This super cute Chocolate Covered Strawberry Heart Cake is a chocolate loaf cake with a surprise inside – heart shaped strawberry cake. Frosted with a light and fluffy strawberry cream cheese buttercream, then topped with sprinkles for the perfect Valentine’s Day dessert! (Also known as a Hidden Heart Valentine Cake or a Chocolate Strawberry Surprise Inside Cake.)
The Perfect Cake for Your Valentine!
It’s almost Valentine’s Day and not too late to make this adorable surprise inside heart cake. It’s a lot easier than you think. I used 2 cake mixes, one chocolate and one strawberry, plus homemade strawberry cream cheese frosting. Isn’t it cute! And the perfect treat for chocolate covered strawberry lovers.
How to Make a Chocolate Covered Strawberry Heart Cake
Step-by-step instructions on how to make this show stopping Valentine’s Cake at home…
The first step is to whip up the batter for the strawberry cake (which will be the surprise part of your cake). I used a mix and prepared it according to the package instructions.
Pour the batter into a large resealable plastic bag. Seal it. Set aside. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. I used a Nordic Ware Natural Aluminum Commercial Baker’s Half Sheet Pan.
Cut a small corner of the plastic bag and pipe the batter in long lines across the prepared cookie sheet. Bake at 350°F. for 9-11 minutes. (Note: You might have some extra batter. If that’s the case, you could make a few cupcakes.)
UPDATE: I recently made this cake and didn’t use a plastic bag for this step. I just poured a thin layer of batter into the greased, parchment paper lined pan. I used the extra batter to make 6 cupcakes. Then baked as directed. It worked fine.
Let it cool about 10 minutes, then cover and refrigerate for an hour. You could skip this step but the cake is easier to handle when it’s chilled.
Now it’s time to make the chocolate cake batter…
Meanwhile prepare your chocolate cake mix according to the package instructions. Melt 1 cup of good quality bittersweet chocolate in the microwave for about a minute. Pour into batter and stir to combine.
Note: Melted good quality bittersweet chocolate makes the outer layer of cake extra rich and fudgy.
Line a 10 x 5 loaf pan with parchment paper and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Pour about 1 1/2 cups of chocolate cake batter into pan. Spread to cover bottom of pan. Set aside while you prepare your strawberry cake hearts…
Using a 3″ heart shaped cookie cutter, cut out hearts from the chilled strawberry sheet cake. (Those sweet hands belong to my son, Luke. What a great little helper he is.) Be careful when lifting the cake hearts from the pan, you will have to peel them off the parchment paper and you don’t want them to break. They should be chilled enough to handle, but you will still need to be gentle.
Now it’s time for the fun part – creating the surprise inside!
Carefully place the strawberry cake hearts into the chocolate cake batter, pressing them to bottom of the loaf pan. Make sure they are very close together. They should fill up the length of the pan. Pour the remaining batter on top. (Note: I used all of the batter and it overflowed a little, so I would recommend using all of the batter, but reserve about 1 cup or so. You could make a few cupcakes.)
Bake the cake for 45-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. I put a cookie sheet under the loaf pan, just in case there was some overflow which there was. Let the cake cool completely.
How to Make the Strawberry Cream Cheese Buttercream
This is an easy frosting. Beat a half stick of softened butter with 8 ounces of softened cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Gradually add 4 cups of powdered sugar. Beat with an electric mixer on medium high until smooth. Add 2 teaspoons strawberry extract and 1 drop pink food coloring gel. Stir to combine.
Frost the cooled cake on the top and down the sides, then add sprinkles. If your family really loves frosting, you could double the recipe to have extra.
Slice up your Chocolate Covered Strawberry Heart Cake (preferably with an audience) and listen to the oohs and ahhs as the pretty pink heart is revealed.
Now give yourself a big pat on the back for creating this amazing culinary creation – your very own Chocolate Covered Strawberry Heart Cake.
I hope your sweeties enjoy it. Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!
Lise
xo
How to Make a Gluten Free Hidden Heart valentine Cake
Note: I also made a gluten free version of this Chocolate Covered Strawberry Heart Cake for my daughter and wanted to share how I did it.
For the Strawberry Cake: I used a Betty Crocker Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix, prepared according to instructions PLUS 1/4 cup freeze dried strawberries (crushed), 1 drop of pink food coloring gel and 1 teaspoon strawberry extract. I baked it in an 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ loaf pan, lined with parchment paper and sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. I baked it at 350°F for 45 minutes. Let cool.
