Strawberry-Filled Chocolate Cake Hearts

Just in time for Valentines. You will delight your sweetheart(s) with these!

1 cup cake flour; sifted, plus
1 tablespoon cake flour; sifted, divided
3/4 cup sugar; plus
2 teaspoons sugar; divided
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 egg whites; room temperature
1 teaspoon powdered sugar; sifted
1 3/4 cups strawberries; thinly sliced
Chocolate-orange sauce


Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 15 x 10 inch jelly roll pan with aluminum foil, allowing foil to extend beyond ends of pan. Coat foil with nonstick cooking spray; dust with 1 tablespoon flour and set aside. Combine 3/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl; stir well. Make a well in the center of the mixture. Combine water, oil and vanilla; add to dry ingredients, stirring until blended. Set aside. Beat egg whites in a large bowl until foamy. Add 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Fold 1/3 of egg white mixture into chocolate mixture. Carefully fold in remaining egg whites and 1/4 cup flour. Spoon batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly to the sides of the pan. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 30 minutes. Invert pan onto a baking sheet; remove pan, and carefully peel foil away from cake. Cut cake into 28 hearts, using a 2 1/2-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter; discard remaining cake. Sprinkle hearts with powdered sugar; set aside. Combine sliced strawberries and remaining 2 teaspoons sugar in a small bowl; toss well. Spoon about 1 tablespoon chocolate-orange sauce onto a dessert plate; top with a chocolate cake heart, 2 tablespoons sliced strawberries, and another cake heart. Repeat procedure with remaining ingredients.