Heart Shaped Cherry Cake

You don’t have to wait for Valentine’s Day to make this Heart Shaped Cherry Cake recipe. Moist white cake “coupled” with sweet dark cherries just bursting with flavor and the love you put into it is perfect for any occasion or any time.

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Why You’ll Love This Vanilla Cake With Cherry Pie Filling

• This heart-shaped cake comes together in no time, definitely a treat to be shared with those that you love.
• There’s something so classic and still a little special about making a cake shaped like a heart.  
• Easily adaptable to flavor preferences and variations, are you thinking chocolate
• Uses basic pantry staples and cherry pie filling. (Some of you consider cherry pie filling a staple, so good on you!)
• This cake is not only pretty but also easy, even for an amateur baker.

Equipment Needed To Make Cherry Pie Filling Cake

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All you need to make this wonderful white cake with cherry pie filling on top is a heart-shaped cake pan or 9 x 13” cake pan, mixing bowls, an electric mixer, and a spatula!

For the buttercream frosting, you need an icing spatula or smoothing scraper/decorative comb, and a decorating bag fitted with a 1M tip.

Ingredients For Your Heart Shaped Cake Recipe

For Cherry Cake:

• White Cake Mix – my go-to is usually a Duncan Hines cake mix, but you can use any brand you prefer!
• Eggs – you always want to make sure your eggs are at room temp, around 70°F, before incorporating them into a mixture to be baked.
• Baking Powder – Is used to create a lighter crumb and reacts with the cherries in the batter due to their acidity, which gives the batter the correct lift. 
• Vanilla And Almond Extract – always use the best quality extracts you can work into your budget. Pure vanilla extract is going to give you the best flavor, real vanilla “flavoring” is an option if you need something that doesn’t contain alcohol.
• Cherry Pie Filling 

For Buttercream Icing:

• Butter – Should be softened but not melted. Allow butter to warm but not get shiny or start to melt. The butter should leave a small imprint when pushed with a finger.
• Vanilla And Almond Extract – These extracts provide complex layers and aroma to your frosting, that mmm…  To make your own quality vanilla extract, click here.
• Powdered Sugar – Using sifted powdered sugar makes for a smooth glide-like consistency and adds sweetness to the icing.
• Milk – Whole milk creates a smoother and less watery consistency than skim. If you only have a low-fat version, use 2 tablespoons less and continue to add until you’re happy with the texture.
• Food Coloring (Optional) – Create a pink or red hue with gel food coloring.

How To Make Delicious Heart Shaped Cherry Cake

(full printable recipe at the end of this post)

STEP ONE: Mix together all of the ingredients for your cherry pie filling cake, adding only 1/2 can of cherry pie filling until moistened. By hand, fold the rest of the cherry pie filling until combined. The batter should appear thick, so level with a spatula after pouring it into the lightly greased heart-shaped cake pan.

STEP TWO: Bake in a 325° F preheated oven for 65-75 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely in the pan, then invert the vanilla cherry cake to decorate.

Why Add Extra Baking Powder To A Cake Mix?

There are two common reasons: One is to “freshen up” or boost older cake mixes because the baking powder has a limited shelf-life. 

The second and relevant to this recipe with white cake mix and cherry pie filling is to keep the cake from being too heavy yet provide a satisfying and pleasing weight. 

The extra baking powder is added to the cherry pie filling cake because the cherries increase the acidity of the batter. The additional baking powder will be enough to react and counteract the higher acid content so the cherry cake will lift properly.

Note – More is not better here. Too much baking powder will create a bitter taste, and the center of the cake will rise too rapidly, making it fall.

How To Make Velvety Buttercream Icing For Heart Shaped Cherry Cake

(full printable recipe at the end of this post)

Cream butter and extracts until fluffy; add powdered sugar slowly and beat well. Add milk until mixed, adding more if needed for your preferred consistency and texture. If you add coloring gel, mix until the color is uniform throughout.

Popular Substitutions & Variations For Your Heart Shaped Cherry Cake

Tips for Decorating:

• Pipe some of the buttercream around the cherry pie filling on the top of the cake, as I did. This makes a pretty addition and helps to keep the luscious cherries from slipping.
• Frost vanilla cherry heart cake, then top with mini chocolate chips or sprinkles.
• Tint your buttercream pink, ice the whole cake, then sprinkle top with chocolate chips and cherry pie filling.
• Add a bit of cherry liquor to the buttercream frosting and garnish with shaved white or dark chocolate.
• Frost with chocolate buttercream (made with a dash of cherry liquor) for a black forest cake flavor twist.

Sweet Heart Cake Variations:

• Add some mini or regular chocolate chips to the white cake mix and cherry pie filling batter for a creamy chocolate complement in each bite!
• If you love black forest cake, try using a chocolate cake mix instead of white in this heart-shaped cherry cake recipe. Then cover with a simple chocolate ganache icing.
• Make and decorate this heart-shaped cake with strawberry pie filling.

Like This Heart Shaped Cherry Cake? Pin It!

 

To me, Valentine’s Day is really about the simple gestures you make to show someone you love them. This heart-shaped cake definitely says “I Love You!”

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Originally posted in January 2010. UPDATED February 2022. We spiffed up this post with more info and better pictures! No changes to the original recipe.