Description
This Beautiful Heart Cake is a charming, romantic dessert perfect for Valentine’s Day or any special occasion. A moist vanilla or red velvet cake is frosted with smooth buttercream, decorated with heart-shaped accents, and finished with elegant sprinkles or edible decorations for a stunning centerpiece.
Ingredients
Scale
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
- Optional: 2 tbsp cocoa powder or red food coloring for flavor/ color
Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2–4 tbsp milk or cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Optional: food coloring
Decoration
- Heart-shaped sprinkles
- Edible glitter or sugar pearls
- Chocolate or fondant hearts (optional)
Instructions
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Preheat to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a heart-shaped cake pan or round pan to cut into a heart shape.
- Prepare cake batter: In a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a separate large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Stir in vanilla extract.
- Gradually add dry ingredients alternating with buttermilk until batter is smooth. Add cocoa powder or red food coloring if desired.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool cake in pan 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare buttercream: Beat butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk until smooth. Add food coloring if desired.
- Assemble and decorate: Frost cooled cake with buttercream. Decorate with heart-shaped sprinkles, edible glitter, or chocolate/fondant hearts as desired.
- Chill for 15–20 minutes to set frosting before serving.
Notes
For a perfectly symmetrical heart cake, you can bake a square and round cake, then cut and assemble them into a heart shape before frosting. Room-temperature ingredients make the buttercream smooth and easy to spread.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 360
- Sugar: 28g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 50mg
Keywords: heart cake, valentine cake, romantic cake, decorated cake, buttercream cake