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Turn a beloved childhood snack into something made with love at home using these look-alike heart-shaped cakes. Soft vanilla cake surrounds a fluffy marshmallow center, all wrapped in a crisp pink coating that breaks with a satisfying crunch. You'll enjoy the memories these bring back while knowing exactly what goes into each bite.
When I first whipped these up with my little girl, she was shocked we could make her store favorites right in our kitchen. It's now become our Valentine's Day tradition, and we've got our own little production line going with specific tasks for each of us.
Key Ingredients Breakdown
- White cake mix (1 box): forms the ideal foundation for these snack treats
- Sour cream (1 cup): keeps everything super moist and soft for days
- Marshmallow creme (7 ounces): delivers that light, airy center everyone loves
- Almond bark (32 ounces): gives you that perfect outer shell that cracks just right
- Room temperature eggs and butter: a must for getting the mix just right
- Pink gel food coloring: won't make your coating turn lumpy
Crafting Your Dreamy Snack Cakes
- Step 1: Getting The Cake Going
- First, heat your oven to 350°F exactly. Put parchment in your pans with extra hanging over the sides for easy lifting later. Mix your cake mix and sugar with wet stuff until barely combined. Throw in flour and sour cream at the end, mixing till you see a smooth, silky batter. Spread it thin in the pans – thinner layers make snack cakes that taste more like the real deal.
- Step 2: Whipping Up The Filling
- Mix marshmallow creme with butter for about 3 minutes until it's super light. Slowly add powdered sugar bit by bit, letting each part mix in fully. Drop in vanilla and salt, then adjust with cream until you've got something smooth that'll pipe well but still hold its shape.
- Step 3: Putting It All Together
- Start from the edges of your cooled cake and cut heart shapes moving toward the middle to get as many as possible. Make filling spirals on half your hearts, leaving a tiny space around the edge. Put the other hearts on top, pressing down gently so filling reaches the sides. Stick them in the freezer until hard.
- Step 4: Making The Outer Shell
- Melt your almond bark in short bursts, stirring between each time. Add a bit of shortening for extra shine and smoothness. Keep some white for fancy drizzles, and color the rest pink. Let it cool a bit – if it's too hot, it'll melt your filling.
- Step 5: Final Decorating
- Dunk each frozen cake completely, letting extra coating drip off. Set them on parchment to harden. Once they're firm, drizzle the saved white coating in zigzag lines across the top.
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My mom always taught me to check if coating is the right temp by dipping a spoon back – it should set within 30 seconds for best results.
Mastering The Assembly
Getting everything at just the right temperature makes putting these together so much easier. Cold cake cuts clean, room temp filling spreads without fighting you, and frozen cakes dip like a dream.
Nailing The Coating
Getting that perfect outer shell comes down to timing and temp. Too hot and your coating will run thin and see-through, too cool and it'll clump up. You want it flowing like warm honey.
Keeping Them Fresh
These treats stay amazingly good on the counter for up to a week if you keep them in an airtight container. That outer coating actually locks moisture in, keeping everything inside soft and yummy.
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I've learned over countless batches that taking your time and watching temperatures carefully gives you the most store-worthy results. Whenever I bring these out, nobody can believe they weren't bought at a bakery. There's something extra special about bringing back childhood memories while creating new ones that makes all the effort worthwhile.
Frequently Asked Questions
- → Can I make these in advance?
- Absolutely, they stay fresh for up to 5 days at room temperature or two weeks if kept in the fridge.
- → Why freeze the cakes before coating them?
- Freezing makes them sturdier and helps avoid crumbling when dipping in the almond bark.
- → Can chocolate be swapped for almond bark?
- You can, but almond bark sets up more reliably and holds better at room temperature.
- → Why use gel-based food coloring?
- Water in liquid coloring can ruin the almond bark's consistency. Gel coloring avoids that issue.
- → Can I freeze finished cakes?
- They freeze well for up to 2 months if placed in a sealed container with wax paper between each layer.