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Turn a beloved childhood snack into something homemade with these look-alike heart-shaped cakes. Soft vanilla cake surrounds a fluffy marshmallow center, all wrapped in a pink coating that breaks with a satisfying crunch when you take a bite. Make this copycat version at home and enjoy the freedom of knowing exactly what goes into your treats.
When I first whipped these up with my little girl, she was totally shocked we could make her store favorites right in our kitchen. It's now become our Valentine's tradition, and we've got our own little production line going with specific tasks for each of us.
Must-Have Ingredients Breakdown
- White cake mix (1 box): forms the ideal foundation for your snack cakes
- Sour cream (1 cup): keeps everything wonderfully moist and soft
- Marshmallow creme (7 ounces): delivers that iconic puffy filling
- Almond bark (32 ounces): gives you that flawless outer shell
- Eggs and butter at room temp: key for proper blending
- Pink gel food coloring: won't make your coating turn grainy
Crafting Your Snack Cake Treasures
- Step 1: Cake Foundation
- Start by warming your oven to 350°F. Put parchment in your pans with extra hanging over for grabbing later. Mix your cake mix and sugar with wet stuff until just combined. Drop in flour and sour cream last, stirring until your batter looks glossy. Pour it evenly into pans - thinner layers will make your cakes more authentic.
- Step 2: Whipping Up Filling
- Mix marshmallow creme and butter until they're super fluffy, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle in powdered sugar bit by bit, making sure each addition disappears before adding more. Drop in vanilla and salt, then adjust with cream until you've got something smooth that'll pipe nicely without losing shape.
- Step 3: Putting It Together
- Take your heart cutter and stamp out shapes from your cooled cake, starting at the edges and working your way in to get as many as possible. Swirl filling onto half your hearts, leaving a tiny space around the edge. Pop remaining hearts on top, pressing down gently so filling spreads. Stick them in the freezer until hard.
- Step 4: Dipping Magic
- Melt almond bark slowly, using short microwave bursts and stirring often. Add a bit of shortening for extra shine and smoothness. Keep some white for decoration, and color the rest pink. Let it cool a bit - coating that's too hot will make your filling run.
- Step 5: Finishing Flair
- Dunk each frozen cake fully, letting extra coating drip off. Set on parchment to harden. Once they're firm, drizzle the white coating back and forth across the top.
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My mom always taught me to check if coating is ready by dipping a spoon back - it should set in about 30 seconds when it's just right.
Smart Assembly Tricks
Getting things at the right temp makes putting these together so much easier. Cold cake cuts clean, filling that's not too cold spreads without tearing, and frozen cakes dipped in coating come out looking like they're from a bakery.
Nailing That Perfect Coating
Getting your coating just right comes down to temp and timing. If it's too hot, you'll end up with something see-through and runny. Too cold and it'll be lumpy. You want it flowing like warm honey for best results.
Keeping Them Fresh
These treats can hang out at room temp for up to a week if you put them in something airtight. The coating works like a seal that locks in moisture and keeps the cake from drying out.
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After lots of practice making these treats, I've found that taking your time and watching temperatures carefully gets you the fanciest results. Whenever I bring these out, nobody can believe I didn't buy them. There's something really special about recreating childhood favorites while making new family memories in the kitchen.
Common Questions
- → How far in advance can I make them?
- They last 5 days in a sealed container at room temp or 2 weeks if kept in the fridge.
- → Why do I have to freeze the cakes first?
- Chilling them keeps them sturdy and less likely to crumble when you dip them.
- → Can I swap almond bark for chocolate?
- You can, but almond bark is more stable and sets better at room temp compared to chocolate.
- → Why won't liquid food coloring work?
- Liquid adds water, which ruins almond bark by making it clumpy. Use gel-based coloring instead.
- → Is it okay to freeze after they're done?
- Definitely! Store up to 2 months in a sealed container with wax paper separating the layers.