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Create an adorable and delicious dessert to enjoy on Valentine’s Day with this Conversation Hearts Cake recipe. It’s fun to make and even more enjoyable to slice into and eat!
With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, it only makes sense to prepare a sweet treat for you and your loved ones to eat. If you’d like to make something fun, special, and absolutely delicious, be sure to give this Conversation Hearts Cake recipe a try. It doesn’t take much effort or time to put it together!
Tasty Cake with Conversation Hearts
Get ready to make the perfect cake for Valentine’s Day with this simple Hearts Cake recipe. It’s a fun, flavorful treat that you can prepare from scratch in little to no time. You can prepare this cake and enjoy it with your partner, children, family, and friends! Expect to receive plenty of compliments from your loved ones when they bite into this homemade love-themed cake.
Why You’ll Love This Valentines Dessert
You’re preparing this Hearts Cake from scratch, so it’s going to naturally taste better than any boxed cake!
The cake is moist, flavorful, and absolutely delicious. It’s sure to melt in your mouth with its smooth texture.
Not only are you preparing the cake from scratch, but you’ll also make a homemade frosting sure to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Why do I need to use almond extract?
The almond extract adds a special flavor to the cake, giving it a slightly nutty taste that pairs well with the rest of the ingredients. If you love the taste of high end wedding cake- that is traditionally what is used that gives wedding cakes their insanely good flavor! If you don’t like almond flavoring, you can use vanilla extract as a substitute for the almond extract.
Can I use a boxed cake mix instead of making the cake from scratch?
While it’s best to prepare this fresh baked cake from scratch, you can use a boxed cake mix if you’re in a pinch. If you plan on using a boxed cake mix, consider choosing vanilla or a white cake mix that will taste great with the sweet homemade frosting you’ll spread on top of it.
What should I do if I don’t have powdered sugar?
If you don’t have powdered sugar, you can make some from scratch and then use it to prepare your frosting. The best way to make powdered sugar is to combine cornstarch with white granulated sugar. When you do that, you end up with powdered sugar that has the same texture and taste as the kind you can buy at the grocery store.
What types of Conversation Hearts should I use?
You can use any brand of Conversation Hearts that you can find. On my cake here, I used the larger ones, you can definitely use the small ones but decorating will take longer! You may also notice that there are different flavors and phrases to choose from, so be sure to choose wisely. Pick the flavors and words that you like best for your tasty Conversations Heart Cake.
Recipe Notes & Tips
Be sure to cream your butter with the shortening for several minutes until it gets light and fluffy and then add your other ingredients, such as half of the powdered sugar.
If you don’t have a piping bag, feel free to use a large Ziploc bag. You can fill it up with frosting, snip the tip of the bag off with scissors, and then use it to pipe out the frosting on your cake.
Make sure to place your cake in the fridge for at least 10 minutes after you’ve applied the first layer of frosting. When you do this, it makes it that much easier for you to add a smooth second layer of frosting to the cake.
Do I have to use pink food coloring?
No, you don’t have to use pink food coloring. While pink is a great choice because it’s commonly associated with love and all things Valentine’s Day, you can use red food coloring or any other color that you feel will look best for the top writing.
How to Store the Conversations Heart Cake
Place your cake in an airtight container. It’s even better if you already have a large cake storage container so that you don’t have to slice into it until you’re ready to present it and serve it to your loved ones. You can leave the cake sitting out at room temperature or put it in the fridge, saving it and keeping it fresh for up to three days.
Valentines Day Conversation Heart Cake
Ingredients
Servings: 12
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 25 minutes
Assembly: 20 minutes
Total: 1 hour 5 minutes
Cake
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup butter room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon almond extract
- 4 eggs
- 1 1/4 cup milk
Buttercream Frosting
- 1 1/14 cup vegetable shortening
- 1 1/4 cup butter room temperature
- 10 cups powdered sugar
- 3 teaspoons almond extract
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- Conversation hearts
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350F. and prepare three 8-inch cake pans by rubbing generously
with shortening and dust with flour. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk to combine.
In the bowl of a stand mixer equipped with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar
until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add the vegetable oil and almond extract and mix until just combined.
Add the eggs, one at a time, combining well after each addition.
Add 1/2 of the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the
bowl.
Add the milk and mix until just combined.
Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of
the bowl to make sure all the ingredients are combined.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 23-25 minutes or until a
toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes then transfer
to a wire rack to cool completely.
Frosting
In the bowl of a stand mixer equipped with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and
shortening for about 4-5 minutes until soft and fluffy.
Add half of the powdered sugar and mix until just combined.
Add the extract and the remaining half of the powdered sugar and mix until just combined. Be
sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl often.
Add the heavy whipping cream and mix on low speed until combined.
Increase the speed to high and mix for an additional 4-5 minutes.
Assembly
Use a large, serrated knife to remove the domes from the top of each cake if necessary.
Place one cake layer face down on a cake stand or plate and top with about ¾ cup frosting and
smooth.
Repeat with the remaining cake layers. Once they are all stacked, smooth a thin layer of frosting
over the entire cake to seal in any crumbs. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
Smooth another thicker layer of buttercream over the entire cake. Leave about ¼ cup frosting if
you wish to write on the top of the cake.
Add an even layer of conversation hearts to cover the outside of the cake.
Add pink food color to the remaining buttercream and add to a piping bag with a small writing
tip, and pipe lettering on the top of the cake if desired.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Store the cake in an airtight container either at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up
to three days.
ENJOY!
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