Description
These Copycat Little Debbie Heart Cakes are delightful mini heart-shaped vanilla cakes filled with a creamy marshmallow frosting and coated in a luscious pink white chocolate glaze. Perfect for celebrations or a sweet treat, these adorable cakes combine moist cake layers with a fluffy filling and an eye-catching candy coating.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake
- 1 box vanilla cake mix
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Frosting Filling
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 7 ounces marshmallow creme
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
Decoration
- White Chocolate Candy Melts (melted)
- Pink food coloring
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two 9×13-inch baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
- Prepare Cake Batter: In a large mixing bowl, combine the vanilla cake mix, all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, salt, eggs, milk, vegetable oil, sour cream, and vanilla extract. Mix until the batter is smooth and well incorporated.
- Spread Batter and Bake: Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared baking sheets, spreading it out into thin, even layers. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cakes comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow the cakes to cool completely.
- Cut Heart Shapes: Once the cakes are fully cooled, use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out mini heart-shaped cakes from each baking sheet.
- Make Frosting Filling: In a mixing bowl, beat the softened butter until creamy. Add the marshmallow creme, powdered sugar, salt, vanilla extract, and heavy cream. Beat the mixture until it becomes light, fluffy, and smooth.
- Assemble the Cakes: Spread a generous layer of the frosting filling on top of one heart-shaped cake and then sandwich it with another heart cake. Repeat this process for all the heart-shaped cake pieces.
- Melt and Color Chocolate: Melt the white chocolate candy melts according to the package instructions. Reserve a small amount of the plain white chocolate for decorating later. Stir pink food coloring into the larger portion of melted chocolate until the color is a smooth light pink shade.
- Coat the Cakes: Dip each assembled heart cake into the pink melted chocolate, ensuring it is completely covered. Place the coated cakes on a wire rack over a baking sheet to allow excess chocolate to drip off and for the coating to set.
- Decorate with White Chocolate: Use the reserved plain white melted chocolate to pipe or drizzle decorative patterns on top of each heart cake for an elegant finishing touch.
Notes
- Ensure cakes are completely cooled before cutting and frosting to avoid melting the frosting filling.
- The heart-shaped cookie cutter size will determine the number of cakes you get; smaller cutters yield more cakes.
- You can substitute the white chocolate candy melts with vanilla-flavored white chocolate chips if desired.
- For a firmer coating, chill the dipped cakes in the refrigerator until the chocolate hardens.
- These cakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerated for up to a week.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Little Debbie, heart cakes, vanilla cake, marshmallow frosting, white chocolate, copycat recipe, mini cakes, dessert, Valentine's Day
