Trial Heart-shaped Valentine's Cake

For Valentine's Day I've decided to go all out (again). I love Valentine's Day - I love love, I love loving and I love to be loved - ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE, right? Anyway, I'm not big on the presents side of the holiday because I don't think it's about that at all, but I love to bake and my boyfriend loves chocolate so seeing as I made him some chocolate chip cookies last year I'm going to bake him a heart shaped chocolate cake this year.

Tonight I did my trial run with this cake tin which I purchased a few weeks ago (eager beaver) and it was fantastic! The cake slid out of the tin without a fuss and I was very impressed with how the cake itself turned out. So, I'm sharing the ever so simple recipe with you all because it was so damn fudgy and moist my housemates and I scoffed it all down in no time. No shame.
You will need:

• 100g unsalted butter, softened
• 100g caster sugar
• 100g self-raising flour
• 40g cocoa powder mixed with some hot water to form a paste
• 2 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 175°C and if using a regular tin, grease and line it. Beat the butter and sugar together til light and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat them in. Stir in the cocoa paste, then fold in the flour. Pour into your tin (or double the quantities to make a sandwich cake and use two tins) and bake in the oven for 25 minutes without opening the door (unless your oven is temperamental and your cake needs more/less cooking time). I promise you, this cake will NOT disappoint. I do not have a picture, I do apologise - but there is just one slice left as myself and two housemates scoffed it all as soon as it was iced and ready to eat.

Considering this was just a trial run I used an old packet of chocolate icing that my Mum gave me from September's cake and bake show in London. It wasn't actually too bad but for Valentine's Day I will be making my favourite chocolate fudge icing to smother all over this moist cake. Yum!
Hope I have inspired some of you to try this out as it is so easy and delicious! Happy Valentine's Day everyone :)

Goodbye, Flower xo