This is the cutest heart shaped cake you'll ever see! It's a moist red velvet cake frosted with cream cheese frosting and decorated all cute for Valentine's Day!
If you're looking for other Valentine's Day recipes, check out my red velvet cupcakes, red velvet cookies, red velvet cake recipe, chocolate truffles, strawberry hand pies, chocolate cake, strawberry cheesecake cookies, chocolate tart or chocolate berry cake!
Why You'll Love this Heart Shape Cake
It's super cute. I mean it's a heart shaped cake! Decorate it with pretty pink icing and Valentines Day sprinkles for the most adorable cake you ever did see!
It's super moist. Buttermilk makes this cake extra moist and gives it the best texture.
It's got the prettiest color. Use gel food coloring and Dutch process cocoa powder for pretty, deeper red hues.
It's frosted with cream cheese frosting. Hands down the best frosting ever. Smooth, creamy and slightly tangy, it pairs perfectly with this cake and makes every bite so delicious.
It's an easy recipe. You don't need a heart-shaped pan, just a square cake pan and round pan to make the cutest cake!
Ingredients for the Heart Cake
- Flour- we'll be using all purpose flour for the best crumb
- Sugar- granulated sugar is used in the cake and powdered sugar is used in the cream cheese frosting
- Buttermilk- helps to make this cake extra moist
- Cocoa Powder- use Dutch process for a stronger chocolate flavor and deeper red color
- Eggs- make sure they're room temperature
- Vanilla Extract- adds a sweet note to the cake
- Red Gel Food Coloring- gives the cake the best deep, red color
- Butter- make sure it's softened
- Baking Soda & Baking Powder- helps the cake to rise, giving you a light and fluffy texture
- Salt- just a little brings out all the flavors in this cake
- Cream Cheese- for the delicious homemade frosting, make sure it is full fat for the best flavor
- Sprinkles- I love using a combination of heart shaped sprinkles, nonpareils and large pearl sprinkles
- Cake Pans- a 6 inch square pan and a 6 inch round cake pan will be needed to make this cake. (I found the 6 inch square cake pan at Michaels Stores.)
Step by Step Instructions
Please see the recipe card below for the complete measurements and baking time!
STEP ONE: In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder. baking soda and salt. Then set aside the flour mixture.
STEP TWO: To a large bowl add the softened, unsalted butter and granulated sugar. Cream together with an electric mixer on high speed until fluffy, 1-2 minutes. (You can also use the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment.)
STEP THREE: Then add in the eggs and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until pale in color and smooth, 1-2 minutes.
STEP FOUR: Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the eggs/butter/sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until all is just combined and the batter is smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
STEP FIVE: Lastly fold in the red gel food coloring just until combined.
STEP SIX: Divide the cake batter evenly between the prepared pans lined with parchment paper. Bake and then let cool in the pans for 2 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to finish cooling.
STEP SEVEN: Make the cream cheese frosting. Add softened, unsalted butter to a bowl and beat with an electric mixer on high speed until pale in color and fluffy. Then add in the cream cheese and combine. Lastly add in powdered sugar and mix until smooth and fluffy.
STEP EIGHT: Cut the domed tops off of each cake with a sharp, serrated knife. Cut the round cake in half. Place the square cake top down as a diamond on your serving plate of choice. Place the half circles of cake on either side of the square cake so it comes together into a heart shape.
STEP NINE: Spread the cream cheese frosting in an even layer on the top of the cake and sides of the cake using an offset spatula. Use a cake scraper to scrape frosting evenly along the sides of the cake. Once the crumb coat is applied, chill the cake for 30 minutes. Apply another even layer of frosting on to the cake, again using a cake scraper to scrape the sides evenly. Use an offset spatula for the top of the cake and don't worry about the frosting being perfectly even on top. Once the sprinkles go on you wont be able to see all the imperfections!
STEP TEN: Add a few drops of red food coloring to the remaining cream cheese frosting and transfer it to a piping bag fit with a decorative tip. (If the frosting has become too soft, chill it for 15 minutes, rewhip and then transfer it to a piping bag,) Pipe a boarder of pink frosting around the edges of the heart. Decorate the cake with sprinkles as you wish, then serve!
FAQs
Can I use 8 or 9 inch pans instead of 6 inch pans? You can , but the cake will be pretty flat because this recipe is specifically designed for 6 inch pans.
How do I store this cake? Store left overs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Let the cake come to room temperature before enjoying.
