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    Home » Recipes » Holiday » Valentine's Day » Hidden Heart Valentine’s Pound Cake

    LAST UPDATED: January 26, 2021 • FIRST PUBLISHED: January 29, 2020 By Toni Dash 104 Comments

    Hidden Heart Valentine’s Pound Cake

    Jump to Recipe

    This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Valentines Cake

    Hidden Heart Valentines Pound Cake shows your love in every slice; a heart in every serving! This Valentines cake is a surprise cake that’s a box mix hack. It’s fun and will thrill your Valentines!

    Valentines Cake

    Ever since I shared this surprise inside heart cake in 2013, it has been a favorite across the internet!

    Making a heart cake for Valentine’s Day is always fun. 

    But no one will suspect this chocolate pound cake has a pink heart in the middle!

    Everyone gets one since there is a heart in every pound cake slice!

    This Valentines Day cake can be made with regular or gluten-free box cake mix too!

    Don’t let this cake scare you!

    This is not a cake that takes advanced baking skills or talents!

    This Valentines Day cake is part baking and part craft project. 

    If you can bake a box cake mix, you can make this exciting jaw-dropping surprise cake!

    With easy step by step instructions and only a few ingredients it will become a holiday favorite recipe.

    And no one will guess how you made it!

    slices of Hidden Heart Valentines Pound Cake on plates

    Heart Cake Ingredients

    This recipe is flexible. You can use a pound cake mix or if you have a favorite recipe and enjoy baking from scratch, you can do that too!

    • Butter or Vanilla Pound Cake mix or recipe
    • Chocolate Pound Cake mix or recipe
    • Pink or Red food coloring
    • Cherry Extract

    Ingredients Notes

    Pound Cake

    Select your favorite box mix or recipe. 

    Both regular and gluten-free mixes work great!

    Food Coloring

    Any food coloring may be used however to get a deep saturated color as seen in the photos I recommend using a gel food coloring.

    For the pink heart I used Wilton in ‘rose’ color.

    You can find this food coloring wherever baking supplies are sold including craft stores with a baking section.

    Some natural or grocery store food coloring will fade when baked.

    Gel food coloring will not.

    PRO TIP: To add the color I use a toothpick to add a very small amount. Blend it in and add more if needed.

    A little goes a long way with gel food coloring.

    Flavor Extract

    Adding a flavor extract to the pink pound cake is optional!

    However finding a delicious complementary flavor makes the heart cake even more special!

    I chose cherry which works well with chocolate.

    Make it Gluten-Free

    Select gluten-free cake mixes and you can make it gluten-free!

    The gluten-free mixes I used are in the Notes section of the Recipe Card at the end of the post.

    chocolate pound cake with pink heart inside

    Can a Different Type of Cake Mix Be Used?

    I selected pound cake because is it denser and more substantial. 

    Especially if making the cake gluten-free, pound cake ensures the cake will be sturdy.

    Can I Use Store Bought Pound Cake?

    You can for the heart inside! 

    Chances are it will be a traditional white (frozen pound cakes) or light yellow.

    If that is ok with you, go for it!

    If using a frozen pound cake allow it to thaw before constructing the cake.

    Supplies for the Hidden Heart Pound Cake

    • Heart Cookie Cutter – 3 1/2-inches at the widest spot and 3-inches tall (NOTE: a smaller cookie cutter may be used but not a larger one)
    • Large Serrated Knife (or a bread knife)
    • Loaf baking pan.

     

    Surprise cake hidden heart cake slice

    How to Make Hidden Heart Pound Cake – Step-by-Step

    All the specific steps to make Hidden Heart Valentine’s cake are in the recipe below (it’s printable too).

    Here is a high level summary:

    STEP 1: Prepare the butter or vanilla pound cake mix. Add pink coloring and cherry extract. Bake as directed in the mix and allow to fully cool on a cooling rack.

    STEP 2: Slice the pink pound cake the depth of the cookie cutter being used. Example: if the cookie cutter is 1-inch deep, the cake slices should be 1-inch. (photo below). Cut out a heart using the cookie cutter.

    pink pound cake cutting hearts with cookie cutter

    STEP 3: Slice the entire pink pound cake and cut out hearts from each slice (photo below). The excess cake can be eaten or saved to make pound cake bread pudding!

    pink pound cake hearts

    STEP 4: Prepare the chocolate pound cake and spoon a small amount in the loaf baking pan (aproximately 1/2-inch deep).

