These mini red velvet conversation heart cakes are soft and filled with a fluffy cream cheese frosting. They're perfect for Valentine's Day. The heart shaped cakes are made from round pans with just a bit of simple geometry. They’re so fun to make and eat!
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Why you will LOVE this recipe:
- Red Velvet: The layers are a classic deep, rich red velvet cake. Soft, tender, and moist.
- Cream cheese frosting: The cakes are filled and covered with a fluffy cream cheese frosting. It’s easy to get a smooth finish on them with all the tips in this recipe.
- No heart pans needed: The cakes are made from round pans and there are options to make it as a sheet cake and cut it into hearts with a cookie cutter. No need for any heart shaped pans.
- Perfect for gifting: These mini cakes are the perfect size to put inside a takeout box (think bento cake) and gifting to anyone you care about.
- Conversation hearts: They're conversation heart cakes! Oh so cute for Valentine’s Day.
Jump to:
- Why you will LOVE this recipe:
- Layers
- How to make a heart shaped cake from round pan
- Writing
- Perfectly pipeable cream cheese frosting
- Why is my cream cheese frosting grainy?
- How to get perfect layers
- Key ingredients
- Step by step - layers
- Step by step - frosting
- Step by step - assembly
- FAQ
- Check out these other recipes:
- 📖 Recipe
- Make Ahead
- 💬 Comments
Layers
The cake layers are soft and moist. They have buttermilk in them for that classic slightly tangy red velvet flavour. I love to add a touch of oil into the cake so that it stays soft and moist for days. I love the flavour of butter and the texture that oil adds so I combine them both for the best flavour and texture in this recipe!
They’re really easy to put together too. Just cream the butter, oil, and sugar, add the rest of the wet ingredients, then add the dry and bake.
How to make a heart shaped cake from round pan
It’s actually really easy to shape a round cake into a heart with a bit of simple geometry. Fill and stack the cake as you would a sandwich. Then you want to cut a “V” into the bottom to make the bottom of the heart. Like a triangle with a rounded top. Attach the pieces you cut off to the top of the cake to make the “butt” of the heart. Trim off any sharp edges if you need to but you’re all set!
Give it a thin crumb coat to help it all stick together and them cover with a final layer of coloured frosting. It should hold together pretty well after you apply the crumb coat.
Writing
There are lots of messages you can write on top of the mini red velvet conversation heart cakes! Some include:
- I ❤️ you
- Cutie
- DM me
- Kiss me
- Crazy 4 U
- Me + you
- BFF
- Be mine
And some anti conversation heart cake messages:
- I tolerate you
- Eww
- Bye
- Bite me
- Yeah right
Perfectly pipeable cream cheese frosting
These red velvet mini cakes are filled and frosted with a creamy and fluffy cream cheese frosting. The key to a perfectly pipeable cream cheese frosting is to not have the butter too soft and to add slightly softened cream cheese. This will help the frosting hold its shape without having to add too much icing sugar.
I use heavy whipping cream to loosen the frosting at the end and make it light and fluffy. This will make it creamy without making it gloopy. Don’t use milk! Milk will thin out the frosting too much causing it to become gloopy.
Why is my cream cheese frosting grainy?
That is probably because your butter is too cold. You want the butter to be soft enough that if you press down on it you can make an indentation pretty easily. It shouldn’t leave a greasy layer on your finger - that means it’s too soft and your frosting might be gloopy.
To fix it melt a ¼ cup of frosting in the microwave and add it back into the frosting, beating it until smooth. You can also try adding more icing sugar which will help break down the grains in the frosting.
How to get perfect layers
Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature. This will help them combine well and create an even crumb.
Measure the flour properly. It's best to use a scale but you can use a measuring cup if you prefer. Scoop into a measuring cup and scrape off the top without packing in the flour.
Keep an eye on the cake in the oven, It's done when a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Oven temperatures vary so it's best to check manually as well.
