Little Oven

Sweet Heart Cake

A soft, rich chocolate sponge layered with a creamy chocolate-nougat filling and finished with a smooth ganache. Perfect for special occasions or when you want something indulgent yet homemade.

Ingredients

Sponge Cake

  • 4 eggs
  • 120 g sugar
  • 100 ml oil
  • 100 ml milk
  • 150 g all-purpose flour
  • 30 g cocoa powder
  • 1 baking powder
  • 80 ml hot coffee

Chocolate-Nougat Cream

  • 400 ml heavy cream
  • 200 g chocolate (milk or mix of milk & dark)
  • 4 tbsp nougat spread (e.g. Nutella)

Nougat Ganache

  • 200 g milk chocolate
  • 100 ml heavy cream
  • 2 tbsp nougat spread

Instructions

1. Prepare the Sponge

Whisk the eggs and sugar for 3–4 minutes until the mixture becomes pale, light, and fluffy.

Add the oil and milk, mixing briefly until combined.

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder, then gently fold into the batter.

Add the hot coffee and mix by hand until smooth.

Divide the batter in half and pour into a heart-shaped pan.

Bake at 180°C (350°F):

  • 10 minutes uncovered
  • then 13 minutes covered with foil

Repeat with the remaining batter.
Let both sponges cool completely.

2. Make the Chocolate-Nougat Cream

Heat the heavy cream until just before boiling.

Pour over chopped chocolate and let sit for 1 minute.
Stir until smooth, then add the nougat spread and mix well.

Refrigerate for 2–3 hours, then briefly whip until slightly fluffy and spreadable.

3. Prepare the Ganache

Heat the heavy cream until just before boiling.

Pour over chocolate and stir until fully melted.
Add the nougat spread and mix until smooth.

Let cool until it thickens slightly but is still spreadable.

4. Assemble the Cake

Trim the tops of the sponge layers to create 3 even layers.

Layer the cake:

  • sponge
  • chocolate-nougat cream
  • sponge
  • chocolate-nougat cream
  • sponge

Cover the entire cake with the nougat ganache, then finish with the remaining cream.

Smooth the cake and decorate with chocolate crumbs on top.

✨ Tips

  • Don’t overwhip the cream — it should stay smooth and light.
  • Let the ganache cool slightly before spreading to avoid melting the cream layer.
  • The cake tastes even better after chilling for a few hours.