Why not give your love an edible valentine this year? This cake can be made with a variety of fruits. Just pick your sweetie's favorite. Everything is better when made with love.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2/3 cup buttermilk
1 vanilla bean

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (1 stick, 113 grams)
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
3 eggs, separated

about 2 cups fruit peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces*
plus more for topping

Pre-heat oven to 350°F (180°C)
Coat a rectangular cake pan with oil and line with parchment.

In a large bowl whisk together first five ingredients. Cut the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds and gel then add to buttermilk in a separate container and mix well. Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add yolks,1 at a time, and beat well.  Add 1/2 the dry ingredients and mix well. Add all of the buttermilk and mix well. Then add the remaining dry ingredients and mix well again. In a separate container whip the whites to soft peaks. To the batter gently fold in whites followed by nectarines and pour into prepared pan. Smooth the top and bake 25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Place a cookie sheet over the top of the cake pan and flip over to remove cake. Peel paper off cake and let cool before cutting and frosting.

*Fresh or frozen fruit work but canned fruit will not give good results. Peaches, nectarines, mangos, strawberries, blueberries and plums all work well. It’s better to use frozen fruit which has been picked at the peak of ripeness than to use out of season, tasteless fruit.

Frosting:
16 ounces cream cheese (2 packages, 500 grams) softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
couple drops red food coloring

Mix cream cheese, butter and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar and mix well. Add a few drops of red food coloring and mix adding more if necessary. Mix until completely blended in.

For the heart shape - make yourself a stencil out of thick paper or cardboard. Place it over the cake, leaving room for two to be cut out, and with a sharp knife cut around stencil while holding it in place. Keeping the knife perpendicular will ensure that the cake is cut evenly.

To frost: First do a light coating of frosting, called a “crumb coat” over the entire cake and place it in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to firm up. This will make your top coating of frosting much prettier and easier to apply. Frost each layer, then stack them, and fix any areas that need touching up.

Because of the butter content of this frosting it can melt. If it does begin to melt just place it in the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes until it’s slightly chilled but not hard.

Top with more fresh fruit, sprinkles or write a message to your sweetheart on the cake.