For the Chocolate Cake: I used a Betty Crocker Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix, prepared according to instructions PLUS 1/4 cup cocoa powder and 1/2 cup melted non-dairy chocolate chips. Then I placed about a cup of batter in the bottom of a greased and parchment lined 9″ x 5″ loaf pan. I sliced the cooled cake into 1/2″ slices and cut a 2-inch heart out of each slice. I placed the hearts upright into the the batter lined pan. Then poured the rest of the batter into the pan and baked for about 55 minutes on 350°F. Let cool.
For the Frosting: I used 1 stick (1/2 cup) of unsalted butter (softened) and 4 ounces of non-dairy cream cheese, then beat with an electric mixer until cream. I added 2 cups of powdered sugar, 1 drop of pink food coloring gel and 1 teaspoon of strawberry extract, then beat until creamy.
Frost the cooled cake and add sprinkles. It’s very tasty and wonderful to make for your loved ones that can’t have gluten.
p.s. You Could Also Make This Cake for a Baby Shower (Gender Reveal)
Although it is fitting for February 14th, I think you could make this love filled cake anytime. Make it for a birthday party, bridal shower or even a baby gender reveal (baby girl of course). The pink icing might give that one away, so in that case, I would use white icing. Strawberry extract is the flavoring for this frosting, so it will still be berry good even if it’s not pink. If it’s a boy, make the surprise inside hearts light blue using a white cake mix with blue food coloring.
Tools for success
Pillsbury Strawberry Cake Mix – 15.25 oz – 2 pk
Pillsbury Moist Supreme Chocolate Premium Cake Mix, 15.25 oz
Ghiradell Bittersweet Chocolate Chips 60% Cacao
McCormick Strawberry Extract, 1 fl oz
Kitchenaid 5-Speed Ultra Power Hand Mixer
Nordic Ware Half Sheet Pan (Set of 2)
Calphalon Non-Stick 10-inch x 5-inch Loaf Pan
Wilton Nesting Heart Cutter Set (Includes a 3″ heart cutter needed for this recipe)
Note: The above items are affiliate links.
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Chocolate Covered Strawberry Heart Cake
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1 box strawberry cake mix, prepared according to package instructions (I used Duncan Hines Perfectly Moist Strawberry Supreme, 15.25 oz/432g )
- 1 box chocolate cake mix, prepared according to package instructions (I used Duncan Hines Devil's Food, 15.25 oz/432g )
- 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips, melted (I used Ghiradelli 60% Cacao, 150g )
For the frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (114g)
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened (226g)
- 2-4 cups powdered sugar, use 2 cups if you like less sweet or 4 cups if you like it more sweet (240-480g)
- 2 teaspoons strawberry extract
- 1 drop pink food coloring gel
- 2 tablespoons sprinkles
Instructions
For the strawberry cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large cookie sheet (with raised edges) with parchment paper. (I used a 13"x18" half sheet pan.) Spray with non-stick cooking spray. Then line a muffin pan with 6 cupake liners. Set aside. Prepare strawberry cake mix according to package instructions. Pour batter into the prepared muffin pan, then pour a thin layer of batter into the prepared sheet pan. Use a spatula to smooth the top and distribute the batter evenly. Bake for 10-12 minutes. (Bake the cupcakes for 23 minutes.) Cool for 10 minutes. Put the sheet cake in the freezer for one hour. (If your pan doesn't fit in the freezer, you can refrigerate for an hour.) Note: You will be cutting hearts from the sheet cake later and putting them into chocolate cake batter to be baked again.
For the chocolate cake
- Line a 10 x 5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Use a big piece of parchment, so that it hangs over the edges. Spray with non-stick cooking spray before and after placing parchment. Set aside. Prepare chocolate cake mix. Add melted bittersweet chocolate. Stir to combine. Pour a little bit of batter in the loaf pan (about 1 1/2 cups). Spread to cover bottom of pan. Set aside.
For the strawberry cake hearts
- Remove strawberry cake from the freezer. Using a 3" heart shaped cookie cutter, cut hearts from the cake. Cut them side by side, using as much of the cake as possible. (Save the cake scraps to make an English Trifle or Cake Pops. You can put them in a sealed plastic bag in the freezer for future use.) Place the cake hearts upright, point side down, in the cake batter lined loaf pan. Line up the hearts side by side, filling the whole length of the pan.
