Valentine's Day Hearts Recipe
Red velvet cake filled with a sweet cream cheese icing, surrounded by red velvet cake crumbs and garnished with a red heart.
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Ingredients
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Red Velvet Cake
Sweet Cream Cheese Icing (filling & crumb-coating)
Garnish & Assembly
Method
Red Velvet Cake
- 1
- 2
Dry ingredients
Whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1.5 cups granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt in a large bowl until evenly combined.
- 3
Wet ingredients
In a separate bowl, whisk 1 cup buttermilk, 1/2 cup canola oil, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar until smooth. Stir in 2 tablespoons red food coloring until the mixture is a uniform deep red.
- 4
Combine batter
Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir with a spatula until just combined and no large streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix. Batter should be pourable but thick.
- 5
Bake
Divide batter evenly between prepared pans (use a kitchen scale or eyeball). Smooth the tops. Bake in preheated oven for 22–28 minutes for 8-inch rounds (or 30–35 minutes for a 9x13) until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- 6
Cool and crumble
Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely. Once fully cooled, trim domes if needed for level layers. Reserve about 1 cup of the trimmed cake pieces and dry them slightly on a baking sheet for 10 minutes at 300°F (150°C) if they are very moist; then pulse to coarse crumbs to use for coating.
Sweet Cream Cheese Icing (filling & crumb-coating)
- 7
Beat base
In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat 8 oz softened full-fat cream cheese and 4 tablespoons softened unsalted butter together on medium speed until smooth and homogenous, about 1–2 minutes.
- 8
Add sugar and flavor
Reduce speed to low and gradually add 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, and 1/8 teaspoon fine salt. Once incorporated, increase speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. If the icing is too thick for spreading, add up to 1 tablespoon heavy cream and beat to desired consistency. Taste and adjust sweetness or salt as needed.
- 9
Portion for filling
Reserve about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the icing to fill between cake layers and a separate 1/2 to 1 cup for the outside crumb coat and final smoothing.
Assembly & Garnish
- 10
Layer and fill
Place first cake layer on your serving plate or a turntable. Spread about half of the reserved filling (about 3/4 cup) evenly across the top of the layer to the edges. Add the second cake layer on top and press gently to adhere.
- 11
Crumb coat
Using an offset spatula, apply a thin layer of the remaining cream cheese icing over the top and sides of the stacked cake to trap crumbs. Refrigerate the cake for 15–20 minutes to set this crumb coat.
- 12
Final coat and crumb application
Apply the remaining icing to create a smooth final layer. Take the reserved red velvet crumbs and press them gently onto the sides of the cake using your hands or a small offset spatula until the sides are evenly coated. Sprinkle a little extra crumbs on top if desired, leaving a small circle at center for the heart garnish.
- 13
Top heart decoration
Place the small red fondant heart or candy heart in the center of the top of the cake. If using fondant, lightly dust with a pinch of powdered sugar for a soft finish. Chill the cake 20–30 minutes to set the icing and settle the crumbs.
- 14
Serve
Bring the cake to room temperature for 20–30 minutes before serving for the best texture. Slice with a sharp knife wiped between cuts for clean pieces. Garnish slices individually with extra crumbs or a small sprinkle of powdered sugar if desired.
