Pink Velvet Heart Cake
This cake of love features two layers of pink velvet, the smoothest cream cheese icing and a whole lot of deliciousness.
Whether it’s Valentine’s Day, a birthday bash, or anniversary celebration, this Pink Velvet Cake is sure to express love. This dessert is similar to its relative, Red Velvet, but differs in how much cocoa powder and vanilla extract are used; this tweak allows for additional vanilla flavor, while keeping the batter light enough to dye pink. I tinted my cake to resemble a beautiful deep dusty rose color, but feel free to get creative using whatever pink shade you like.
Ingredients and Equipment
Because Velvet Cakes are traditionally mild in flavor, this dessert, in particular, is one where ingredients matter. I partnered with Plugrà® Premium European Style Butter to create this recipe, and I enjoyed seeing firsthand the difference that quality makes. Plugrà’s higher butterfat content and slow churning processes brought a richness and depth to the cake that can’t be found elsewhere. Alongside Plugrà® Butter, I recommend using a quality vanilla extract, a nice rich cocoa powder, and a full fat buttermilk; these ingredients in unison make a harmoniously delicious cake.
Other ingredients that may require a trip to the grocery store include, pink gel food coloring—any shade or brand will suffice as long as it’s gel color rather than a traditional liquid—and basic distilled white vinegar. Plan accordingly.
As far as equipment, this cake can be made using a stand or handheld mixer, but should not be attempted by hand. I found aluminum heart cake pans at my local grocery store in celebration of Valentine’s Day, but these pans can also be easily ordered online. .
Tips and Tricks for Making Pink Velvet Cake
1.) As mentioned previously, use pink *gel* food coloring, and not a liquid based color. Americolor is my favorite brand for baking. For a light pink cake, use less color ¼ to ½ teaspoon, and for a richer hue, use more, about a teaspoon.
2.) If using disposable heart cake pans (like the ones I bought), be careful when transferring the cakes in and out of the oven. The tins aren’t particularly sturdy, and if not handled with care, they could bend, distorting the shape of the cake. If using a thick reusable heart shaped pan, this won’t be a problem.
3.) Regardless of the cake pan selected, be sure it’s properly greased and lined to prevent sticking. Before getting started, I turned my pans over onto parchment paper, tracing out two heart shapes, and then cutting the shapes to use as cake liners. My cakes inverted easily, with zero damage to the integrity of the heart shape.
Let’s Talk Cake Decoration
Whether you’re a novice baker or a seasoned pro, decorating cake can pose challenges. In this section, I will discuss common cake decorating mistakes, alongside helpful information.
The most common cake decorating mistake?
Stacking and decorating the cake when the cake layers aren’t properly cooled.
For this cake in particular, once the heart layers are removed from the cake pans, wrap them separately in saran wrap, and place into the freezer for at least one hour. This will prevent slipping and sliding when trying to decorate the cake, which can quickly turn into a nightmare.
Depending on your cake decorating goals, I recommend two frostings for this cake: one batch of cream cheese frosting, and one batch of American buttercream. The first, tangy cream cheese frosting, will be used to fill the cake and decorate the outside in a crumb coat. The second frosting, traditional American buttercream, will be used as the smooth and sturdy outside layer of the cake, and for any detailing: flowers, boarders, piping etc.
But what if I don’t want to do additional decorating?
No problem. Make one batch of cream cheese frosting, and decorate the cake with a semi-naked look, or keep the cake layers naked, with cream cheese frosting in between. A few festive sprinkles on top and voilà, the cake is finished!
Detailed Decorating Breakdown:
1. Bake the cake.
2. After inverting the cake onto a cooling rack, let the layers cool to room temperature.
3. Wrap layers in saran wrap and freeze the cake for at least an hour.
4. Make 1 batch of cream cheese frosting and one batch of American buttercream. Set aside.
5. Add a small dollop of cream cheese frosting onto a cake turn table. If desired, place down a cake board onto the turn table for easy lifting, placing the dollop of frosting here instead.
6. Place the first cake layer onto the small dollop of frosting. This keeps the cake securely fastened.
7. Spread cream cheese frosting evenly on top of the first cake layer. About three large dollops.
8. Top with the second heart cake layer.
9. Cover the entire cake with cream cheese frosting, using a cake scraper to make clean lines on the tops and sides of the cake. This is a crumb coat and cake WILL be showing and should be showing. Place cake back in the fridge for 30 minutes.
10. With American buttercream, cover the cake in a second layer, smoothing and scraping as desired, and placing excess icing back into the bowl. If small areas of cake are still peeking through, feel free to place the cake back in the fridge for another 10-15 minutes, and then do a third layer, covering the parts that are exposed, and then smoothing with a cake scraper, one more time.
11. If a cake board wasn’t used, and the cake was decorated directly on the turn table, transfer to a cake stand or serving plate now. The cake will not transfer once boarders are added.
12. With the remaining buttercream, feel free to detail the cake as desired. I went with pointillism for my design, using a small heart shaped cookie cutter to make markings on the side of the cake, and then carefully filling in the heart outlines with a small star tip. I finished the cake with a basic boarder using a medium star tip for the bottom and a larger start tip for the top.
