Heart-Shaped Cake

Name: Heart-Shaped Cake
Prep time: 25 min
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 16 serving(s)
Ingredients: Cooking spray; 1 c. (2 sticks) butter, softened; 1 c. granulated sugar; 2 large eggs; 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract; 2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour; 1/4 c. Dutch-processed cocoa powder; 1 tsp. baking soda; 1 tsp. kosher salt; 1 c. buttermilk; 2 tsp. distilled white vinegar; 2 tbsp. red food coloring; 1 (8-oz.) block cream cheese, softened; 4 tbsp. butter, softened; 4 1/4 c. powdered sugar; 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract; Pinch kosher salt; Colorful sprinkles, for serving (optional)

By Lena AbrahamUpdated: Jan 17, 2024

Approved by the Delish Test Kitchen

4 Ratings

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preview for This Cake Will Make Your Heart Pound Out Of Your Chest

There are plenty of bite-sized desserts to surprise your sweetheart with this Valentine’s Day, from chocolate-covered strawberry brownies to heart-shaped cookies. That being said, if you’re looking for a show-stopping dessert to surprise your Valentine this year, then this heart-shaped cake is the answer. This red velvet cake is the perfect Valentine’s Day dessert to let your special someone know just how much they’ve captured your heart. The best part of this recipe? We use a simple hack to create this cake shape—no special pan needed. Keep reading on to learn how to make this stunning cake, no extra supplies required.

How to make the cake:
We used our best-ever red velvet cake for this recipe, but your options don't stop there. Feel free to swap it out for our classic chocolate or strawberry if that's more your thing. Alternatively, if you're in a hurry, boxed cake mix will work just as well in this recipe.

All about the frosting:
One of our favorite components of this cake? The homemade cream cheese frosting. If you prefer, you can swap it out for buttercream frosting, but we think it’s the perfect pairing to the decadent red velvet cake.

How to make a heart-shaped cake without a heart-shaped pan:
No special cake pan needed in this recipe. All you need are a square and round cake pan to create your adorable heart-shaped cake. You’ll use your pans to make two separate cakes: a circle and a square. After cooling, you’re going to cut your round cake down the center before placing your pieces on the sides of your square cake to make a heart. Need a bit more help? Follow our video above and photos below for step-by-step instructions.

Of course, if you’d rather not bake two cakes, you can use a heart-shaped cake pan instead.

How to decorate your cake:
We completed our cake with pink, red, and gold sprinkles to make for an extra-sweet presentation, but feel free to get creative! Dye your frosting with food coloring if you’d prefer to have a red or pink heart, switch up your sprinkles, or even spell out a V-Day message with candy on top for your sweetheart.

Made this? Let us know how it went in the comments below!

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Yields:: 16 serving(s)
Prep Time:: 25 mins
Total Time:: 2 hrs
Cal/Serv:: 453

Ingredients

For the cake

Cooking spray
1 c.
(2 sticks) butter, softened
1 c.
granulated sugar
2
large eggs
1 tsp.
pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 c.
all-purpose flour
1/4 c.
Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 tsp.
baking soda
1 tsp.
kosher salt
1 c.
buttermilk
2 tsp.
distilled white vinegar
2 Tbsp.
red food coloring

For cream cheese frosting

1
(8-oz.) block cream cheese, softened
4 Tbsp.
butter, softened
4 1/4 c.
powdered sugar
1 tsp.
pure vanilla extract
Pinch kosher salt
Colorful sprinkles, for serving (optional)

Directions

1. Step 1Preheat oven to 350°. Line one 8" round cake pan and one 8" square cake pan with parchment paper. Grease both with cooking spray. In a large bowl using a hand mixer (or in the bowl of a stand mixer), beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then add vanilla.
2. Step 2In another large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Add half the dry ingredients to wet ingredients, beating until just combined. Add buttermilk, vinegar, and red food coloring, beating to combine. Add remaining dry ingredients.
3. Step 3Divide batter between prepared cake pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
4. Step 4Meanwhile, make frosting: In a large bowl using a hand mixer (or in the bowl of a stand mixer), beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and salt and mix until combined.
5. Step 5Cut round cake down the center, then place cut sides on 2 adjacent sides of the square cake. Frost entirely with cream cheese frosting. If using, garnish with sprinkles and serve.