Taylor Swift Blank Space Cake
To celebrate the release day of 1989 (Taylor's Version), I made this iconic Blank Space Cake. The dark chocolate layers, cherries, and rum go amazingly together. The funniest part is stabbing the heart-shaped cake several times and eating it straight from the plate!
Equipment
- 1 Mixer
- 2 cake molds
Ingredients
Cake Batter
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup yogurt
- ⅖ cup oil
- ¼ cup boiling water
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 6 tbsp cocoa
- 1 tbsp baking powder
Cherry Filling
- 7 oz cherries
- ½ cup compote
- 1 tsp instant cherry pudding
Chocolate Ganache
- 7 oz dark chocolate
- 3.5 oz heavy cream
White Chocolate Layer
- 3.5 oz white chocolate
Buttercream Frosting
- 3.5 oz butter
- 14 oz heavy cream
- 2 tsp rum
- 3.5 oz powdered sugar
Instructions
Making the Batter
- Divide dry and wet ingredients into separate bowls. Combine flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, and a pinch of salt in one, and eggs, yogurt, oil, and boiling water in the other. Now, add the dry mix to the wet one 2 spoons at a time and whisk until there are no flour lumps left.
- Butter the pan, bottom, and sides, and dust it with flour. Pour in half of the batter and bake at 350 °F (180 °C) for about 20 minutes. Do the same with the other half, as well. Check the doneness with a toothpick and let them completely chill to room temperature.
Making the Ganache
- Bring the heavy cream just below boiling point and fuse with chopped dark chocolate in a 1:2 ratio. Let it cool completely before assembling the cake.
Making the Cherry Filling
- Blend cherries and bring them to a simmer. Dilute instant cherry pudding powder in compote. Add it to the pot and stir. Remove from the stove after 30 seconds. Leave it to cool completely, as well, just keep in mind that it has to stay runny.
Making the Buttercream Frosting
- Mix slightly softened butter at high speed for a bit, then incorporate confectioners’ sugar and a splash of rum.
- In another bowl, mix the heavy cream to stiff peaks and add it in 3 portions to the butter mixture. Use the mixer at low speed for this one. Store it in the fridge while you wait for the cake to cool off.
Making the White Chocolate Layer
- Draw a heart the size of the cake on the baking paper and fill it with a thin layer of melted chocolate, nothing else. Toss it in the freezer to stiffen while you work on the cake.
Assembling the Cake
- Place the first layer of the cake, level it with a knife, and pour a bit of sour cherry compote over it.
- Coat it well with chocolate ganache, and press the other cake layer. Level this one, too.
- Border the heart shape with toothpicks and use a bread knife to cut it.
- Clean the crumbs and coat the first layer of buttercream on the sides.
- On top, pipe the frosting around the edges to make a little pool for your cherry filling. Pour the filling on top and cover it with the white chocolate layer. Use the rest of the buttercream to coat the cake from all sides and top.
- Leave the cake to stiffen a bit and it’s ready to eat. Leave the cake at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving for more drama and splash!
Notes
Storing Tips
Store the cake for 4 days in the fridge under a cake cover or in airtight containers.