Commonly Asked Questions:
I only have one heart cake pan, can I use it and cut a single layer into two layers? Yes, you can, but this can be tricky. Make sure the heart shaped pan is large enough to accommodate the entire batter, and wont overflow in the oven while baking. Use a sharp knife to cut the layers into two horizontal pieces.
How should the cake be served? The cake should be served room temperature. After decorating the cake, store it in the refrigerator, and then remove it 2-3 hours before enjoying. Avoid direct sunlight.
What is the decorating equipment you use? I don’t have an Amazon storefront, but I will link a few of my favorites here.
Final Tip
Store any cake leftovers in the fridge. If sneaking a slice after dark, pop it in the microwave for 5-10 seconds. It will soften the slice right up, making it ready to enjoy immediately.
Pink Velvet Heart Cake
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup Plugrà® Premium European Style Unsalted Butter
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon pink gel food coloring
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups cake flour
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup hottest tap water
- 1 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
- 1/2 cup Plugrà® Premium European Style Salted Butter
- 8-ounce block cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 4 cups powdered sugar, to taste
- I cup Plugrà® Premium European Style Salted Butter
- 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- whole milk or heavy cream, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven 350 degrees F. Generously butter and flour two 9" heart cake pans. To guarantee the cake won't stick, line the bottom of the greased cake pans with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium to medium-high speed for 4 minutes. Drizzle the oil into the bowl on medium-low speed. Once incorporated, turn the mixer back to medium speed for another 1-2 minutes.
- Add eggs one at a time, briefly mixing batter on medium speed until smooth, scraping the bowl after each egg addition. Add in the vanilla, food coloring and salt. Briefly mix until combined.
- In a separate bowl, using a fine mesh sieve, sift the flours. Spoon and level the flours for an accurate measurement.
- Add 1/3 cup hottest tap water to a glass measuring cup. Add cocoa powder to the hot water and whisk to combine. Add buttermilk and whisk until smooth.
- Alternating between the dry ingredients and the buttermilk, add 1/3 of flour into the mixing bowl on low speed. Immediately follow with 1/2 of the buttermilk, followed by another 1/3 of the flour and the second 1/2 of the buttermilk. Finish with the remaining flour mixture. The mixer should be kept on low speed, so the flour and liquid don't splash out of the bowl. Scrape the bowl, making sure any dry ingredients trapped at the bottom are brought to the top.
- In a small bowl, add together the vinegar and baking soda. Give the ingredients a quick stir and then immediately add the fizzy mixture into the cake batter. Turn the mixer on medium-low speed for about 10-15 seconds.
- Pour batter evenly into the prepared pans and place into the oven. Start assessing your cakes after 25 minutes, but they could take up to 30 minutes or longer to bake, depending on your oven's temperature. When a toothpick inserted comes out clean, the cake is done. Cool pans for 10 minutes, before running a knife around the edge of the pan, and turning out the cake. Place cake on wire rack to finish cooling. Once cake is cooled, cover with saran wrap and freeze for at least 1 hour.
- With an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until there are no lumps and the consistency is smooth.
- Add sifted powdered sugar to the bowl, 1 cup at a time, mixing first on low speed to prevent splashing, then turning the mixer to medium until it's incorporated. Repeat process with remaining 2 cups of powdered sugar. Add vanilla and mix until incorporated. Give the mixing bowl a good scrape and briefly mix one more time to complete the icing.
- To make the American Buttercream: into a medium sized bowl cream together the butter until light and creamy. Add in the sifted powdered sugar, one cup at a time until fully incorporated. Beat in the vanilla. Add milk or heavy cream, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time until the desired consistency is achieved. For detailed piping a thicker consistency is better.
- *For detailed information about decorating this cake, please see section "Let's Talk Cake Decoration" in the blog post.
- Place one layer of cake on a clean turn table or cake board with a small dollop of icing underneath. This works as a glue, helping prevent the cake layers from sliding around while icing. Place three dollops of icing on top of the first cake layer, and spread evenly with a small offset spatula or knife. Place the second cake layer on top of icing. Place another large dollop of icing onto the cake, smoothing the top evenly, and letting excess icing drop to the side of the cake.
- With the rest of the icing, using an offset spatula, put a even layer of icing around the entire cake, with a back and forth motion.
- Using a bench scraper (also known as cake smoother) with your dominant hand, hold it steady against the cake, but slightly angled toward the cake, to aid in smoothing, and slowly move the turn table with the other hand, while not moving the scraper, and keeping it as straight and steady as possible. As excess icing builds on the scraper, place it back into the mixing bowl, and continue smoothing the cake with a clean scraper.
- While smoothing the sides, a lip of icing will form around the top of the cake. Using an offset spatula, gently sweep away the lip with a motion toward the center of the cake. Rotate the cake, and sweep until the lip has been removed, and top of the cake is smooth. Any leftover icing can be used to decorate the cake with a beaded boarder, or another decoration of choice.
Notes
*I use AmeriColor gel in Soft Pink to tint my cake. Use less food coloring to achieve a softer color, if desired.
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