- Pour remaining chocolate batter on top of hearts. Place a parchment lined cookie sheet under the loaf pan before baking, just in case some batter overflows. Bake the cake at 350°F. for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely. Trim any pieces that might have overflowed.
For the frosting
- Place the butter and cream cheese in a large bowl. With an electric mixer, beat on medium high until smooth and creamy. With the mixer on low, gradually add the powdered sugar. Once combined, turn speed up to medium high and beat for about a minute or two. Turn mixer off to add flavoring and pink food coloring gel. Mix until combined.
- Remove cooled cake to a platter and frost. Add sprinkles. Store at room temperature for up to 2 days or store covered in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Nutrition
You might also like this Rainbow Heart Surprise Inside Cake…
Or you might like these Valentine’s Day Sugar Cookies
All text and images © Lise Ode for Mom Loves Baking. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or link back to this post for the recipe. Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be accurate. This post may contain affiliate links.
Jolena @TheRubyKitchen says
Surprise inside cakes are so much fun and the pink hearts are so cute. I have not tried on of these cakes yet but I hope to in the near future!
Tasbih @ Cleobuttera says
WOW! In love with your cake! The surprise heart in the center is so bright and perfect. I like that you used strawberry cake here which is the perfect combo with chocolate especially around this time of the year. It’s like chocolate dipped strawberries in cake form. LOVE IT!
Wendy says
This looks delicious
Leah says
That cake looks so cute! I love to look at these kinds of surprise cakes, but I always wonder a couple things, and that always prevents me from trying them out. First, does the inside cake, the one that is baked twice get dried out? Second, would the outcome be different with homemade cake batter vs cake mixes?
Mom Loves Baking says
Leah – The middle is not dry because the hearts bake for just 10 minutes. I’ve never tried it with homemade cake batter, but it would probably work fine. Let me know if you try it.
Cloey says
Hi, wonder what your cookie sheet size was for the strawberry cake! Thanks!
Mom Loves Baking says
Cloey – I used a 13-inch X 18-inch Half Sheet Pan for the strawberry cake. There’s a link in the step by step instructions for the pan.
Aida says
My husband doesn’t really like chocolate, would it be the same to make it with maybe vanilla and red velvet?
Mom Loves Baking says
Aida – Sure! 🙂
Susan says
One hour seems like a very long time, is this right, has anyone made this?
Mom Loves Baking says
Susan – Yes. That’s how long it took in my oven. You can check it at 45 minutes by sticking a toothpick down into the middle. If it comes out clean, then it is done.
karen says
are you using 2 10 x 5″ loaf pans? 2 cake mixes won’t fit in a loaf pan. Adorable cake!
Mom Loves Baking says
Yes, I used one 10″x5″ loaf pan. Two cake mixes do fit. You might have a little extra of each batter. If that happens, you can make a few cupcakes.
Sheila says
Love this cake!! I am going to make it for my nephews birthday!!
Samuel says
I see many ways to change this basic idea for a special occasion, just by changing the cake batters used.
lore mm a says
Hello this cake looks amazing ,it will be perfect for valentines day. I was also wondering about the loaf pans, did u use one or two? And also if I don’t have a cookie sheet for the hearts what you other pan can I use. Thanks
Mom Loves Baking says
Hello Lore, I used one 10-inch X 5-inch loaf pan. And I used a Half Sheet Pan for the heart cookies. You need a cookie sheet with edges for this recipe. Good luck!
Jillene says
What a great recipe and directions you provided! I made this cake today. I used a smaller heart cut out (as that was all I had that fit in the pan as my larger one was too big). One box of strawberry cake mix baked on a large baking sheet made enough hearts for three cakes. Then, using the smaller hearts, the whole chocolate cake mix fit in the pan without over filling. I baked mine for 42-45 minutes and it was done through. Thanks for such a beautiful idea!
Mom Loves Baking says
I’m so glad you liked it. Thank you for your comments! 🙂
Shelley says
It looks great. I was wondering though, how do you know just where to cut the cake so the hearts will come out properly ? Do they bake together into 1 solid piece ?
Susan says
The cake was delicious, my oven did require a shorter time. Made a test one for my family and tonight one for my study group, they’ll love it.
