Vintage Heart Cake Tutorial
Bake a stunning Vintage Heart Cake with step‑by‑step tutorial, light pink buttercream, and timeless design tips—perfect for birthdays and Valentine’s.
Ingredients
For the vanilla–strawberry base (makes one 8‑inch square and one 8‑inch round cake):
- 2 ⅔ cups sifted cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter room‑temperature
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs room‑temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole milk room‑temperature
- Optional chocolate variation: swap ½ cup flour for Dutch‑process cocoa to create a dual‑tone flavor contrast.
Buttercream & filling:
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter softened
- 6 cups confectioners’ sugar sifted
- ¼ cup heavy cream plus a splash more as needed
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
- Pink gel coloring for that retro vibe
- ½ cup smooth strawberry jam for a bright middle note
Instructions
Mix & bake.
- Cream butter and sugar until fluffy, beat in eggs one at a time, then alternate dry ingredients with milk. Divide batter equally into your prepared square and round tins; bake at 350 °F (175 °C) for 26‑30 minutes. Cool 10 minutes, turn out, and chill flat.
- Carve the shape.
- Slice the round in half, butt the halves against two adjacent sides of the square to form the classic curve, then trim the points so all edges align.
Build structure.
- Level domes with a serrated knife, brush syrup, spread jam, and stack. Lock crumbs under a thin layer of frosting—the crucial crumb coat—and chill 15 minutes.
Final frost.
- Cover the entire surface in pink buttercream, smoothing the sides and top with a bench scraper.
Pipe & finish.
- Using a star tip, pipe a graceful shell border, then dot rosettes across the top of the cake. Add dragees and berry fans for sparkle. The result is a fully frosted cake ready to wow any gathering.