Wow everyone with a mouth-watering dessert this Mothers Day. Simply whip up a crunchy biscuit base and decorate with Swiss meringue buttercream for a show-stopping afternoon treat.
Serves2424
Cook time1 hr 30 mins1 hour 30 minutes
Prep time40 mins40 minutes, + cooling and 30 minutes resting time
+ cooling and 30 minutes resting time
Love heart biscuit cake
To make the meringues, preheat the oven to 100 degrees Celsius. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Use an electric mixer to whisk the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl until soft peaks form.
Gradually add the sugar one tablespoon at a time and continue beating until the sugar is completely dissolved. Spoon the meringue mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm fluted nozzle.
Pipe the meringue in different sizes onto the lined tray. And bake for one hour or until they are dry to the touch.
Turn off the oven and leave the meringues with the door ajar to cool completely.
To make the biscuit dough, use an electric mixer to beat the butter, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl until pale and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the combined flour and stir.
Turn onto a lightly floured surface and gentle knead until smooth. Shape into a disc.
Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest. To make the Swiss meringue buttercream, combine the egg whites and sugar in a clean, dry heatproof bowl.
Place over a saucepan of simmering water, whisk for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the sugar completely dissolves. Remove from heat.
Use an electric mixer to whisk constantly for 15 minutes, or until the mixture is thick and glossy and cools to room temperature.
Gradually add the butter one piece at a time. Add food colouring and raspberry baking paste and whisk to combine.
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Divide the dough into two even portions.
Roll out one dough portion on a large sheet of baking paper to a 4mm-thick disc. Cut a large heart from the dough, reserving excess. Remove the centre and reserve the excess dough.Repeat with the remaining dough portion.
Bake large hearts, swapping trays halfway through cooking, for 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly golden.
Roll out the reserved dough on a lightly floured surface to a 3mm-thick disc. Use small heart-shaped cutters to cut the shapes and place on the lined tray.
Brush the small hearts with a little egg white and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for five minutes or until lightly golden and then set aside on the tray to cool.
Place half the buttercream in a piping bag fitted with a 2cm plain nozzle. Place one large heart biscuit on a serving plate. Pipe the buttercream.
Spoon the jam in the gaps between the rows. Top with remaining large heart biscuit.
Pipe remaining buttercream in two rows over the top of the biscuit. Decorate with meringues, small heart biscuits and raspberries.
Ingredients
Meringues
2 egg whites
½ cup (110g) caster sugar
Biscuit
125g butter, softened
⅔ cup (150g) caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
2 eggs
1⅓ cups (200g) self-raising flour
1 cup (150g) plain flour
Swiss meringue buttercream
6 egg whites
1½ cups (330g) caster sugar
500g butter, softened
½ tsp raspberry-flavoured baking pasta (optional) or vanilla bean pasta (optional)
Pink liquid food colouring
Check ingredient labels to make sure they meet your specific dietary requirements and always consult a health professional before changing your diet. View dietary information here.
Percentage Daily Intake information on our recipes is calculated using the nutrition reference values for an average Australian adult.
Method
Step 1
To make the meringues, preheat oven to 100°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Use an electric mixer to whisk the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, 1 tbs at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until sugar is completely dissolved. Spoon the meringue mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm fluted nozzle. Pipe meringues in different sizes onto the lined tray. Bake for 1 hour or until dry to the touch. Turn oven off. Leave meringues in the oven, with the door ajar, to cool completely.
Step 2
To make the biscuit dough, use an electric mixer to beat the butter, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl until pale and creamy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the combined flour and stir to combine. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead until smooth. Shape into a disc. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 mins to rest.
Step 3
To make the Swiss meringue buttercream, combine the egg whites and sugar in a clean, dry heatproof bowl. Place over a saucepan of simmering water and use a balloon whisk to whisk for 8-10 mins or until the sugar completely dissolves and mixture reaches 70°C on a sugar thermometer. Remove from heat. Use an electric mixer to whisk constantly for 15 mins or until mixture is thick and glossy and cools to room temperature.
Step 4
With the mixer running, gradually add the butter, 1 piece at a time, whisking well after each addition. Continue whisking for 2 mins or until the mixture is smooth. Add raspberry baking paste, if using, and food colouring and whisk to combine.
Step 5
To bake and assemble, preheat oven to 180°C. Divide the dough into 2 even portions. Roll out 1 dough portion on a large sheet of baking paper to a 4mm-thick disc. Use a 27cm-high, 30cm-wide heart-shaped stencil and a small sharp knife to cut a large heart from the dough, reserving excess. Use a 15cm-high, 17cm-wide heart-shaped stencil and a small sharp knife to cut a heart from the centre of large heart. Remove centre and reserve with the excess dough. Transfer the large heart on the paper to a baking tray. Repeat with the remaining dough portion. Bake large hearts, swapping the trays halfway through cooking, for 12-15 mins or until light golden. Set aside on trays to cool.
Step 6
Line another baking tray with baking paper. Roll out reserved dough on a lightly floured surface to a 3mm-thick disc. Use small heart cutters to cut out shapes and place on the lined tray. Brush the small hearts with a little egg white and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 5 mins or until light golden. Set aside on the tray to cool.
Step 7
Place half the buttercream in a piping bag fitted with a 2cm plain nozzle. Place 1 large biscuit heart on a serving plate. Pipe buttercream in 2 rows over the biscuit. Spoon jam into the gaps between the rows. Top with remaining large biscuit heart. Pipe remaining buttercream in 2 rows over the top of the biscuit. Decorate with meringues, small biscuit hearts and raspberries.
