Learn How to Make a Heart-Shaped Cake and make this Sweetheart Chocolate Layer Cake! You won’t need a special pan or unusual tools to make this heart shape – I’ve included a free template! The cake is perfect for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and any other special occasion where you want to show love!
Heart-Shaped Cake
You don’t need a heart-shaped pan to make a beautiful heart cake. You just need a few common tools, a sheet cake pan, and the simple recipe. I have below. It’s not a special heart cake recipe but a regular one.
I’m also providing a free template for the hearts and a tutorial so you’ll have everything you need to learn How to Make a Heart Shaped Cake without having a special cake pan.
Find the complete recipe with ingredients measurements in the recipe card below.
How to Bake a Chocolate Sheet Cake
You can bake any flavor of cake that you like – I chose chocolate 🙂
Preheat your oven to 325°F.
Prepare a 9×13 sheet pan by spraying with cake release or painting with cake goop. You could also line your pan with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, mix together all cake ingredients on medium speed until well-incorporated. Do not overmix – you do not want a lot of extra air in your batter.
Pour the cake batter into your prepared pan.
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes then flip it out onto a cooling rack to completely cooled to room temperature.
How to Make Vanilla Buttercream
This is my go-to recipe for frosting but again, you can use any flavor you like. Another popular flavor for me is cream cheese frosting.
In a large bowl, use a hand mixer on medium speed to cream together the butter, shortening and vanilla until smooth.
Add 2 tablespoons of milk, the salt, and half the powdered sugar and mix just until combined.
On low speed, gradually add the other half of the sugar. Scrape down the bowl as needed and add more milk if needed to get the desired consistency.
Add a few drops of red food coloring and mix thoroughly. Let the color develop while you work on the cake.
How to Make Ganache
Pour the heavy cream into a microwave-safe bowl and heat it for 1 minute. Check to see if it’s steaming. If not heat it again in 30-second increments until it’s steamy hot.
Pour the chocolate chips into a second bowl (a medium glass bowl is best). Pour the steaming cream over the chocolate chips making sure all chips are covered.
Let it sit for 5 minutes without stirring
Gently stir or whisk the cream and chocolate chips until it becomes shiny and smooth. If you still have any bits of chocolate not melted, return it to the microwave for 15 seconds and mix again.
How to Cut a Heart Shaped Cake
You don’t have to have a novelty cake pan to make a pretty cake into the shape of the heart.
Print two copies of the heart template on 8.5×11 sheets of paper and cut them out.
Using a serrated knife, cut out the hearts being careful to hold the knife straight up and down so the sides of the cake are perfectly straight. Cut cake carefully, especially the pointed part of the heart, so that you don’t tear it.
Using the same template, use your scissors to cut an 8-inch round cake board to the same heart shape.This will serve as a cardboard base for your cake.
Decorating a Heart Cake
Place one layer of the heart cake on the cake board. Spread a thin layer of buttercream over it.
Place the second layer on top of the cake. Make sure the top cake lines up with the first cake layer and trim any places where it’s not even. The easiest way is to line up the pointed bottom of the cake then make sure the curved pieces of the heart are aligned.
Crumb coat the entire cake with the vanilla buttercream and chill for at least 20 minutes – up to an hour if possible.
Place the chilled cake on a wire rack. Immediately pour the warm ganache over the frosted cake. Pour enough that it spills over the side of the cake.
Smooth the ganache with a cake spatula until the top of the cake and the sides are covered with ganache. **If your ganache has firmed up since making it, place it in the microwave in 15-second increments, stirring in between, until it’s pourable. You want the top edge of the cake to have smoothed, sharp edges.
Allow it to set up for at least 10 minutes, then move it to your final cake board.
Using a star tip, decorate the top of the heart with red frosting swirls. I used a Wilton tip #825.
After the ganache is chilled and firm, use your hand mixer to whip it into pipeable stiff, fluffy frosting.
Use a piping bag and star tip (I used Wilton #822) to pipe a large shell border around the bottom of the heart. Add rosettes and more stars to fill in the heart decorations on the top surface of the cake.
Add gold sprinkles and gold pearls if you want to finish up the design!
Pro Tips
If you don’t have a sheet pan or a heart-shaped cake pan, you can also cut hearts from with round cakes baked in round cake pans. I recommend at least 8-inch cake pans. You may have to adjust the size of your hearts depending on the size of your pans. The same goes for using a square pan.
Learn How to Make a Heart-Shaped Cake and make this Sweetheart Chocolate Layer Cake! You won’t need a special pan or unusual tools to make this heart shape – I’ve included a free template! The cake is perfect for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and any other special occasion where you want to show love!
You can bake any flavor of cake that you like – I chose chocolate 🙂
Preheat your oven to 325°F.
Prepare a 9×13 sheet pan by spraying with cake release or painting with cake goop. You could also line your pan with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, mix together all cake ingredients on medium speed until well-incorporated. Do not overmix – you do not want a lot of extra air in your batter.
