Heart Vanilla-Almond Cake

This cake is built with layers of luxurious vanilla cream and delicate almond sponges that lay on a flaky sablé breton crust and praliné. The whole thing is then wrapped in marzipan. Each bite melts on the tongue—sweet, nutty, and utterly irresistible. Whether for a romantic gesture, a celebration of love, or simply because you deserve it, this heart-shaped masterpiece is guaranteed to conquer hearts, one slice at a time. Will yours be the next to fall? 💖

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Vanilla almond cake

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Sablé Breton Cookie Crust

Roll pastry into a ⅙-inch/4mm thick disk and freeze to harden. Use the heart cutter that comes with the mold (small side) to cut the pastry. Make 2 pastry hearts (save one for backup).

Baking

Preheat fan oven to 340ºF/175ºC. Bake sablé for about 15-18 minutes until golden brown. Let cool and spread of a layer of praliné.

Jocond Biscuit

Make 3 hearts out of jocond sponge. Save scraps for later use.

Montage

Contrary to stainless steel cake rings, when using silicone molds cakes are always built or assembled upside down. Place silicone mold onto a baking tray.
Remove the ganache montée from the refrigerator. In the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip ganache montée to medium-soft peaks (do not overwork, keep it supple).
Fill mold about 60 percent full.
Press the mousse upward and against the cake ring with a spatula or use the back of a spoon.
Add the first Jocond sponge disk. Press it down to ensure the sponge is evenly distributed.
Lightly wet sponge with the vanilla syrup.
Pipe another layer of vanilla mousse.
Add another sponge, and moisten with syrup; repeat.
Enclose cake with the crust (praliné spread against the mousse.) Freeze cake overnight.

Un-mold

Carefully, run a small offset spatula around the upper edge of the silicone mold.
Reverse and pop the cake over a frozen tray. Put cake back to the freezer immediately.

How To Apply Marzipan

Dust marzipan and countertop with cornstarch. Roll out marzipan into a 0.16-inch/4mm thick disk.
Grab cake from the freezer, and cover the frozen heart cake with.
Smooth the marzipan using the palm of your hand. Cut away some of the marzipan left on the countertop, and flip the cake.
Trim off the remaining marzipan left underneath.
Place the finished cake onto a cake board (use a dot of royal icing or glucose to stick the cake. Refrigerate or freeze cake for later use.
Decorate your cake according to the theme.