Description
This Valentine’s Surprise Inside Heart Cake is a delightful and visually stunning dessert perfect for the holiday of love. Featuring a hidden heart shape inside a moist pound cake, it combines vibrant red and classic pound cake layers with a sweet glaze and festive sprinkles. This recipe uses two boxes of Betty Crocker Pound Cake mix and simple ingredients, with easy-to-follow steps to create a cake that impresses with its surprise heart center.
Ingredients
Scale
Red Cake Batter
- 1 box Betty Crocker Pound Cake Mix
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup butter
- ⅔ cup water
- 1–2 teaspoons red gel food dye
Second Cake Batter
- 1 box Betty Crocker Pound Cake Mix
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup butter
- ⅔ cup water
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1–2 tablespoons milk
Decoration
- Valentine’s sprinkle mix
Instructions
- Prepare Red Batter: In a medium bowl, combine one box of pound cake mix, 2 eggs, ¼ cup butter, ⅔ cup water, and 1 teaspoon red gel food coloring. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to medium and mix 1-2 minutes until the batter is smooth. Add more red food coloring if a deeper red is desired.
- Bake Red Cake: Spray a 9×5 inch loaf pan with Baker’s Joy or nonstick spray. Pour the red batter into the pan and bake at 350°F for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
- Cut Out Hearts: Once cooled, remove the cake from the pan and place it on a clean surface. Using a bread knife, slice ¾ inch thick pieces from the cake. Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut a heart shape out of each slice. Set aside the heart-shaped pieces.
- Prepare Second Batter: In a clean bowl, mix the second box of pound cake mix with 2 eggs, ¼ cup butter, and ⅔ cup water until smooth.
- Arrange Hearts and Batter: Spray another 9×5 inch loaf pan. Optionally, pour a small amount of the second batter into the bottom of the pan as a base. Stand the heart shapes upright in the pan, using leftover cake pieces as wedges to keep them from falling over.
- Pour Batter Around Hearts: Gently pour the remaining second batter around and over the heart shapes, filling the pan completely. Carefully shake the pan to settle the batter evenly and remove the wedge pieces.
- Bake Final Cake: Bake at 350°F for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the sides of the cake comes out clean. Baking time may vary, so watch carefully to avoid overbaking.
- Make the Glaze: While the cake is baking or cooling, prepare the glaze by mixing 1 cup powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon of milk at a time until reaching desired thick consistency.
- Cool and Glaze: Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool completely. Drizzle or spread the glaze over the cake and decorate with Valentine’s sprinkle mix. Let the glaze set before slicing and serving.
Notes
- The ingredient quantities provided are for both cake batters combined.
- An exact 9×5 inch loaf pan is essential to prevent batter overflow; ensure your pan measures precisely 9 inches by 5 inches at the opening.
- You can adjust the amount of red gel food coloring to achieve your preferred shade of red for the heart shapes.
- Using a bread knife and a heart-shaped cookie cutter works best for creating neat and uniform heart shapes.
- Letting the cake cool completely in the refrigerator before cutting and assembling helps maintain its shape and makes cutting easier.
- If hearts fall over while arranging, use leftover cake pieces as supports or add a small amount of batter to stabilize.
