Heart-Shaped Chocolate Strawberry Cake

This Valentine’s Day, impress your loved ones with this delicious and easy-to-follow Heart-Shaped Chocolate Strawberry Cake recipe!

If you’re looking for a delicious and romantic way to show your special someone how much you care, look no further than this delectable heart-shaped chocolate strawberry cake.

Whether it’s for an anniversary, Valentine’s Day, or just because, everyone loves the combination chocolate and strawberries – what better way to say ‘I love you’?

This divinely decadent treat is sure to light up your taste buds and set off sparks of affection with its eye-catching design.

It’s perfect for bakers of any skill level, and you don’t need a special cake pan to put this together!

So gather your ingredients, break out the baking pans and let’s get started on creating the ultimate romantic indulgence!

Why You will Love this Cherry Coke Cake

• Easy to make with a box mix OR from scratch
• It’s gorgeous!
• Loads of strawberry flavour.
• Strawberry preserve filling!
• Creamy and fluffy strawberry buttercream frosting.
• Just the perfect amount of sweetness.
• Easy to make heart shaped cake

How to Make a Heart Shaped Cake

You don’t need a special heart shaped cake pan for this cake. All you need are two round cake pans and two square cake pans, all the same size.

Once you bake and cool off your cakes, cut the two round cakes in half. Now you should have four half-moon pieces. Place one of the squares down on your cake board, positioned like a diamond.

Frost the layer completely and create a frosting barrier, then fill it with strawberry preserves.

Now it’s time for the top layer. Place another square cake on top of the heart shape, positioning it like a diamond again, with two half-moon pieces around it.

Then decorate as desired with more buttercream frosting.

Heart Cake Variations

• Use a heart shaped pan if you already have one.
• Use strawberry cake mix instead of chocolate cake mix.
• Use strawberry pie filling instead of strawberry jam.
• Smooth frosting over the whole cake after assembling and garnish with chocolate covered strawberries.
• Halve the recipe for a single layer cake.

Tips for the Best Chocolate Cake

We are using a box mix but you should still be aware of some baking basics for best results:

• Make sure NOT to over-mix the batter if you want a light, fluffy cake.
• If you go the route of homemade chocolate cake, be sure to spoon and level your flour.
• Use ingredients that are at room temperature.
• Do NOT open the oven door while baking.
• Do not swap butter for oil, butter tends to result in a dry cake.
• Allow your cake to completely cool before frosting.

How Long do you Bake the Cakes?

These cakes bake for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. I baked all four of mine at the same time in the middle and top of the oven and they were perfectly done at the 30 minute mark.

You can test if it is done by sticking a toothpick into the centre of the cake, and if it comes out clean, it’s done.

You can also test by gently pressing down on the cake and looking to see if it bounces back completely or not. If it does, it should be done, if your finger left a dent it needs more time.

How to Store Leftover Chocolate Strawberry Heart Cake

To prevent this fluffy chocolate cake with its strawberry buttercream frosting from drying out, store it on the counter. This chocolate cake should last up to five days at normal room temperature covered in plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container.

Keep in mind that refrigerating the cake can result in the cake drying out, especially if it is not stored in an airtight container, and so should be avoided.

If you don’t plan on eating leftover chocolate cake within five days of baking it, you can tightly wrap the cake and place it in an airtight container and freeze for up to two months.

Thaw at room temperature for about 4-6 hours before you plan to serve.

About the Equipment Needed to Make this Chocolate Layer Cake

8 inch round cake pans – You will need two of these.

8 inch square cake pans – You will need two of these.

Cake board – You will want a large cake board, or serving plate.

4 large piping bags with a large star tip, two large round tips, and a small star tip – If you don’t already have this piping on hand, I would recommend this Wilton Decorating Tip Set.

Plus you will want a wire rack, an offset spatula, mixing bowls, and an electric mixer.