Pour the cake batter into your prepared pan.
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes then flip it out onto a cooling rack to completely cooled to room temperature.
How to Make Vanilla Buttercream
This is my go-to recipe for frosting but again, you can use any flavor you like. Another popular flavor for me is cream cheese frosting.
In a large bowl, use a hand mixer on medium speed to cream together the butter, shortening and vanilla until smooth.
Add 2 tablespoons of milk, the salt, and half the powdered sugar and mix just until combined.
On low speed, gradually add the other half of the sugar. Scrape down the bowl as needed and add more milk if needed to get the desired consistency.
Add a few drops of red food coloring and mix thoroughly. Let the color develop while you work on the cake.
How to Make Ganache
Pour the heavy cream into a microwave-safe bowl and heat it for 1 minute. Check to see if it’s steaming. If not heat it again in 30-second increments until it’s steamy hot.
Pour the chocolate chips into a second bowl (a medium glass bowl is best). Pour the steaming cream over the chocolate chips making sure all chips are covered.
Let it sit for 5 minutes without stirring
Gently stir or whisk the cream and chocolate chips until it becomes shiny and smooth. If you still have any bits of chocolate not melted, return it to the microwave for 15 seconds and mix again.
How to Cut a Heart Shaped Cake
You don’t have to have a novelty cake pan to make a pretty cake into the shape of the heart.
Print two copies of the heart template on 8.5×11 sheets of paper and cut them out.
Using a serrated knife, cut out the hearts being careful to hold the knife straight up and down so the sides of the cake are perfectly straight. Cut cake carefully, especially the pointed part of the heart, so that you don’t tear it.
Using the same template, use your scissors to cut an 8-inch round cake board to the same heart shape.This will serve as a cardboard base for your cake.
Decorating a Heart Cake
Place one layer of the heart cake on the cake board. Spread a thin layer of buttercream over it.
Place the second layer on top of the cake. Make sure the top cake lines up with the first cake layer and trim any places where it’s not even. The easiest way is to line up the pointed bottom of the cake then make sure the curved pieces of the heart are aligned.
Crumb coat the entire cake with the vanilla buttercream and chill for at least 20 minutes – up to an hour if possible.
Place the chilled cake on a wire rack. Immediately pour the warm ganache over the frosted cake. Pour enough that it spills over the side of the cake.
Smooth the ganache with a cake spatula until the top of the cake and the sides are covered with ganache. **If your ganache has firmed up since making it, place it in the microwave in 15-second increments, stirring in between, until it’s pourable. You want the top edge of the cake to have smoothed, sharp edges.
Allow it to set up for at least 10 minutes, then move it to your final cake board.
Using a star tip, decorate the top of the heart with red frosting swirls. I used a Wilton tip #825.
After the ganache is chilled and firm, use your hand mixer to whip it into pipeable stiff, fluffy frosting.
Use a piping bag and star tip (I used Wilton #822) to pipe a large shell border around the bottom of the heart. Add rosettes and more stars to fill in the heart decorations on the top surface of the cake.
Add gold sprinkles and gold pearls if you want to finish up the design!
If you don’t have a sheet pan or a heart-shaped cake pan, you can also cut hearts from with round cakes baked in round cake pans. I recommend at least 8-inch cake pans. You may have to adjust the size of your hearts depending on the size of your pans. The same goes for using a square pan.
I already submitted and receive your emails. Do I have to do that again every time I want to get or try something that you offer? It says subscribe to get the heart template. Prefer not to have to do that repeatedly.
That’s a great point! Now that I’ve moved to a new email provider, I think I have the ability to add the printables as an attachment for current subscribers (I didn’t have that option before a couple of months ago). I’ll definitely try to keep that in mind for future printables.
Rose your cakes are beautiful. I’m wanting to start an online bakery business. Do you have any pointers for me? I would appreciate suggestions. By the way I already have you book, Cake Decorating For Beginners. It’s awesome.
I already submitted and receive your emails. Do I have to do that again every time I want to get or try something that you offer? It says subscribe to get the heart template. Prefer not to have to do that repeatedly.
That’s a great point! Now that I’ve moved to a new email provider, I think I have the ability to add the printables as an attachment for current subscribers (I didn’t have that option before a couple of months ago). I’ll definitely try to keep that in mind for future printables.
Hello Rose,
Your Sweetheart Chocolate Cake is beautiful! I love the pops of red, the glossy sheen of the ganache, and the gold accents……stunning!
Thank you so much! xx
This chocolate cake is stunning
Was the ganache poured over the cake?
Yes!
It was 🙂
Rose your cakes are beautiful. I’m wanting to start an online bakery business. Do you have any pointers for me? I would appreciate suggestions. By the way I already have you book, Cake Decorating For Beginners. It’s awesome.