Heart Shaped Strawberry Orange Layer Cake

Strawberries and oranges are a wonderful combination of flavors, and I paired them in this beautiful cake shaped like a heart.  Did you know that you can make a pretty heart shaped layer cake without a heart cake pan?  To make a heart shaped cake, you don’t need to have a heart shaped pan as long as you have square and round pans that are the same diameter. When you cut a round cake in half, and arrange the two half-circles on two sides of a square, they form a heart.  How fun is that?

You can make your cake any flavor that you like, of course, but for today’s heart cake, I’m using my favorite recipe for orange cake, that bakes up so soft, moist and tender. Then I frosted it with fluffy strawberry buttercream that’s so pretty and naturally pink. The pink frosting with the orange cake is as lovely as it is tasty. This is a gorgeous cake to make for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, an anniversary or birthday party.

Looking for more Valentine inspiration? Don’t miss these buttercream filled Valentine Linzer cookies, heart shaped strawberry shortbread cookies, and ruby chocolate truffles.

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Ingredients and Tools

• 6-inch Round Cake Pans (x2)
• 6-inch Square Cake Pans (x2)
• Stand Mixer with Whisk Attachment
• Mixing Bowls, Measuring Cups, Strainer, Whisk
• Sharp Knife
• Icing Spatula

So to make the heart shape for your two-layer heart cake, you’ll need to cut round cakes in half, and arrange them on two sides of the square cakes to form a heart (see the helpful diagram below). You can, technically, make a one-layer cake using an 8 or 9-inch round pan + an 8 or 9-inch square pan, if that’s all you have. But, the finished cake will be half as tall and much larger in diameter, and you’ll need to assemble and frost it on a baking sheet. Using the smaller cake pans assembled into two layers keeps the final cake a more manageable size of about 9 inches in diameter and 5 inches tall, so I was able to display mine on a 10-inch cake pedestal.

The orange cake is quick and easy to mix up using just a bowl and whisk, but for the strawberry buttercream, you’ll need a stand mixer. It’s extremely difficult to effectively whip buttercream using a hand-held mixer. I’d encourage you to read my comprehensive post all about Perfect American Buttercream, to learn how to make the best buttercream you’ve ever tasted, with a perfect texture and consistency for

Instructions

Make the Orange Cake.

• Preheat the oven to 350 F, and spray the bottoms of two 6-inch round cake pans and two 6-inch square cake pans with nonstick baking spray.
• Prepare the orange cake batter.
• Divide the batter between the pans. The capacity of a square pan is slightly more than a round pan, so put just a little more batter in the square pans, so that all the finished cakes are the same height.
• Bake the cakes for about 25-30 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean.
• Set the cakes on a cooling rack, covered loosely with a clean kitchen towel, and cool completely.

Make the Strawberry Buttercream.

• Prepare the strawberry buttercream. Instead of making strawberry puree, you can simply use strawberry jam.

Assemble and Frost.

• Remove the cooled cakes from the pans. Place one of the square cakes on a cake pedestal or serving plate. Cut one of the round cakes in half, right down the middle, and place them on two sides of the square cake to form a heart.
• Spread a layer of buttercream on the cut edges of the round cakes, to help them stick to the square cake.
• Frost the top of the first layer of cakes with the buttercream.
• Repeat the above steps with the second round cake and square cake, forming the second layer of your heart cake.
• Frost the cake all over with a thin crumb coat of buttercream, then chill for 20-30 minutes. Frost all over with a final layer of buttercream, making it as smooth or swirly as you like.
• Garnish with fresh strawberries and orange slices.

Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common questions with cake making, so that you can be successful in your own baking! I also suggest reading these comprehensive posts on making Perfect American Buttercream, How to Stack, Fill, Crumb Coat and Frost Layer Cakes and How to Use Piping Bags.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I just bake this cake recipe in a heart shaped cake pan if I have one?

Yes, of course! If you have a heart pan, by all means use it.  Since I might only use a heart-shaped pan once or twice a year, and don’t really want it taking up room in the cupboard, I like having the option of making a special shape using just the pans that I already have and use often.

How big is the assembled heart cake?

This two-layer heart shaped layer cake is about 9 inches in diameter and 5 inches tall.

Should I divide the cake batter evenly between the square and round pans?

The capacity of a square pan is slightly more than a round pan, so put just a little more batter in the square pans, so that all the finished cakes are the same height.

Can I bake this cake ahead of time?

You can bake this cake in advance and freeze just the cake layers (wrapped individually) or the assembled and frosted cake in an airtight container for 3-6 months.

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