Homemade Little Debbie Valentine Cakes: A Sweet DIY Treat
Spread a little love and joy with these homemade Little Debbie Valentine Cakes. This copycat recipe is perfect when you want to make a sweet treat for Valentine’s Day, but these heart-shaped desserts are also a cute cake to serve for a bridal shower, baby shower, birthday, or Easter. So when you have a craving and your favorite Little Debbie cakes aren’t in stock for Valentine’s Day, now you have a copycat recipe to make your own DIY heart cakes.
How to Make Little Debbie Valentine Cakes
There are a few different steps to making these heart-shaped cakes. First you need to make the yellow cake and cut it out into little heart shapes. Next comes making the frosting to fill the cakes. Finally you have to coat these copycat Little Debbie Valentine Cakes with chocolate. Let’s break-down the steps into more detail.
Cake Ingredients
- Box of Vanilla Cake Mix
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Whipped Frosting
- 7 ounces marshmallow creme (like Fluff, or Jet-Puffed)
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
Chocolate Coating
- Pink food dye
- White Chocolate Candy Melts melted
Step by Step Process
Start by making the cake. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare two 9×13 inch baking pans. One to bake the cake, and the other will be used for assembly.
Make the Cake: In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, flour, sugar, salt, eggs, milk, vegetable oil, sour cream, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth, and thoroughly combined.
Pour the batter into the baking pan, and spread into an even layer. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. You need to let the cake cool completely before you can assemble it.
Make the Filling: Beat the softened butter in a bowl until creamy. Add the marshmallow creme, powdered sugar, salt, vanilla extract, and heavy cream. Mix until it is light and fluffy.
Assemble the Cakes: Using a heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out the cakes into as many hearts as you can. Make sure you have an even number because you need two hearts to make each of the Little Debbie Valentine Cakes.
Pipe or spread frosting onto one heart and sandwich it with another heart. Repeat for all pairs of cake hearts.
Chocolate Dip: Now you need to cover each heart cake sandwich in melted chocolate and then decorate it. Melt white chocolate candy melts according to package instructions. Usually it takes about 60 seconds, stir, and then repeat in 15-second or 30-second intervals.
Set aside a couple tablespoons of white chocolate to be used for the decorative swirls. Add pink food coloring to the rest of the melted chocolate. Stir, and add more food coloring if needed to achieve the desired color.
Coating Cakes: Use a fork to lift one of the heart-shaped cakes and dip it into the melted chocolate. Cover the cake completely, and let the excess chocolate drip off before placing the cake on parchment paper to dry.
Allow the cakes to harden and then finish by drizzling the white chocolate on top. The white chocolate that you set aside will have hardened as well, so just reheat it in the microwave for a few seconds until it’s smooth. Then you can transfer it to a sandwich bag, snip a hole in the corner, and draw on the swirls. You can also use a fork to drizzle the white chocolate on top, if you prefer more of a casual splatter look.
When you want to make someone a special treat, these homemade Little Debbie Valentine Cakes are a no-brainer. Each one is packed with flavor, but their heart shape, pink coloring, and pretty white swirl exudes love. That’s why I love them for Valentine’s Day, but also to celebrate someone’s birthday. Or to serve at a special event like a bridal shower. Whatever the occasion, these heart-shaped cakes won’t last long as it’s hard to eat just one.
Copycat Little Debbie’s Valentines Cake
Equipment
- 9×13 Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Piping Bag
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Heart-shaped cookie cutter
- Handheld mixer
Ingredients
Cake Batter
- Box of Vanilla Cake Mix
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Whipped Frosting
- 7 ounces marshmallow creme
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
Chocolate Coating
- White Chocolate Candy Melts melted
- Pink food dye
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line one 9×13 baking sheet with parchment paper, or spray it with a non-stick spray.
- In a large bowl, combine the vanilla cake mix, flour, sugar, salt, eggs, milk, vegetable oil, sour cream, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth.
- Pour the batter onto the prepared baking sheet and spread it into a thin, even layer. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely.
- While the cake is cooling, make the whipped frosting center: Start by beating softened butter in a bowl until creamy. Add marshmallow creme, powdered sugar, salt, vanilla extract, and heavy cream. Mix until light and fluffy.
- Line a 2nd baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut the cake into hearts: Place the cut out pieces on the parchment.
- Assemble the cakes by piping, or spreading frosting onto one heart and sandwiching it with another heart. Repeat for all pairs.
- Melt white chocolate candy melts according to package instructions. Set aside a couple tablespoons of white chocolate and then stir in pink food dye into the rest to achieve desired color.
- Dip each heart cake sandwich into the melted chocolate, covering it entirely. Let excess drip off.
- Place the dipped cakes on parchment paper, then allow the cakes to harden. Finish with white drizzle to decorate the cakes.
Here are more cookie recipes to try for Valentine’s Day, or a special occasion.
Red Velvet Cookies with Buttercream Frosting
Lofthouse Sugar Cookies with Frosting
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