A Valentine’s Day Gift Box of…
Cake… Yes, cake.
The truffles…
The box…all cake!
Don’t believe me? Well keep reading and I’ll show you how to make this little Sweet Heart Cake.
- First, you’ll need to grease and flour at least one heart-shaped cake pan. I used one that’s about 8″ wide and used a round cake pan for the rest of the batter.
- Now, mix your ingredients and pour in the pans. (The Red Velvet Cake recipe I used made a cake that was really too greasy, so I’m not going to post it. But you can just as easily use any cake recipe or cake mix for this.)
- Bake the cakes and let cool.
- When cool, take a pencil and trace the shape of your cake onto wax paper.
- After you’ve outlined your cake, draw a second outline about .25 inch around the outside of the first heart shape. You can eyeball it.
- Go back to your cake or cakes and level them by cutting off the tops with a long serrated knife.
- Keep the excess. You can use it later.
- Okay, now you’ll need some red fondant. You can tint fondant red yourself or take the easy way and buy it already colored. (It’s a real pain to tint fondant red and get the color you want, so I’m buying this stuff anytime I can help it.)
- Work on a clean dry surface and sprinkle a little cornstarch before you begin working with the fondant. If you don’t, it will start to stick to the surface. Work with just the amount you need and keep all the rest wrapped up tightly with plastic wrap. It dries out quickly.
- Now use a rolling pin or fondant roller
and roll it flat. You’ll need to roll it larger than your heart shape template.
- With scissors, cut the wax paper along the outer edge of your heart shape to make the template. Then, gently hold the template in place on your fondant and use a toothpick to trace the heart shape.
- Remove the wax paper and carefully cut out the shape with a knife. Use the toothpick marks as your guide.
- This piece of fondant is going to be the bottom of your cake box. Lay it on a plate, cake board or cake stand. I used a round cake board and a few doilies to place the fondant on. Now use a little of your frosting to coat a layer on the inner section of your fondant heart shape.
- Place the cake on the fondant and center it. The frosting helps hold it in place.
- Now, frost the top and smooth it out.
- Go back to your wax paper template and cut out the inside heart shape. Use this new template for the top of the cake box. Roll and cut out another piece of fondant to use to cut out the heart for the top of the cake the same way you did for the bottom.
- Place the fondant heart shape on top of the cake so that it’s centered with the bottom layer of fondant. Frost the sides carefully. Make it as smooth as possible. Use a paper towel and gently remove any excess frosting that may get on the bottom edge or the top of the cake.
- Now roll out a long strip of fondant.
- Using a straight edge, cut the sides off so you have a long even piece of fondant. You’ll want the width of this piece be at least .25″ wider than the height of your cake so that it forms the sides of the box to hold the truffles.
- Carefully, wrap the sides of the cake with this strip of fondant. Again, the frosting will help hold the fondant in place. The smoother your frosting is, the smoother the sides of your box will be.
And, voila… Sweet Heart Candy Cake Box!
Now, you just need to fill it with truffles.
You can use the other cake and excess trimmings to crumble and make red velvet cake balls.
Read the original how-to for the Red Velvet Cake Balls.
(Keep in mind that this recipe used the entire cake for cake balls, so you will want to cut down on the amount of frosting you use to make them work. Start small and add more as you need it until the consistency is moist enough to mold and still hold it’s shape. )
I just decorated these different ways with candy writers, heart sprinkles
, nuts and drizzled candy melts. You can take this a step further by really making it an assorted box of chocolate. Go all out and make the cake balls with different cake flavors.
Here’s a pic of the inside just in case you still weren’t convinced.
Things you”ll need for this Sweet Heart Cake:
Red Velvet Cake
Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe I used here)
Heart-shape cake pan
and one other cake pan
Wax paper
Pencil or pen
serrated knife
White fondant and red icing color
or red fondant
Fondant Roller or rolling pin
Toothpicks
Small knife
Mini brown candy cup liners
Candy melts
Candy writers, heart sprinkles
, nuts
That’s adorable! Always the cutest ideas here…
Amazing, simply beautiful.
Holy Moly! You have outdone yourself again. So cute.
Impressive. This one really takes the cake! Thanks SO much for sharing this idea.
Aha! You are freaking brilliant, super, awesome! All three combined =]
Nice idea though, I could never have thought of that =| If only I had a valentine I could make one for. But I’ll give the red velvet cake balls a shot!
