Ingredients:

  • 3 cups (375g) cake flour
  • 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp (12g) baking powder
  • ½ tsp (3g) salt
  • 1 cup (225g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 large eggs (200g)
  • 1 cup (240ml) whole milk
  • 1 tbsp (15ml) vanilla bean paste
  • 1 cup (125g) fresh raspberries
  • ¼ cup (50g) sugar
  • 1 tbsp (15g) cornstarch
  • 1 tsp (5ml) lemon juice
  • 5 large egg whites (150g)
  • 1 ½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
  • 2 cups (450g) unsalted butter, cubed and room temperature
  • 1 tsp (5ml) vanilla extract
  • red gel food coloring
  • blue gel food coloring
  • 4 oz (115g) white fondant
  • 1 silver cake topper
  • small edible pearls

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Incorporate eggs one by one, then alternate adding dry ingredients (cake flour, baking powder, salt) with milk and vanilla bean paste.
  2. Pour the batter into two greased 8-inch round cake pans and bake for approximately 30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.
  3. Prepare raspberry filling by simmering raspberries, sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice until thickened. Cool before use.
  4. Stack cooled layers with raspberry filling in between. Use a heart template to carve the cake into a heart shape using a serrated knife. Chill for 1 hour to set.
  5. Prepare Swiss Meringue Buttercream by whisking egg whites and sugar over a double boiler until dissolved, whipping to stiff peaks, and incorporating cubed butter and vanilla extract.
  6. Apply a thin crumb coat of buttercream and chill for 20 minutes. Apply a final layer of smooth white frosting.
  7. Using a star tip, pipe vintage ruffles around the top and bottom edges. Use red gel frosting to pipe a stethoscope shape across the center. Finish with the fondant nursing cap, silver topper, and edible pearl accents.