    STEP 5: With a helper, line up the  pink cake hearts with the bottom point in the chocolate batter and the hearts next to each other (no spaces). NOTE: there will be space in the front and back however to take a photo the pan was on its side so no space shows on the bottom of the pan in the photo above. (see below)

    pink pound cake hearts in a loaf pan

    STEP 5: Fill in the rest of the pan, spooning the chocolate cake better on either side of the pink hearts to support them then covering them on top.

    STEP 6:  Bake and cool as specified in the recipe card below. Slice and enjoy!

    three slices of surprise heat valentines cake

    Storing the Valentines Cake

    In the Refrigerator

    Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to one week.

    In the Freezer

    Once the heart cake is totally cooled, wrap tightly in plastic wrap.

    Place in a freezer plastic bag. Freeze for 4-6 months. 

    chocolate pound cake with pink cake heart in middle

    More Holiday Recipes You’ll Love!

    • Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes for Easter!
    • Firecracker Meringue Cookies
    • American Flag Fruit Cookie Dessert Pizza
    • Easter Rice Krispie Treats
    • Easter Cake with a Surprise Inside (a box mix hack)
    • Homemade Peanut Butter Cups Hearts

    Try these Dessert Recipes too!

    • Luscious Lemon Pie
    • Rhubarb Fool
    • Banana Cupcakes & Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
    • Hummingbird Cake
    Did you make it? Please RATE THE RECIPE below!

    Please SUBSCRIBE and FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK , TWITTER , INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST !

    Valentines Cake

    Hidden Heart Valentine’s Pound Cake

    A whimsical Valentine's chocolate pound cake with a cherry-flavored heart hidden inside. Sure to surprise and delight all! Can be easily tailored to any dietary needs based on the recipe or mix you choose to use.
    5 from 39 votes
    Print Save Recipe Recipe Saved! Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Cook Time: 2 hours
    Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes
    Servings: 10
    Calories: 173kcal
    Author: Toni Dash
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    Ingredients:

    • Favorite Vanilla or Butter Pound Cake recipe or mix (1 loaf)*
    • Favorite Chocolate Pound Cake recipe or mix (1 loaf)**
    • 1/8 teaspoon Pink Food Coloring (I used Wilton ‘Rose’ gel food coloring)
    • ½-3 teaspoons Cherry Extract flavor to taste

    Supplies:

    • 1 Heart-shaped Cookie Cutter (3 ½ inches at the widest spot by 3 inches tall)
    • 1 Serrated Knife
    • 1-2 Loaf pans

    Instructions

    Making the Pink Pound Cake

    • Preheat oven to the temperature specified for the butter or vanilla pound cake.
    • Assemble the vanilla pound cake per the recipe or mix directions.
    • ADDING THE COLOR. To make the brilliant fuchsia-colored heart, add 1/8 teaspoon Wilton Rose coloring to the mix (if desiring a more tame pink, begin to add small amounts dipped from the container with a toothpick, mix and add more if needed; it is very concentrated coloring). Mix, incorporating the color uniformly in the batter.
    • ADDING THE FLAVORING. Begin adding cherry flavoring by the ½ teaspoon until reaching desired flavor. Note: I used a natural Cherry flavoring and wanted a strong cherry flavor to stand up to the chocolate in the outer cake so ended up using 1 tablespoon.
    • Pour batter into a prepared loaf pan. Bake as instructed in recipe or mix directions.
    • Remove, cool and remove from the pan. Allow to cool completely.
    • Reheat oven to specified temperature for the chocolate pound cake recipe or mix.

    Cutting Pink Cake Hearts

    • Place cherry pound cake on a cutting board. Using the depth of the heart cookie cutter as a guide, cut the pound cake into slices the same thickness as the cookie cutter (e.g. my cookie cutter is 1 inch deep so I made slices that were 1 inch thick).
    • Place each slice flat on the cutting board and using the cookie cutter cut one heart out of each slice. Set aside scraps.
    • Butter a loaf pan the same size or larger than the pan used for the cherry pound cake.