Have a good valentines =]
pure genius!!
Oh my goodness, that is the cutest thing EVER!
If I knew mine would turn out that cute I would try it. But I am completely confident that it would NOT turn out that cute, so I will stare and drool at yours!
This has got to be the most impressive box of Valentine’s “chocolates” I’ve ever seen!
AHHH!! So cute! You are one incredible gal!
Oh that is gorgeous! Where do you get your ideas from?! I have been doing cakes for 24 years and am no where near 1/10th as creative as you! You never cease to amaze me!
<3
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I love your site you make things in the kitchen seem do-able Thanks
you are amazing!!
Kristine – That's sweet of you to say
dddiva – thanks
Megan – Hope I can keep it up
S'mee – you're welcome
bon-bon-bun – the cake balls are fun. I think you';; like them.
Sara – thanks!
Sara – don't knock yourself. I'm sure you could do a great job.
PaniniKathy – and homemade, too.
Kristy – thanks!
Blogger LaDue & Crew – thanks so much for the compliment. I wish I had your knowledge. 24 years … impressive.
madalina – :)
Fernelius – I'm glad you think so.
Christina – and you are sweet!
Oh my gosh, Can I be your Valentine? I thought your most creative idea yet with the snowglobe but I think I’ve found a new favorite. WOW!
Totally sweet!
Just….WOW!
Oh Bakerella, you truly own my heart! Happy Valentines to you too!
Oh…..my gosh. This has to be the prettiest, cutest food I have ever seen.
Unbelievably SUPER idea! I love the way you think…edible candy box. We {heart} you, Bakerella!
Again…fantastic photograpy! We bought a Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 lens a few months ago just because you said you used yours 99% of the time. Well worth such a tiny investment.
OMG! You are amazing! That is so beautiful and unbelievable. Great work. Stunning!
I could never eat those–what a work of art. But if I got started, I’m sure I’d have a hard time stopping!
Mmmmmmm!!! So yummy.
And now I’m hungry again. I wonder why… ;-)
Thank you for all your amazing creations, you’re my inspiration.
i’m absolutely speechless. this is such a great idea! and so unique! i LOVE it! i think i’ll have to do this for valentines day this year for my boyfriend. thanks bakerella!
why are you so creative? hahah
ahhh so many nice ideas
i feel inspired now
Once again, an inspired recipe! You are absolutely brilliant! This is a fantastic idea! Happy V Day!
this is spectacular!!
You are awesom!!! how this ideas came up tou your mind! it is amazing! and so many thanks to be so generous to share this great idea with all of us.
Oh God, I think I am going to die from WANT!
how absolutely gorgeous!!! am loving it.
Bakerella, once again you have inspired me! I posted this on Twitter and within no time had inspired someone else and before we knew it we were challenging each other to a cakeoff!
Would it be too much to ask for you to be the judge? All credit to go to your original design of course!
Sweet Libertine aka Tish
Good idea here.
BPO work from home
This is the cutest V-day cake ever!!!
It is just amazing I can’t believe it !
CONGRATS ! It is so beautiful !
Valerie, Belgium
Awesome cake! It does look real. Just had a question about candy melts on cake balls. I tried making cake balls for the first time and my chocolate wasn’t smooth at all, just gunky. I’m not sure what I did wrong. Any suggestions for melting and dipping? Thanks.
Fantastic! Too bad that I can’t get all the stuff you have in the USA here in Sweden. I would have tried to bake you cake.
OMG! you’re a genius!!
i think it might be less effort to give my man some loving on valentines! but credit where credit’s due, your cake looks amazing. you’re very talented!!!!
WOW!! Talk about a labor of love!
so beautiful and amazing. You truly have a gift.
Oh great!!! what a nice post on love. Thanks for providing such a nice article. Wish u Happy Valentine’s Day. It would be great if you elaborate it more. Your comment at my will also be appreciated
interest and diffucult. congrats!!
This is pure genius. I am in awe of your talent!
At first glance I thought, “Ok a box of chocolates.” Then I read on-I should have known it was so much more!
Thank you for the inspiration!
Cindy
You are amazing. Freaking amazing.
What a super awesome idea!!! I love it, as every single other thing you do!!! How do you come up with all these ideas?? You’re so creative.
