A Heart Cake is the perfect way to add sweetness and love to any celebration, and it's easy to make! With simple ingredients and a few easy steps, you can create a beautiful and delicious treat everyone will love.
For Valentine’s Day this year I wanted to make a fun heart-shaped cake to go with my favorite Valentine's Cake Pops, that was no fuss and that anyone could do.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Heart: Nothing says Valentine's Day like a Heart Cake!
Easy to Make: In the past, I’ve shared prettily decorated cakes with smooth edges, beautiful drips (like this Pink and Gold Cake!), and piped-on decorations (like this German Chocolate Cake), but using a cake pan made this Heart Shaped Cake so easy!
Cake Pan or No Cake Pan: Although a cake pan is the easiest way to make a heart cake, it's also very easy to cut a cake to make a heart and I show you how to do that too!
Quick: Since I wasn’t worried about smooth sides and perfection, you need less frosting. Using only one layer of frosting instead of two (1 for a crumb coat and 1 for a final coat) you get a fun rustic cake that is tasty too!
Customizable: Use any combo of cake, frosting, and sprinkles to suit your needs!
Things you need for this recipe:
Wilton Heart Cake Pan- if you don’t have this or don’t want to buy it, I will show you how to make a heart without it below,
Favorite Box of Cake Mix- If you prefer a recipe from scratch check out this tasty buttermilk chocolate cake- just halve the recipe.
Vanilla Buttercream- Unsalted Butter, Powdered Sugar, Vanilla, Heavy Cream, Salt
Decorations: Pink Food Coloring Gel, Sprinkles (I used sanding sugar and micro-hearts).
How to Make a Heart Cake?
- Step 1: Mix up your cake batter, then pour into a prepared heart-shaped pan.
- Step 2: Bake until done- cover with foil if it starts to brown.
- Step 3: While the cake is cooling whip up your buttercream. Dye ~½ cup of frosting pink- set aside.
- Step 4: Cut cake in half to make two layers, then add frosting in between the two layers and frost the top.
- Step 5: Pipe on a heart with the pink frosting.
- Step 6: Add sprinkles and enjoy!
Expert Tip: How to Cut the Cake in Half Evenly
I like to measure (yes with a real ruler) halfway up the side of the cake and then stick a toothpick in. Repeat this all around the cake.
Take a knife and slice along the toothpicks.
Alternatively, you could use a cake leveler.
Divide batter between the two pans, bake, and allow to cool.
You will need a square cake pan and a round cake pan- both the same diameter (ie both 8inch)
Cut the round cake in half and place it on the diagonal diamond of the square, like in the image below.
You can cut each piece in half, height-wise, to make a two-layer cake.
Stick everything together with lots of frosting. You will probably need to make at least an extra half batch of frosting.
Store cake pieces in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Eat cake within 3-4 days for optimal freshness.
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Other Related Recipes
I recently shared my heart-shaped chocolate chip cookies that were so cute and I knew I had to make a heart-shaped cake to match!
If you like this make sure to check out my Chocolate Strawberry Valentine Cake, my flourless Truffle Cake, and these fun Valentine Cake Pops and Red Velvet Cake Balls!
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Video
Heart Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 box of cake mix*
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 tbs vanilla
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 4 large eggs
Vanilla Buttercream
- 1 cup butter
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tbs vanilla
- 5 tbs heavy cream + more if needed
- Pinch of Salt
- Pink food coloring I like to use gel
- Sprinkles*
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease pan with baker’s spray.
- Combine the cake mix, vegetable oil, vanilla, sour cream, heavy cream, and eggs in a large bowl.1 box of cake mix*, ½ cup vegetable oil, 2 tbs vanilla, ¾ cup sour cream, ¾ cup heavy cream, 4 large eggs
- Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping down the sides when needed.
- Pour into prepared heart shaped pan* and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. If the cake starts to brown cover with foil and finish baking.
- Allow cake to cool before removing from pan. To remove just flip the cake over and allow gravity to help it come out.
- While cake is cooling make frosting.
Vanilla Buttercream*
- Cream butter using a stand mixer.1 cup butter
- Mix in vanilla, then add in powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, alternating with heavy cream 1 tbs at a time. If the frosting is too stiff add a little heavier cream (~1 tbs at a time), if it’s to lose add a little more powdered sugar (~¼ cup at a time). Stir in salt.5 cups powdered sugar, 1 tbs vanilla, 5 tbs heavy cream + more if needed, Pinch of Salt
- Remove ~½ cup frosting, add pink food coloring* and stir until fully incorporated.Pink food coloring
Frost Cake
- Cut the cake in half to create two layers.
- Spread a nice layer of vanilla butter cream on the first half, then stack the second layer on top.
- Spread the remaining white buttercream over the cake.
- Place pink frosting in a baggie with the corner cut off, or a piping bag, and draw a heart on top of the cake. Sprinkle top of cake with sprinkles.Sprinkles*
Notes
- *If you don't have a heart pan see how to make a heart in the post above.
- *I used strawberry cake mix for this but you can use any flavor, or even make one from scratch (here is my buttermilk chocolate cake- just halve the recipe)!
- *I used White Sanding Sugar and Valentine Heart Sprinkles
- * This is my doctored cake box recipe, which makes the boxed mix taste homemade. However, if you don’t have sour cream or heavy cream, simply follow the recipe on the back of the box and bake accordingly.
- * This recipe makes just enough to frost the cake with one layer of frosting- no crumb coat. If you want a smoother finish with a crumb coat you will need to double the frosting amount.
- *You can also add a drop or two of strawberry flavoring to the pink frosting if you would like a fun extra flavor.
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