
5. Remove the cakes from the pan and place onto a wire cooling rack. Allow to cool completely.
6. For the chocolate frosting:
   Cream the butter and powdered sugar using a hand or stand mixer until light and fluffy.
   Mix in the melted chocolate and cocoa (a little at a time) until well mixed. If the frosting is too thick, add a little of the milk to thin out. Set aside for 1 hour to firm up.
7. For the red frosting:
8. Divide the frosting between 2 bowls. Add the red dye to 1 bowl until you achieve the pink color you like.
   Add the frosting to a dual piping bag and set aside.
9. To assemble the cake:
10. Set one of the cake halves onto a flat surface that you can move. Spread 1/4 cup of the chocolate frosting onto the top. Place the other half of the cake on top. Spread an even layer of chocolate frosting all over the cake in a thin layer (this is call the crumb coat. if there are cake crumbs caught in the frosting, they will be covered with the next layer) and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
11. Remove the cake from the fridge and add another layer of chocolate frosting, smoothing with an offset spatula.
12. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
13. After 30 minutes, pipe the pink and white frosting on the top in your preferred design.
14. To make the chocolate heart:
15. Add melted chocolate (not baking chocolate as it does not harden) to a ziptop bag and snipped off a corner. Pipe the heart onto parchment paper and refrigerated it to let it harden. To make it even easier, you can print out a heart and place it under the parchment paper so you have an image to trace. How simple is that?