Mini Heart Shaped Cakes

This mini heart cake recipe uses a simple vanilla batter baked in silicone heart molds, then finished with a smooth chocolate coating for a polished look. These mini cakes are soft, tender, and just the right size for gifting, sharing, or serving as individual desserts.

Okay, but why do these feel like something I would've paid way too much for at a bakery? So cute!

- Addison K.

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Ingredients
Instructions
Top Tip
Substitutions
Video: Step by Step Decorating:
Equipment
Storage
FAQ
Related
Recipe
Mini Heart Shaped Cakes
Comments

Bailey pouring a green smoothie into a glass in her white kitchen.

Bailey's Thoughts ...

I made these-mini heart shaped cakes as Valentines Day gifts for my boys' teachers and bus drivers, and I honestly can't get over how cute they turned out. Pinterest is full of beautiful desserts that look amazing but feel impossible to pull off at home. This isn't that. These mini heart-shaped cakes are genuinely doable, even if baking isn't your thing, and they feel thoughtful and special. They also taste really great.

The cakes themselves are soft, tender, baked in little heart molds so they come out perfectly shaped every time. Each one gets pressed into a glossy chocolate coating that sets into the prettiest shell. You can stop there or add some simple decoration.

A few things that really help: freeze the cakes completely before adding the chocolate. Don’t rush that step. Fully frozen cakes are what give you a clean release. If you have a scale, use it, since evenly filled molds bake more consistently, but filling the molds halfway works well too. And don’t overthink the decorating. The chocolate finish does most of the work for you.

Bailey

P.S. If you’re in full Valentine’s Day mode, I also have a roundup of cute Valentine’s Day treats that work well for school parties and gifting.

Ingredients

All-Purpose Flour: This is the base of the cake and gives it structure while keeping the crumb soft.

Baking Powder: Provides lift so the cakes rise evenly and don’t bake up dense.

Baking Soda: Works with the sour cream to help the cakes rise and stay tender.

Salt: Balances the sweetness and sharpens the overall flavor of the cake.

Unsalted Butter: Adds richness and flavor; using unsalted butter gives you full control over the salt level.

Neutral Oil: Keeps the cakes moist, even after chilling and freezing; look for a mild oil with no strong flavor.

Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the cake and helps create a soft, tender texture.

Large Egg: Helps bind the batter and provides structure as the cakes bake.

Egg Yolk: Adds richness and gives the cakes a softer, more tender crumb.

Full-Fat Sour Cream: Adds moisture and tenderness; full-fat works best for consistent texture.

Vanilla Extract: Adds warmth and rounds out the flavor of the cake.

Chocolate Chips: These melt into the coating, so choose a chocolate you enjoy eating on its own.

Coconut Oil: Helps the melted chocolate stay smooth and set cleanly once chilled.

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Cake batter partially mixed in a metal bowl, with visible streaks of flour being folded into a pale yellow batter on a white wood surface.

Prepare the batter. Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another, then combine just until smooth. Let the batter rest briefly before filling the molds.

Silicone heart-shaped cake molds filled with pale cake batter, arranged on a baking tray and resting on a digital kitchen scale.

Fill the molds. Place the silicone heart molds on a sheet pan and fill each cavity evenly, aiming for about halfway full so the cakes bake without overflowing.

Baked mini heart-shaped vanilla cakes cooling in a pink silicone mold set inside a metal baking pan on a white wood surface.

Bake the cakes. Transfer the filled molds to the oven and bake until the cakes are set and lightly golden. Freeze until firm, and then remove each cake.

A hand pressing a baked mini heart-shaped cake into melted chocolate inside a pink silicone mold, with other heart molds partially filled with chocolate on a metal baking tray.

Prepare the chocolate coating. Clean and dry the molds, then melt the chocolate with the oil until smooth. Pour the melted chocolate evenly into each mold cavity. Place frozen cakes upside down, pressing gently so the tops make contact. Freeze until chocolate sets.

Mini heart-shaped cakes coated in smooth dark chocolate, with one cake held to show the light, tender crumb inside, arranged on parchment paper.

Remove the cakes from the molds.
Once the chocolate is fully set, gently peel back the silicone molds to release the cakes. The chocolate should be smooth, firm, and release cleanly, creating a neat, defined heart shape.

Decorated mini heart-shaped cakes topped with piped red, pink, and white frosting, chocolate chips, and pink conversation-heart candies, arranged on parchment paper.

Decorate the cakes.
Decorate the cakes as desired using frosting, sprinkles, or candy accents. See the video above for details on the specific designs shown.

Top Tip

When baking in molds, precision matters. Weighing the batter keeps the cakes from rising over the edges and losing their shape.

Substitutions

Full-fat sour cream: Substitute full-fat Greek yogurt in an equal amount. This substitution has been tested and works well.

Vanilla extract: Substitute vanilla bean paste or imitation vanilla in the same amount.

Chocolate chips: Substitute chopped chocolate or chocolate melting wafers. Choose a chocolate that melts smoothly.

Coconut oil: Substitute butter or vegetable shortening in an equal amount. This helps the chocolate melt and set properly.

Video: Step by Step Decorating:

Mini heart-shaped cakes with vanilla cake bases and chocolate-coated tops, decorated with piped red, pink, and white frosting and Valentine’s candy accents.

Equipment

Silicone Heart Cake Mold: Shapes the cakes evenly and allows for easy release after freezing. This mold is required for the recipe. Amazon and Hobby Lobby have similar options.

Kitchen Scale: Helps portion the batter evenly so the cakes bake consistently and don’t overflow. I always use a scale when baking. This is the one I have had for 2 years. It's inexpensive and works well.

12" Piping Bags: Only needed if you are using buttercream to decorate your mini heart cakes.

#18 Open Star Icing Tip: Used to create the multi colored buttercream "stars" shown in the photos.

Pink Fondant: Used with the heart molds to create the conversation hearts that top the mini cakes in the photos.

Mini Heart Mold Set: Used to create the fondant hearts shown in the photos. Amazon and Hobby Lobby have similar options.

Bakery Boxes: Each box fits 2 mini heart cakes. Perfect for gifting.

Stickers (for gifting): I order my bakery box stickers from The Pink Crumb. The ones shown in the video and photos are sold out, but she has lots of options.

Storage

Refrigerate: Store the finished mini cakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Let them sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving so the cake softens slightly.

Freeze: These freeze very well. Place the coated cakes in a single layer in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature before serving.

FAQ

Do I have to use silicone heart molds?

Yes. The shape and release method depend on silicone molds. A metal pan or standard cake pan will not work the same.

Why do the cakes need to be frozen before adding chocolate?

Freezing makes the cakes firm so they release cleanly from the molds and don't crumble.

Do these need to be decorated?

No. The chocolate coating gives them a finished look on it

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