Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C / 160°C fan assisted / gas 4. Grease and flour 2x 20cm (8inch) round cake tins or similarly sized heart-shaped cake tins. Set aside.
2. For the sponge, beat the butter, sugar and salt together with a stand or hand-held mixer until well creamed.
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, adding the vanilla with the last egg. Beat for about 2-3 minutes with each addition. Tip: Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
4. Add the flour and mix just until combined and no dry flour is visible.
5. Divide batter evenly between the prepared cake tins, smoothing the top with a spatula or back of a spoon. Bake in the pre-heated oven until a toothpick or sharp knife comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes.
6. Once baked, leave to cool in baking tins on a wire rack for about 10 minutes, then carefully turn sponges out onto the wire rack and leave to cool completely.
7. To assemble the cake, whisk the double cream and caster sugar just until you have firm peaks that hold their shape. Set aside.
8. Level the top of one of the sponges by trimming with a bread knife if the cake domed a bit while baking.
9. Place this sponge on the serving plate then spread the raspberry jam over the top of this sponge.
10. Spoon about ¾ of the whipped cream on top of the jam and carefully spread it evenly just shy of the edges.
11. To cut a heart shape out of the second sponge, either use a large heart-shaped cookie cutter, or you can use a small sharp knife, or, use a 5cm round pastry cutter to cut out the two top mounds of a heart, then use a sharp knife to cut the sharp triangular shape for the bottom of the heart.
12. Carefully lift and place the sponge on top of the whipped cream, press lightly to make sure it’s sitting evenly. Dust with icing sugar.
13. Spread the remaining whipped cream in the cut-out heart (use a small spatula or back of a teaspoon to spread it evenly) then fill with fresh raspberries.
14. Best eaten on the day of assembly, but can be kept in the fridge in an airtight container for 1-2 days.
15. Sponges can be baked a day ahead and stored in airtight freezer bags at room temperature until needed.