Can this be a two-layer cake? You could slice the round and square cakes lengthwise so that you have two layers of each. Frost the center of the cake and stack the other cake layer on top. Frost the outside of the cake as explained in the recipe.
Pro Tips
For best results, measure your flour properly. This is always my #1 baking tip. Do not ever scoop a measuring cup into your flour. This will always lead to using too much flour. Instead, scoop spoonfuls of flour into your measuring cup and swipe excess flour off with the back of a knife. Or better yet, weigh your flour. 1 cup of flour equals 120-125 grams.
Make sure all your wet ingredients are room temperature. You'll have the best textured cake when the ingredients are room temperature instead of cold. Cold wet ingredients can make any kind of cake batter/donut batter "gummy".
Troubleshooting cream cheese frosting:
- Make sure you really whip the butter until it is pale in color and fluffy, before adding the rest of the ingredients in. This will give you the best, and most fluffy, frosting.
- Make sure your butter is the right temperature, not too cold and not too soft. Usually 30-40 minutes out of the fridge is just right.
- Make sure your cream cheese is cold. This will help the frosting to have the right consistency.
- If your frosting gets too warm while assembling the cake, chill it in the fridge for 10-20 minutes. Whip again with an electric mixer to get it back to the right consistency. This is a soft frosting because of the cream cheese so you may need to chill and rewhip a few times while putting the cake together.
If you make this cake please leave a star review! Tag me on Instagram @inbloombakery_ so I can see! Follow me on Pinterest for other dessert ideas!
Other Favorite Cake Recipes Try Next Time
📖 Recipe
Heart Shaped Cake
Ingredients
For the Red Velvet Cake
- 1 ½ cups (187 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 2 tablespoon (10 g) Dutch process cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 7 tablespoon (98 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated white sugar
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ⅔ cup (158 ml) buttermilk, at room temprature
- 2 teaspoon red gel food coloring
For the Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup (224 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 4 oz (113 g) cream cheese, cold
- 2 cups (260 g) powdered sugar
- red food coloring, for the decorative pink icing
- Valentine's Day sprinkles, for decorating
Instructions
For the Red Velvet Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 6-inch round cake pan and a 6-inch square cake pan with non-stick spray. Line the bottoms with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Then set aside.1 ½ cups (187 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, 2 tablespoon (10 g) Dutch process cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt
- To a large bowl add the softened, unsalted butter and granulated sugar. Cream together with an electric mixer on high speed until fluffy, 1-2 minutes. (You can also use a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment.)7 tablespoon (98 g) unsalted butter, softened, 1 cup (200 g) granulated white sugar
- Then add in the eggs and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until pale in color and smooth, 1-2 minutes.2 eggs, at room temperature, 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the butter mixture. Mix on low speed until all is just combined and the batter is smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.⅔ cup (158 ml) buttermilk, at room temprature
- Lastly, fold in the red gel food coloring just until combined.2 teaspoon red gel food coloring
- Divide the cake batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake the cakes for 26-29 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 2 minutes, then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely.
For the Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
- Add the softened, unsalted butter to a bowl and beat with an electric mixer on high speed until pale in color and fluffy, about 5 minutes.1 cup (224 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- Then add in the cream cheese and combine on medium speed.4 oz (113 g) cream cheese, cold
- Lastly add in the powdered sugar and mix on low speed until combined. Then mix on high speed until smooth and fluffy.2 cups (260 g) powdered sugar
Assembling the Heart Shaped Cake
- Cut the domed tops off of each cake with a sharp, serrated knife. Then, cut the round cake in half.
- Place the square cake top down as a diamond on your serving plate of choice. Place the half circles of cake face down on either side of the square cake so it comes together into a heart shape.
- Spread the cream cheese frosting in an even layer on the top of the cake and sides of the cake using an offset spatula. Use a cake scraper to scrape frosting evenly along the sides of the cake. Once the crumb coat is applied, chill the cake for 30 minutes.
- After chilling, apply another even layer of frosting on to the cake, again using a cake scraper to scrape the sides evenly. Use an offset spatula for the top of the cake and don't worry about the frosting being perfectly even on top. (Once the sprinkles go on you wont be able to see all the imperfections!)
- Add a few drops of red food coloring to the remaining cream cheese frosting to make it pink and transfer it to a piping bag fit with a decorative tip.(If the frosting has become too soft, chill it for 15 minutes, rewhip and then transfer it to a piping bag.)red food coloring, for the decorative pink icing
- Pipe a boarder of pink frosting around the edges of the heart. Decorate the cake with sprinkles as you wish, then serve!Valentine's Day sprinkles, for decorating
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