    Making the Hidden Heart Cake

    • Prepare the chocolate pound cake recipe or mix according to the directions. Spoon a very small amount into the prepared loaf pan (enough just to cover the bottom).
    • Place cherry pound cake hearts in the middle of the prepared pan; point down, back-to-back touching each other.
    • This step is easiest accomplished with a helper! Begin on one end of the loaf pan, with one person holding the hearts upright on their point, place a spoonful of batter on one side of the first heart and then a spoonful on the opposite of the first heart. Proceed up the pan in this manner until there is a small amount of batter on either side of all the hearts; this will stabilize the hearts and ensure they stay on their point during baking.
    • Fill in the remaining batter on both sides and cover the top of the hearts. Note: the top may be rounded due to the shape of the top of the hearts.
    • Bake the pound cake to the mix directions for the chocolate pound cake. Check for doneness earlier than suggested. NOTE: Due to the pre-baked cherry pound cake center the pound cake may done earlier than if baking regularly.
    • Remove from oven; allow to cool for 15-20 minutes in the pan on a cooling rack.
    • Remove from pan and cool completely before slicing. Note: I found the gluten free pound cake sliced best after refrigerating. Can be kept in the refrigerator tightly wrapped for up to a week or frozen and then defrosted to be eaten at a later date.

    Notes

    *{Gluten Free} For the Cherry Pound Cake I used Pamela’s Classic Vanilla Cake Mix prepared to the ‘Pamela’s Pound Cake’ instructions on the package.
    **{Gluten Free} For the Chocolate Pound Cake I used Pamela’s Chocolate Cake Mix prepared to the ‘Pamela’s Decadent Chocolate Pound Cake’ instructions on the package.
    Cooking Times: Cooking and preparation times are estimates; actual time will depend on the recipes you select.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 173kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 321mg | Potassium: 59mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 90IU | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1.6mg
    Did you make this recipe?Mention @boulderlocavore or tag #boulderlocavore!

    Originally published: January 27, 2013

    « Mexican Cobb Salad
    Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Meatball + Mini Sandwiches »

    ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    TONI DASH
    Toni Dash head shot

    Toni Dash, is a Certified Nutrition Coach and the writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer and creator of Boulder Locavore®. She has been developing easy to make, well-tested recipes since 2010. Her seasonal recipes bring excitement to the dining table for both gluten-free and gluten diners. Toni has been featured in numerous publications and on culinary websites for her creative, delicious recipes and travel features. For more details, check out her About page.

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Kristyn says

      January 26, 2022 at 6:26 pm

      5 stars
      What a pretty cake!! My family loved it!! Pound cakes are the best!

      Reply
    2. April says

      January 26, 2022 at 1:21 pm

      5 stars
      This is so fun! I always wondered how people got those fun designs inside their cake….it seemed hard, but it was super easy and my kids loved it!

      Reply
    3. katerina says

      January 26, 2022 at 11:51 am

      5 stars
      Such a gorgeous cake!! Perfect for Valentine’s Day!

      Reply
    4. Emily says

      January 26, 2022 at 11:10 am

      What a fun surprise cake! Will definitely be adding this to my list to make for Valentine’s Day!

      Reply
    5. Tara says

      January 26, 2022 at 11:02 am

      5 stars
      Oh how cute! My kids absolutely loved this cake with the hidden heart inside. So perfect for Valentine’s Day.

      Reply
    6. Tavo says

      January 26, 2022 at 10:46 am

      5 stars
      Genius! Really nice looking cake!

      Reply
    7. Natalie says

      January 26, 2022 at 9:45 am

      5 stars
      Wow this cake is amazing. So pretty!

      Reply
    8. Carrie Robinson says

      January 26, 2022 at 9:44 am

      5 stars
      This is just so creative and pretty! Perfect for Valentine’s Day! 🙂

      Reply
    9. Dannii says

      January 26, 2022 at 9:05 am

      5 stars
      How cute is this! My kids loved making this with me.

      Reply
    « Older Comments

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    About Toni Dash

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    Welcome! I’m Toni. I’m a Certified Nutrition Coach and my goal is to MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER with delicious, well-tested recipes and travel tips! More About Me …

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