Wow! You are so fun!
You are truly amazing and creative
Hi Bakerella,
I am new to your blog and have only scrolled through a few pages – I need more time to look carefully at all your great ideas! So far, everything has been so creative! Wow – can’t wait to keep reading!
Wow this is great. I always look forward to Mondays to see what you have come up with over the weekend.
Have you ever thought of teaching a class? I live in Atlanta too. I have a group of moms that would love to have you come and teach us a technique as a fun evening out. For a fee of course!! ~Chrissy
You are truly amazing and creative!! What will you think of next?! Love it!!
Sesational, inspired, fabulous… words do not suffice to describe your talent!
What a GREAT idea!! How do you think of these things?!
Your creativity really blows me away. I haven’t yet attempted ANY of your creations, but someday I hope to get to this point. I actually hope someday I can take pictures as pretty as yours that are of desserts as pretty as yours. We will see.
I’m amazed you could bring yourself to cut into it. . . I’m sure I couldn’t do it, it’s so perfect! Stunning, gorgeous, exquisite. . . I’m out of superlatives!
You are a cooking/baking creating genius! Beautiful!!!!
That’s so much better than a box of chocolates!
(~~)
Julie
Absolutely amazing!
I love your instructions!! I feel like I could do this!
Amazing job. I am so impressed. What a great gift!
That is insanely gorgeous. I didn’t think it could get more creative then the Christmas snowglobe cupcakes, but it did.
You always bring a smile to my face.
This is adorable! Out of curiosity, would you know how much this cake (and fondant) cost you to make? You don’t have to share, just wondering if I could afford to make more than one if I screwed them all up!
Oh Dear! That is so frikkin’ awesome.
Really original idea! The box is as impressive as the ‘truffles’.
Amazing!!! You are so unbelievably talented!!! I love your work!
Super Duper cute! Bakerella you are brilliant!
Amazing! Truly a labor of love for your sweetie. Thanks for posting this adorable cake!
sick.
are you being highly compensated for your abilities!?
I love this idea! :)
This is really such a cute idea!!! The ideas are endless with those cake balls!!! Thanks for sharing!!
Hi, I’m Karen and I’m new to your blog,to which I’m completely in awh of the heart cake box!!! Thank-you so much for creating this blog! The cake box is very clever and looks delicious!
Oh my goodness! That is the coolest thing ever! What a fun idea!
This is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen!!!
Oh Bakerella – this is just too much. But in the best possible way. You are amazing!
Oh, I want to try… I really think I might!
Thanks for such a fun idea!
PERFECT TREAT!!
I’ve always wondered how gourmet shops make these kinds of things? Just gorgeous!
You always amaze me, Bakerella! Wow!
Martha Stewart eat your heart out.
I wish I had an IOTA of your talent. Good grief you are good!
~Nooneimportant
Simply amazing!!!
Oh heavens…what a delicious treat to make! YUMMY!!! Thanks for an adorable idea, I know mine, may not look quite as good as yours, but neato! Whose the lucky who gets to eat that cake?
This is the cutest idea ever. You are so creative! Thanks for sharing your wonderful ideas with us.
Geez….you are such a showoff! ;) That’s so cute!!! Great job as usual, but you’ve sent me {the non-baker} into a deep depression over my lame-ness.
That is gorgeous!
So incredibly cute! I love it.
You are absolutely amazing! Did you discover this talent by accident or did you just know?
Oh My God!! That’s gorgeous!!
A great idea. I just loved it!
You are AMAZING!
OMG you’re amazing :D I thought it was a box..!!!!
xoxo from Venezuela
Shut up, Bakerella! You have outdone even your own cute-itude. Why do I always have an overwhelming urge to hug everything you make?
Truly inspirational! I am going to surprise my family with this one. You should piece together your photos with some video and put it on youtube to enter the Foodnetwork Valentine’s Day contest.
That is so adorable!!! And I love the cake balls!! I just made football ones this weekend for the Superbowl!
Wow! What a wonderful Monday morning suprize! That is the most creative Valentines Day cake I have EVER SEEN! Whoever said to enter it in a contest is RIGHT!
Did you just use regular heart shaped cookie cutters for the cake balls?
Thanks again! I LOVE IT
Kelly
Amazing as usual!
This is incredible. Wow. Looking at the cake and reading the recipe is almost as good as eating it.