Key ingredients
Full steps and ingredients in recipe card below. But read through these for all the tips you will need for success!
Butter: Good quality real butter will give the best results. You can use salted butter for the cake layers, just omit the salt.
Buttermilk: Use storebought buttermilk or kefir for best results.
Food colouring: You can use natural food colouring powders if you prefer! I used gel food colouring.
All purpose flour: Weigh the flour to get the most accurate results. If you don’t have a scale, measure properly by stirring the bag and spooning gently into a measuring cup. Scrape the excess off the top with the flat edge off a knife without packing it into the cup.
Cocoa powder: You can use natural or dutch processed cocoa powder. There isn't much of it in this recipe for it to make too much of a difference which one you choose. Dutch processed will make your cakes a deeper colour.
Cream cheese: Use a good quality brick style full fat cream cheese. That way your frosting will be thick and fluffy. Other types of cream cheese will make a gloopy frosting.
Heavy whipping cream: This will give the frosting a light and fluffy texture. Don't use anything less than 32% milk fat or the frosting will be too gloopy.
Step by step - layers
Step 1 - Prep. Preheat oven to 355°F (180°C). Grease three 4” baking pans with a cold piece of butter. Line the bottoms with parchment paper.
Step 2 - Beat butter, oil, and sugar. In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine butter, vegetable oil, sugar, and salt. Beat until light and fluffy, scraping down the bowl halfway through.
Step 3 - Wet ingredients. Add eggs one by one, beating well in between and scraping the bowl. Add buttermilk, vanilla, and red food colouring. Stir well. It’s ok if the mixture separates a bit.
Step 4 - Dry ingredients. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda right into the same bowl. Stir until well combined and the batter is smooth.
Step 5 - Bake. Divide the batter into the pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 22-30 minutes. They are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes before flipping the pans onto a cooling rack and letting cool completely.
Step by step - frosting
Step 1 - Beat butter and sugar. In a large bowl or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and sugar until very light and fluffy. This will take about 7-10 minutes. Scrape down the bowl a few times in between beating.
Step 2 - Add vanilla and cream cheese, a tablespoon piece at a time. Beat well in between each addition of cream cheese. Scrape down the bowl a few times between beating.
Step 3 - Finish frosting. Gradually add cream, 1 tablespoon at a time until the frosting becomes light and fluffy. Stop adding the cream when you get the consistency you like. Scrape down the bowl so that it’s evenly incorporated. Use a spatula to fold the frosting to remove any large air bubbles and make a smoother frosting.
Step by step - assembly
Step 1 - Trim the top of the cake if it has a dome and cut the cake into two layers.
Step 2 - Fill and stack. Add a few tablespoons of frosting and add the top layer to make a sandwich. Make two cuts to make a V shape on one side of the cake. This is the bottom of the heart. Take the two cut off semicircles and add to the top of the cake to make the “butt” of the heart. See photos for reference.
Step 3 - Crumb Coat. Spread a thin layer of frosting all over the cake to seal in the crumbs. Pop in the freezer for 10 minutes to set. Repeat with the rest of the cakes.
Step 4 - Colour writing frosting. Remove about 4 tablespoons of frosting and add red food colouring for the writing. Transfer to a piping bag or ziploc bag with the end cut off.
Step 5 - Colour remaining frosting. Divide the remaining frosting into three parts. Colour the frosting pink, yellow, and green (or use whatever colours you prefer).
Step 6 - Frost cakes. Cover the chilled cakes with a final layer of frosting. Make sure you’re scraping your spatula each time you make a swipe to get a clean finish. To make an extra smooth finish, use a warm metal spatula to smooth over the tops and sides of the cakes. Warm the spatula with a kitchen torch or run under hot water and wiping dry.
Step 7 - Write messages. Use the red frosting to write conversation messages onto the red velvet mini cakes. Serve at room temperature and enjoy!
