Chocolate Covered Strawberry Heart Cake

4 from 8 votes

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Heart Cake

Chocolate loaf cake with a heart shaped strawberry cake surprise inside; frosted with a light and fluffy strawberry cream cheese buttercream, then topped with sprinkles for the perfect Valentine's Day dessert!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 20

Servings servings

Calories 541kcal

Author Lise Sullivan Ode

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

½ 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 ½ 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.

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