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Conversation Heart Cake

Prep Time45 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Additional Time2 hours
Total Time3 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 16 Servings

Ingredients

Cake

Buttercream:

Instructions

For the Cake:

  • Preheat the oven to 325°F, and prepare two 8-inch cake pans by lining the bottoms with parchment paper and spraying with baking spray.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the water, sour cream, eggs, oil, and vanilla. Mix until combined.
    1 ¼ cup water, 1 cup sour cream, 3 large eggs, 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • Add in the cake mix, flour, sugar, and salt. Mix just until combined. Pour the cake batter into the two prepared cake pans.
    16.25 ounces white cake mix, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon salt
  • Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  • Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 to 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the Frosting:

  • Take 1 heaping cup of the conversation hearts and crush them, either by hand or in a blender, until the pieces are smaller than a pea, but not too powdery. You want the pieces to easily fit through your piping tip. It’s okay if there is some powder and some pieces.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment to cream together the butter and shortening until light and fluffy.
    2 cups unsalted butter, ¾ cup shortening
  • Add in the powdered sugar, heavy cream, vanilla, salt, and almond flavoring. Beat on medium high for 2 to 3 minutes.
    4 cups powdered sugar, ½ cup heavy cream, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon almond extract
  • Pour in the 2 tablespoons of boiling water, then beat on high for 3 to 5 minutes, or until light and airy. Divide the frosting in half, placing half in a new bowl. 
    2 tablespoons hot water
  • Add the crushed conversation hearts to one of the bowls of buttercream and use a spatula to gently fold in.

Decorating:

  • Scrape the buttercream that has the conversation hearts into a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip, or tip of choice.
  • Take about ½ cup of the plain frosting and place it into a small bowl with some red food coloring, mix well, set aside.
  • When the cakes are completely cool, cut each of the cake rounds in half horizontally, so you will now have 4 layers of cake. Assemble the cake on a serving platter, and pipe a layer of the conversation heart buttercream between each layer of cake. Save a bit of the buttercream to add decorative swirls to the top of the cake.
  • Frost the top and sides of the cake with the plain buttercream, making it as smooth as possible on the top. Any remaining plain buttercream can be mixed in with the conversation heart buttercream (if needed).
  • Apply the remaining conversation hearts to the sides of the cake all the way around, either randomly or in a pattern of your choice.
  • Place the red buttercream into a small piping bag with a round tip for writing. Write your favorite conversation heart phrase on the top in the center of the cake.
  • Pipe tall swirls of the conversation heart buttercream on the top edges of the cake. Place the cake in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to set. 
  • Enjoy chilled or at room temperature! See post for storage options.

Notes

*The calories listed are an approximation based on the ingredients in the recipe card and a serving size of 1 slice of cake. Actual calories will vary.
 
*For more information, tips, and answers to frequently asked questions, please refer to the post.
 
*Photos courtesy of Megan from The Kindred Whisk and recipe inspired by Gimme Some Oven.
Nutrition Facts
Conversation Heart Cake
Serving Size
 
1 slice
Amount per Serving
Calories
778
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
56
g
86
%
Saturated Fat
 
29
g
145
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
23
g
Cholesterol
 
158
mg
53
%
Sodium
 
406
mg
17
%
Carbohydrates
 
66
g
22
%
Sugar
 
56
g
62
%
Protein
 
4
g
8
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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