FAQ
You can bake all of the batter in a 9" by 12" sheet pan. Once cooled, cut out 6 heart shapes with a heart cookie cutter or a knife. Each heart will be a layer to make 3 cakes total.
You can bake it in a 6" round pan (make sure it's at least 3" tall or it might rise too much). Cut in half, shape, and decorate as the recipe calls for.
Pop the frosting into the fridge for 10-15 minutes. Take it out and beat it again. Add icing sugar a ¼ cup at a time to help thicken it.
I don't recommend using liquid food colouring because the colour won't be very strong and it will make the frosting too watery. Gel food colouring is the best for frosting and for making the red velvet cake layers really bright.
Check out these other recipes:
Happy baking!
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📖 Recipe
Red Velvet Mini Conversation Heart Cakes
Equipment
Ingredients
Layers
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ¾ cup buttermilk room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- red gel food colouring
- 1 ⅔ cups all purpose flour (199g)
- 4 tablespoons cocoa powder use dutch processed for a deeper colour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
Frosting
- 1 ¼ cup unsalted butter softened
- 4-5 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 6 oz cream cheese softened for 10 minutes at room temperature
- 3-7 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- green, pink, yellow, and red gel food colouring
Instructions
Layers
- Preheat oven to 355°F (180°C). Grease three 4” baking pans with a cold piece of butter. Line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine butter, vegetable oil, sugar, and salt. Beat until light and fluffy, scraping down the bowl halfway through.½ cup unsalted butter, 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, ½ cup granulated sugar, ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- Add eggs one by one, beating well in between and scraping the bowl. Add buttermilk, vanilla, and red food colouring (one pea sized amount at a time until it's bright red). Stir well. It’s ok if the mixture separates a bit.2 large eggs, ¾ cup buttermilk, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, red gel food colouring
- Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda right into the same bowl. Stir until well combined and the batter is smooth.1 ⅔ cups all purpose flour, 4 tablespoons cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- Divide the batter into the pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 22-30 minutes. They are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let cool for 10 minutes before flipping the pans onto a cooling rack and letting cool completely.
Frosting
- In a large bowl or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and sugar (start with 4 cups) until very light and fluffy. This will take about 7-10 minutes. Scrape down the bowl a few times in between beating.1 ¼ cup unsalted butter, 4-5 cups powdered sugar
- Add vanilla and cream cheese, a tablespoon at a time. Beat well in between each addition of cream cheese. Scrape down the bowl a few times between beating.1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 6 oz cream cheese
- Gradually add cream, 1 tablespoon at a time until the frosting becomes light and fluffy. Stop adding the cream when you get the consistency you like. Scrape down the bowl so that it’s evenly incorporated.3-7 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- Use a spatula to fold the frosting to remove any large air bubbles and make a smoother frosting.
Assembly
- Trim the top of the cake if it has a dome and cut the cake into two layers.
- Add a few tablespoons of frosting and add the top layer to make a sandwich. Make two cuts to make a V shape on one side of the cake. This is the bottom of the heart. Take the two cut off semicircles and add to the top of the cake to make the “butt” of the heart. See photos for reference.
- Spread a thin “crumbcoat” layer of frosting all over the cake to seal in the crumbs. Pop in the freezer for 10 minutes to set. Repeat with the rest of the cakes.
- Remove about 4 tablespoons of frosting and add red food colouring for the writing. Transfer to a piping bag or ziploc bag with the end cut off.green, pink, yellow, and red gel food colouring
- Divide the remaining frosting into three parts. Colour the frosting pink, yellow, and green (or use whatever colours you prefer).green, pink, yellow, and red gel food colouring
- Cover the chilled cakes with a final layer of frosting. Make sure you’re scraping your spatula each time you make a swipe to get a clean finish. To make an extra smooth finish, use a warm metal spatula to smooth over the tops and sides of the cakes. Warm the spatula with a kitchen torch or run under hot water and wiping dry.
- Use the red frosting to write conversation messages onto the cakes. Serve at room temperature and enjoy!
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