Nothing completes Valentine's Day desserts more than a beautiful heart-shaped cake for Valentine's Day. It's a romantic dessert that no one will be able to resist!
Course: Dessert
Keyword: buttercream frosting, cake, heart-shaped, valentine's day
Servings: 12Servings
Calories:
Author: Kim Lange
Equipment
1 8" round pan
1 8" square pan
Star piping tips with pastry bags
3-4 Gel food coloring choices
Ingredients
Heart Shaped Cake
1boxcake mix of choicelike strawberry, red velvet, chocolate, vanilla, etc.
Use ingredients called out by cake mix directions or use your own recipeJust be sure to use a recipe that yields enough for a two-layer cake.
Buttercream Frosting or if using your own frosting have enough frosting to frost a 2 layer cake
1 ½cupsor 2 ½ sticks of buttersoftened or room temperature
½teaspoonsaltif using unsalted butter
5-7cupsof powdered sugar
1tablespoonvanilla
3tablespoonsto ¼ cup milk of choice
3-4Food color gels of choice
Instructions
Heart Shaped Cake
Use your favorite cake mix or recipe for this recipe and frost it using any tips you want to fill in the top and sides of the cake. I used a strawberry cake mix, but you could use this these home-made white, chocolate or red velvet cakes for this recipe, as well as cake mix variations. Just be sure to use a recipe that yields enough for a two-layer cake. If you want a double layer cake, you'll have to double the ingredients for your cake recipe. This cake yields a large 1 layer cake.
Prepare the cake mix as directed on the back of the box or whatever cake recipe you are using. Pour half of the batter into a 8-inch square pan and the other half in an 8" round pan. Eye ball the cake batter to make sure the thickness of it in each pan looks similar.
Bake for 26 to 31 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes come out clean.
Once the cakes have been baked, keep the cake in its pan and let it cool on a rack for the time the recipe specifies. Usually 15-20 minutes - before attempting to remove it. Once you've removed the cakes from the pans, let them continue cooling or refrigerate until ready to frost, sealed tightly in saran wrap.
Once cooled, you can then easily assemble the cakes into the shape of a heart.
Cut the circle cake in half evenly.
Position the square cake so it looks like a diamond, then place each half of the circle cake.
Place the assembled cake on a large plate or cake board.
Buttercream Frosting or if using your own frosting have enough frosting to frost a 2 layer cake
Frost it using any tips you want to fill in the top and sides of the cake. I used these awesome Star Tips from Suuker.
Using mixer, beat the butter until creamy. Add salt, powdered sugar, vanilla and some milk and whip together on medium to high and beat until smooth and cream.
Take 4 bowls and divide frosting out into 4 bowls. Add food color gels of choice and make them as vibrant, pastel or whatever you like. Mix the gel into the frosting and add more gel as needed to get colors desired.
Spoon frostings into 3-4 pastry bags with any large star tips or flower tips of choice. These Russian Piping Tips are beautiful for easy pipeable flowers.
Start frosting the border of the cake first, and then start filling in the top, piping stars with one frosting color randomly, continuing with the rest of the frostings until you have filled the top with frosting. Once it's filled in, add some sprinkles, candies, strawberries or raspberries if you like.
Notes
Food coloring in frosting may bleed after a day or 2 after it's frosted. It's best to frost it the same day you are serving it, after letting the frosting firm up.