Vintage Heart Birthday Cake
Learn how to make a stunning heart birthday cake with rich chocolate layers and vintage buttercream decorations - perfect for any special celebration!
Equipment
- 2 8-inch round cake pans or 1 heart-shaped pan
- Parchment Paper
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- mixing bowls
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Offset Spatula
- Straight spatula or bench scraper
- Cake board
- Piping bags
- Piping tips (including Wilton tip 3)
- Cooling racks
- Serrated knife
- Ruler or measuring tape
- Toothpicks
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake Layers
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup hot coffee or hot water
Buttercream Frosting
- 1½ cups 3 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 5-6 cups powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Gel food coloring pink or red
Instructions
Preheat Oven & Prepare Pans
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Grease two 8-inch round cake pans and line with parchment paper.
Mix Dry Ingredients
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.2¼ cups all-purpose flour, 2 cups granulated sugar, ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1½ teaspoons baking powder, 1½ teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt
Mix Wet Ingredients
- In another bowl, beat eggs slightly, then add buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. Mix well.2 large eggs, 1 cup buttermilk, ½ cup vegetable oil, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Combine Mixtures
- Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing on medium speed until just combined. Do not overmix.
Add Liquid
- Slowly add the hot coffee or water to the batter, mixing on low speed until fully incorporated. The batter will be thin.1 cup hot coffee or hot water
Bake the Cake
- Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with a few moist crumbs.
Cool the Cakes
- Allow cakes to cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto cooling racks to cool completely. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Shape the Heart (if using round cakes)
- If making a heart shape from round cakes:
- Place one round cake on your work surface and cut in half straight across the middle.
- Cut the second cake in half diagonally.
Assemble the Heart Cake
- Arrange cake pieces to form a heart: place the two half circles at the top side by side, and the two triangular pieces at the bottom with points facing outward. Trim as needed for a smooth heart shape.
Prepare the Buttercream Frosting
- In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat the softened butter until creamy and pale, about 3-5 minutes.1½ cups 3 sticks unsalted butter, softened
Make the Frosting
- Gradually add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.5-6 cups powdered sugar
- Add heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt, then beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes.1-2 tablespoons heavy cream, ¼ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Color the Frosting
- Divide frosting into bowls and add gel food coloring as desired for your vintage heart cake design.Gel food coloring
Apply Crumb Coat
- Apply a thin layer of frosting all over the cake (crumb coat), smooth with a bench scraper, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to set.
- Associated Ingredients:
- Apply a final generous layer of frosting to the cake, smoothing sides and top with a bench scraper and offset spatula.
Pipe Decorative Borders
- Fill piping bags with remaining frosting and appropriate tips.
- Pipe a shell border around the top and bottom edges of the cake.
Decorate the Cake
- Add additional vintage piping designs such as rosettes, swirls, or dots to complete your vintage heart birthday cake design.
Notes
- This recipe makes enough batter for one heart-shaped cake or two 8-inch round cakes.
- For a lighter cake, you can substitute the hot coffee with hot water.
- The cake can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
- For a different flavor, swap the chocolate cake recipe with vanilla or red velvet.
- A completely frosted cake can be stored at room temperature for 1-2 days or refrigerated for up to 5 days.
- An 8-inch heart cake will typically feed about 10-12 people with reasonably sized slices.