Vanilla Love Cake

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter ”                                                                  Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

I’m not very politically inclined. I don’t see things from a political perspective, but rather, a human one. I know there is a lot going on in our world and my happy little food blog doesn’t typically delve into serious issues. I try to keep this a place for sharing food I love…with a few fun stories thrown in for good measure. It’s always my hope to bring joy, cooking inspiration, and maybe even an escape from whatever stressors occupy your mind (even if just for a few minutes). However, I also sometimes find it difficult to separate my thoughts and feelings from what I bring to this little space. So, because I strive to bring you my genuine self, I will share one of the things that’s been on my mind lately. But, not to worry, we’ll end this post on a deliciously happy note with this Vanilla Love Cake…made with lots of love and purpose.

          It’s hard to keep updated on international affairs, especially when our own country has enough news to keep our minds completely saturated. If you’re familiar with this blog, you may know that half of my family (my mom’s side) is from Nicaragua. It’s a country that’s dear to my heart. This post is my way of showing support for the people of Nicaragua following the injustices that have recently ensued there. They are no longer about politics, but rather, about humanity.

Nicaragua has a long history of political and humanitarian struggle. Last month, violence broke out after student demonstrators (peacefully) expressed their frustration and upset following newly proposed and very harsh pension reforms. As is often the case in country’s run by dictators, money ends up misused and in the pockets of corrupt leaders. The peaceful protesters were met with violence and many young lives were lost under the direction of President Ortega (whose mentor and BFF was none other than Fidel Castro). This sparked a massive countrywide outcry that’s been a long time coming. The protests (which are ongoing), are now not only about what ensued that day in April, but also, about years of oppression under Ortega’s rule. It has awoken the Nicaraguan community and inspired them to take a stand.

So, in watching and reading from afar, I realized that I have a platform (even if small) to shed some light on what is going on and to show support for a repressed community…one that is warm, faith-filled, and hard-working. On a larger scale, I believe it’s important and necessary to expose all dictators who support the destruction of the human spirit with their unjust, self-satisfying motives. It was long overdue, and Mr. Ortega, you can’t have your cake and eat it too.

And speaking of cake (how’s that for a transition)…I know we can’t solve the world’s crises with cake, but to me, baking for someone is an expression of love. For the people of Nicaragua and for you, my supporters and readers…I baked.

       This Vanilla Love Cake is made using my favorite vanilla cake recipe and a really fun technique. The vanilla cake is very fluffy and has deep vanilla flavor. While most cake recipes are made using only whole eggs, this one has five egg whites and one whole egg. The egg whites (and the cake flour) give this cake it’s light, fluffy texture. Also, this recipe is heavy on the vanilla extract (over 2 teaspoons), giving it big vanilla flavor.

The manner in which this batter is made is a bit different than the typical method. Instead of creaming the butter and sugar together to start, all of the dry ingredients are mixed together first. Then, chilled pieces of butter are added in one at a time followed by the milk and egg mixture.

“Surprise Inside Cakes” became popular several years ago, but I had never tried making one until now. From the research I did on them, it seems there are a few different methods out there. I went with what I thought seemed easiest. The approach I used is a combination of two different ones I found. After having made this cake, I can tell you, it worked like a charm and I didn’t encounter any problems. It’s a bit time-consuming because of the different cake batters required, but it’s very doable. Here’s how I did it…

The cake is baked in two separate batches, so I made the same recipe twice with just a couple of minor tweaks. The first batch is colored and becomes the surprise inside (a blue heart in this case). The second batch is used for the white part of the cake.

I baked my first batch (the one for the blue heart) in a large 13″ x 18″ baking pan with 1″ sides. Once baked, I let it cool and then covered it in plastic wrap and placed it in the freezer. Frozen or semi-frozen cake is easier to work with. The next step was to use a heart cookie cutter to cut blue cake hearts out of the frozen cake. I just cut out as many as I could (which was 12 for the cookie cutter I used). I placed the heart cut-outs back in the freezer while I prepared the second batch. At this point and before proceeding to batch #2, you can take a cake break – sit for 5 minutes and eat all the blue scraps while your children are not around (you don’t always have to share). Quality control is an adult job.

The second batch is made in the same manner with only a couple of small adjustments. The differences are – you don’t need to color the batter, a little extra baking powder goes in, and it’s baked in small square pans. I used these 6″ x 6″ pans and ended up having enough white cake batter to bake three square cakes using these pans. Any small square pan would work. Small round pans can be also be used, but before standing the cakes upright for decorating, the bottoms would have to be cut off a little to create a flat side as a base. I have also seen these surprise inside cakes made in long loaf pans by standing the shapes upright inside before adding the white batter.

I only ended up using half of my blue hearts for this size cake. If you want to use them all, you can double the recipe for the white cake batter. The blue heart cakes are placed (still frozen) into the pans. I fit two hearts stacked up in each pan and skewered them together with toothpicks for extra stability during baking. Just make sure to remove the toothpicks later. The white cake batter is then carefully poured in all around using a measuring cup and the cakes are baked for about 35 minutes.

Once cooled, they are trimmed so there are no domed tops and they are frosted with the frosting flavor of your choice (I used vanilla cream cheese frosting).

To assemble the cakes, frost the cut surface of two of them. The frosting will act as glue to hold the cakes together. Then, place the cakes upright on a cake board or serving plate. Frost and decorate however you choose. After frosting, I covered it in fondant and decorated it with cut-out fondant hearts.

This cake is easy to adjust based on your favorite colors and cookie cutters. It would be so fun for a kid’s birthday party matching the surprise inside to the party theme. Endless possibilities.

To my family, the people of Nicaragua, and others all over the world who refuse to be silenced and have the courage to stand up for humanity, I thank you. I send you my love, support, and admiration. This cake was inspired by you.

You might also like:

My Favorite Vanilla Pound Cake

Gallo Pinto – Nicaraguan Rice & Beans

Cake method adapted (slightly modified) from Handmade Charlotte. 

Vanilla cake recipe adapted (slightly modified) from Sweetapolita.