Mom Loves Baking says
Hi Susan, I’m so glad you liked it. Thank you for letting me know about the shorter cooking time. Oven temperature’s can vary. Enjoy!
marylou says
just wondering why the strawberry cake has to be piped into the pan through the plastic bag, instead of doing it the regular way?
Mom Loves Baking says
Hi Marylou, the strawberry cake batter is piped onto a cookie sheet so you can bake it for 10 minutes, then cut out the hearts. That’s how you get the heart shaped cake in the middle. See the step-by-step photos in this blogpost for more info. Thanks.
Lucy says
Hello, just stumbled onto your blog and I like it already. Can this method of using cut-out strawberry hearts also work with round (circle) pans?
Mom Loves Baking says
Thank you, Lucy! And yes, I think you could but you would have to use smaller hearts and a deep enough round pan to accommodate the hearts. The hearts would need to line up side by side and form a circle, so you would get a heart with each slice of cake.
Megan says
I wonder if this would work in mini loaf pans…smaller hearts, obviously, and then it could be individual cakes to share with neighbors/friends.
Mom Loves Baking says
Sounds like a great idea to me!
Kathy Sherman says
Made this cake for my Granddaughter. She loved it. And it was so easy and fun to do. Had some batter left over from both the chocolate and strawberry so made cupcakes and put in the freezer for some other time. Thanks for the wonderful recipe and already designing an easter cake with the same concept!!
Mom Loves Baking says
Yay! Thanks for sharing and I love the Easter cake idea. Enjoy!
Tiffany says
Hi just wondering how important is it to add the bittersweet chocolate to the batter? was ready to make this and then realized I don’t have the chocolate
Mom Loves Baking says
Hi Tiffany, you can leave the bittersweet chocolate out if you don’t have it. Good luck and post a photo with #momlovesbaking when you’re done.
dawn says
this is in the oven right now!! Cant wait to eat it!!
Mom Loves Baking says
Hi Dawn, How did the cake come out?
Jen says
I made this for Valentine’s Day and it came out great! So I decided to try it again for St. Patrick’s Day with a twist! I used ande’s mint chips melted into the cake batter with green cake mix for the center and cut out shamrock shapes for the center, and sprinkled ande’s mints on the top of chocolate frosting! Delicious!!
Mom Loves Baking says
Hi Jen, great idea! I actually made one for St Patrick’s Day and it’s on the blog. Check it out!
Dee anna says
Hi!
So I tried this And the center around the hearts didn’t bake. Did I put to much batter?
Mom Loves Baking says
Hi Dee Anna, It sounds like it didn’t bake long enough. It should bake until you can insert a toothpick in the center and it comes out clean.
Robin says
I have some in the oven right now. Smells so good! I, too, had a lot of extra cut-outs. Perhaps because my shape cutter was smaller than 3 inches–maybe closer to half that size. 🙂 Which also meant I used more of the chocolate batter in the pan. I also noticed that my loaf pan, which I would more typically use for bread, is much smaller than your 10×5, being 8.5 x 4.6 (ish?). So I greased up my set of mini loaf pans (and the shapes filled far more space in those 🙂 ) and ended up using 2 of them to finish off the chocolate mix.
Because I have half a pan of shapes left, I think I will make this double next time; 2 chocolate cakes to 1 strawberry cake. At least if I keep using the same size cutters! 🙂
Taste tests this evening, and I think I have my father’s day dessert figured out 😀
Alessandra says
Adorei… Fiz e ficou lindo. obrigada.
barb says
I’m wondering if you can pour the strawberry batter onto the cookie sheet and smooth it out rather than go to the ‘trouble’ of piping. I love this cake! Thank you
Mom Loves Baking says
Yes, I think that would work. 🙂
Sophie says
My hearts flipped upside down and they rose to the top so when I leveled the cake, the hearts were almost gone. Please explain why this happened I’m so confused.
Mom Loves Baking says
Oh no! Sorry that happened. It’s hard to say because I wasn’t there. It sounds like maybe the batter had too much liquid in it. Did you follow the cake mix package instructions exactly? Also, you’re not supposed to level this cake and it’s not in the instructions to level it.
K says
Made a trial cake and loved it!!!
Kellie says
I made this cake three times today and each time the cake split open around the middle. I don’t understand what I did wrong.