Keep it sweet this Valentine’s Day with these adorable and delicious Mini Heart-Shaped Cakes!
With Valentine’s Day approaching, I was inspired to make these mini heart shaped cakes. I may not be the biggest fan of eating cake, but I’ve always enjoyed the views of an overly decorated cake! When I say cakes though, I mean those old vintage cakes that bring up nostalgia feels.
I gave it my best shot at recreating some of these vintage cakes. I chose to make them mini cakes instead because let’s face it, anything mini is always cuter!…or maybe that’s just me?
I made these mini heart shaped cakes using a basic cake recipe along with a vegan buttercream. You could use any store bought cake mix and frosting if you prefer to save time and get straight to the decorating. I do prefer to make the buttercream from scratch though since i’m constantly making more and to be sure I don’t run out while decorating. Plus homemade always taste better!
What You Need
- Cookie Sheet
- Heart Cookie Cutter
- Cake Mix
- Food Coloring
- Piping Bags
- Gum paste
- Fondant
- Vegan Butter
- Powdered Sugar
- Vanilla
- Dairy Free Milk
How Do I Make Vegan Buttercream?
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Vegan Butter ( I love Miyoko’s or Earth Balance)
- 2 Cups Sifted Powdered Sugar
- 1 Tsp Vanilla or Almond Extract
- 1 Tsp Dairy Free Milk ( almond, soy, oat, coconut)
- Pink or Red Plant Based Food Coloring
Directions
Add your butter to your mixer on high speed until it resembles frostings
With your Mixer on low speed, add in the sifted powdered sugar
Add in vanilla or almond extract.
Add in your dairy free milk as needed until you get a nice consistency
Add a few drops of food coloring to your buttercream
How Do You Make Small Heart Cakes?
Whatever cake recipe or cake mix you choose, be sure to bake your cake in a shallow pan. I used a cookie sheet. You want to make sure it bakes flat and even and has enough room to cut out multiple hearts with a cookie cutter.
You can also add a few drops of pink or red food coloring to your cake mix before baking.
Once your cake has baked and cooled, use your heart shaped cookie cutter to cut out hearts in your cake. Do not attempt cutting out your cakes if your cake is still warm.
Whip up your buttercream frosting and give your cakes a crumb coat.
A crumb coat is a thin layer of frosting used to “glue” down the crumbs and provide an even base for your decorative frosting. This part doesn’t have to look pretty as it is just a base coat.
Allow your crumb coat to fully dry before adding another layer of frosting.
How Do I Use Fondant And Gum Paste?
If you want to add fondant to your cakes, roll out onto some parchment paper and cut out with the same heart cutter you used when you cut out your cakes. I added in a bit of edible shimmer.
Add your fondant hearts to the top of your cakes and press down slightly. Add another thin layer of buttercream if the fondant isn’t sticking.
How Do I Make Decorative Bows & Flowers Out Of Fondant & Gum Paste?
To make decorative flowers and bows, choose a pre-made fondant and/or gum paste.
Mold your flowers and bows and allow them to harden and dry fully before painting.
To paint, grab a small plate to act as your palatte and a small cup or shot glass to hold your clear vanilla extract for dipping your brushes in.
Start piping the cakes! I used multiple small tips for all of the cakes and added pearls with a pair of tweezers. You can play around with different piping tips.
I originally bought maraschino cherries to decorate the cakes, but since these cakes are so small, the cherries overpowered the miniature cakes. I ended up molding my own cherries out of fondant and painting with food coloring. The stems are “glued” onto the cherries with a bit of buttercream.
Hope you enjoyed this post! Would love
Try this other Valentine’s Day recipe : Heart Shaped Cookies
