Mini Chocolate Loaf Cake with Surprise Inside

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and line lightly an 8x3x3 loaf pan. Set aside.

To make the heart center

1. In a bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time. Set aside.
2. In separate bowl, mix flour and baking soda. Carefully mix all the ingredients together then whisk for a few seconds until well-blended.
3. Mix a few drops of red food gel.
4. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
5. Let it cool before turning on to a wire rack to cool completely.
6. Put the cold loaf cake on a board and slice off both crusty ends.
7. Cut the loaf into 7 slices, using a heart-shaped cutter (3 cm wide at most), cut one heart from each slice.
8. Place on a tray lined with parchment paper and freeze hearts for 30 minutes.

For the chocolate cake

1. Grease and line lightly an 8x3x3 loaf pan. Set aside.
2. In a bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time.
3. Add mocha coffee flavor. Set aside.
4. In separate bowl, mix flour, cocoa powder and baking soda. Carefully mix all the ingredients together then whisk for a few seconds until well-blended.
5. Thickly spread some of the cake mixture over the bottom and sides of the tin, making sure it is completely covered.
6. Arrange the sponge hearts, upright, down the length of the tin, closely together so that they support each other.
7. Use a piping bag to pour the remaining cake mixture on top of the hearts, gently tapping the tin on the table to help the mixture settle around the hearts. Make sure the hearts are well covered in cake mixture to help create the surprise.
8. Put the tin on a baking tray and cake in the oven for about 30-35 minutes until risen and firm to the touch, and a skewer inserted into center comes out clean.
9. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from the tin, and leave to cool completely on a wire rack. Freeze for about 2-3 hours.

To decorate

1. Remove cake from the freezer. Place semi-sweet chocolate into a small, heavy-bottom saucepan.
2. Heat very gently, stirring continuously, until melted together and smooth. Remove from heat.
3. Put the loaf cake on the wire rack over a tray.
4. When the chocolate mixture starts to thicken, spoon over the top of the loaf.
5. Gently tap the wire rack on the tray to spread and smooth the icing on top, letting it drip down the sides of the cake.
6. Leave to stand in a cool place to stand in a cool place for several minutes to allow the icing to set before transferring to a serving plate.