About the Ingredients for this Chocolate Strawberry Cake

Cake mix – I used two boxes of devil’s cake mix. You can use your own homemade chocolate cake recipe if you like instead but you need enough batter for two 8-inch round cakes, and two 8-inch square cakes.

Freeze dried strawberries – The secret to a perfect strawberry buttercream is using freeze dried strawberries. It gives real strawberry flavour to the buttercream without affecting the texture.

Butter – I usually use salted butter, but if you use unsalted butter then you will want to add a little salt to bring out the strawberry flavour more.

Powdered sugar – You need icing sugar to make a smooth frosting.

Vanilla extract – Pure vanilla extract is best, but artificial vanilla extract is fine.

Heavy cream – Helps to thin out the buttercream, add it just a bit at a time until you reach the desired consistency. You can use regular old milk instead but using heavy cream will give the buttercream a better texture and flavour.

Strawberry preserves – I used regular old strawberry jam, I like Bonne Maman strawberry jam as it tastes pretty close to homemade strawberry jam. You can also use strawberry pie filling if you like, but you will want to chop it up.

Sprinkles – I used this Hearts and Arrows Valentine’s Day Sprinkle Mix. You can use any sprinkles you like but I love how cute this mix is with pearls, arrows, and hearts.

Looking for More Valentine Dessert Recipes?

Check out more of my favourite Valentine’s day desserts!

Looking for a fun and easy way to celebrate Valentine’s Day? Try this delicious Valentine’s day chocolate fondue board!

These Red Rose Cupcakes are easy to decorate cupcakes, perfect for garden parties, valentines day or just to show someone you care.

These Valentine’s Day Cake Truffles are sure to impress everyone this Valentine’s Day! These little bites of creamy cake covered in chocolate are just so delicious.

How to Make a Heart-Shaped Chocolate Strawberry Cake

Yields: 28 Servings | Prep time: 45 Minutes | Cook time: 30 Minutes

Ingredients:

2 boxes chocolate cake mix + ingredients
60 g freeze dried strawberries
2 Cups butter, softened
8 Cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup Strawberry preserves
1/4 cup Wilton Valentine Sprinkles

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Prepare cake mix as directed and divide between two 8-inch round cakes, and two 8-inch square cakes.

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick pressed into the centre of each cake comes out clean.

Set cakes aside to cool for 20 minutes, then carefully remove from pans and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Place the freeze dried strawberries in a blender or food processor, and pulse to a powder.

To prepare the buttercream, cream the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer until light and fluffy.

Beat in the powdered sugar on low speed, one cup at a time, beating well after each addition.

Beat in the vanilla extract, then add the cream a little at a time until the desired texture is reached.

Scoop out 1/4 cup of vanilla buttercream and place in a pastry bag fitted with a round decorating tip.

Mix the strawberry powder into the remaining buttercream, until fully combined.

Scoop out 1/3 of the remaining buttercream and place in a pastry bag fitted with a large round decorating tip.

Scoop out half of the remaining buttercream and divide between a pastry bag fitted with a large open star decorating tip, and a pastry bag fitted with a small open star decorating tip.

Add 3 drops of rose gel food colouring to the remaining buttercream and mix until well combined.

Scoop out all the remaining buttercream and place in a pastry bag fitted with a large open star decorating tip.

Place one of the square cakes on a cake plate or board, positioned like a diamond. Cut one of the round cakes in half and place it next to the sides of the square cake for form a heart. Level the cakes if needed.

Using the pastry bag filled with strawberry buttercream and fitted with the large round tip, frost a border around the heart. Pipe remaining cream into the centre of the heart, then use an offset spatula to spread the frosting in an even layer across the inside of the cake. Leave the piped border as it is to create a barrier for the filling.

Spread strawberry preserves in a layer over the smoothed layer of frosting inside the border of frosting.

Place the remaining layer of cake on top, repeating the previous steps to assemble it.

Use the prepared frosting bags to decorate the top of the cake with swirls, dollops, and roses.

Sprinkle over with the sprinkles.