Soft white cake, heavenly whipped cream filling, the most perfect vanilla buttercream, and white chocolate drizzle – my sheet cake version of the beloved Little Debbie Valentine’s Heart Cakes is here and incredibly tasty! It’s perfect for Valentine’s Day – and super easy to make (and even easier to serve right out of the dish!).

Little Debbie Valentine’s Day Hearts into a sheet cake

When I first made my Little Debbie Christmas Tree Sheet Cake, I knew the Little Debbie Valentine’s Day Heart version wouldn’t be too far behind. Both are based off the Little Debbie packaged treats! With soft white cake, whipped cream filling, a soft buttercream coating, and white chocolate drizzles on top, this one came together so quickly and tasted perfect! At first, I wanted to make individual treat version (I still might someday!) where you can cut out the little hearts and dip them, etc, but I thought it would be easy and fun for everyone to tackle these familiar flavors and this fun design in the most hassle-free way: a sheet cake! You can still take my elements and recipe here for individual cakes if you’d like, but today we’re embracing the easy-to-make and easy-to-serve version: a delectable sheet cake! Let’s dive into what you’ll need:

How to make the white cake sheet cake

This cake is as easy as they come to make! Just stir the ingredients in a bowl together, sift in the cake mix (yep, that’s right! We LOVE doctored cake mixes around here, if you’re new, and bake the cake to perfection. Here’s what you’ll need (the full recipe is at the bottom of this post!):

  • Buttermilk – room temperature
  • Sour Cream – room temperature
  • Egg Whites – room temperature
  • Vegetable Oil
  • Vanilla
  • Duncan Hines White Cake Mix

Bake it up in 20-25 minutes until the center is baked through, let it cool completely, then you’re going to slice it in half for that filling. I know, it sounds a little intimidating, but you’ve got this. I used a cake leveler, but you can use a serrated knife – just make sure to cut it evenly in half.

How to slice a sheet cake in half for filling

To make the filling happen, we need to slice the cake in half. If you want to skip this step, you can, but you’ll just have to have a layer of whipped cream AND buttercream on top. The Little Debbie Valentine’s Heart Cakes have a filling, so I highly recommend making it happen. Just be careful with the sliced cake layer – it’s a thin layer, so you’ll need to use a rectangular flat surface to help transfer it. I used a thin cutting board and parchment paper (See video below), but you can use anything similar. Just don’t try to pick it up – the cake layer is very flimsy and we don’t want it to break on you. You could freeze it after slicing. That would help, I would think, with stability while moving it around.

How to fill a sheet cake with whipped cream filling

  • Flip the baked sheet cake out onto a sheet of parchment paper or cooling rack on a flat surface after cooling.
  • Use a CAKE LEVELER to slice the sheet cake in half.
  • Carefully slide a thin cutting board or parchment paper folded in half between the layer and lift – OR freeze the cake so that handling it becomes less delicate. It’s up to you.
  • Place the bottom half of the cake back into the cake pan.
  • Add the whipped cream filling.
  • Carefully slide the top half of the cake back on top of the whipped cream layer.

That’s it! You’re ready to frost the cake.

How to decorate the Little Debbie Valentine’s Heart Sheet Cake

Now that your sheet cake has been filled with whipped cream, it’s time for the fun part: decorating! First you’ll need to make my easy buttercream and slather it on top. This time I made my vanilla buttercream, but you can always up the white chocolate flavor by adding in white chocolate ganache right into the buttercream after whipping up the butter.

IMPORTANT: If you want to add the buttercream shell border around the outside edge of the cake, reserve a piping bag full of buttercream before adding in the pink!

Next, add a touch of soft pink gel coloring to your vanilla buttercream. Spread it over the surface of the cake and use a flat cake scraper to make a flat surface.

Melt “very” white candy melts in the microwave, 30 seconds at a time and stir, until melted. Add to a squeeze bottle or piping bag with the small end snipped off, then make overlapping ovals in a row. Pipe the shell border around the outside of the cake.

Can this cake be made in advance? How to store it? Freeze it?

Yes – when you’re finished decorating it, place it into the freezer uncovered for 10 minutes. When the buttercream is firm, wrap it in plastic wrap 2-3 times and store it in the freeze. When you’re ready to enjoy your cake, pull it out of the freezer over night, then unwrap it carefully 3 minutes before serving it and store it in the fridge until then.

How to make white chocolate melts more white

I get it. White chocolate wants to be yellow or ivory. If you buy white chocolate melt, they tend to be more white. If you buy “very” or “bright” white melts, you’ve hit the jackpot and are sure to be satisfied with how white they are. However, if you have a yellow white chocolate in front of you, there are a couple ways to help them become more white:

  • Add in white coloring. A couple drops will do!
  • Add in a touch (VERY small toothpick tip) of violet/purple coloring.

These tips works with your white buttercream, too!

Here’s a video of the process:

I can’t wait to see you enjoy this cake as much as we have! My neighbors, who got a slice, texted me to tell me how much they enjoyed it, too. If you make my cake, or are inspired by my cake to bake, I’d love to see it! Make sure to tag me @bakingwithblondie or #bakingwithblondie so I can join in on all the fun. 🙂

Happy Baking!

-Mandy

Get the Recipe: Little Debbie Valentine’s Heart Cake Sheet Cake

Delicious soft white cake, filled with whipped cream, topped with vanilla buttercream and white chocolate swirls; this cake is my homage to the Little Debbie Valentine's Heart Treats – but in sheet cake form!
Servings: 12 square slices
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Ingredients
 

Classic White Cake

  • 3/4 cup buttermilk, room temperature
  • 2/3 cup sour cream, room temperature
  • 4 egg whites, room temperature
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla
  • 1 15.25oz Box white cake mix, Duncan Hines Brand is my go-to for best taste and texture

Whipped Cream Filling

  • 4 cups Heavy Whipping Cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup powdered sugar

Vanilla Buttercream

  • 3 sticks (or 1 1/2 cup) unsalted butter
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla
  • 8-9 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream

White Chocolate Drizzle

  • 2-3 cups bright white candy melts

Equipment

  • 9×13 Baking Pan
  • flat cake scraper
  • 868 Ateco shell piping tip
  • piping bag
  • squeeze bottle for the white chocolate drizzle
  • cake leveler or serrated knife

Instructions
 

For the white cake

  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Prep a 9×13 cake pan with cake goop, baking spray, or shortening + flour. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, hand-whisk together the ingredients except for the white cake mix. Sift the cake mix in, then gently stir to combine. Spread into the prepared baking pan and bake for 22-25 minutes. Let cool completely.
  • For slicing the cake in half, flip the cake out onto the counter on a sheet of parchment paper. Use a cake leveler to carefully slice the cake in half. Carefully slide the thin cutting board under the top layer and lift it off. Add the cake layer back into the 9×13 pan.
  • Make & Spread on the whipped cream filling from the next step, then flip or slide the other cake layer onto the filling layer.

For the whipped cream filling

  • Chill a metal bowl & whisk in the freezer for 5 minutes. Place them onto the stand mixer, then add in the heavy cream. Starting on low speed and slowly working your way up to high speed over the span of 2-3 minutes, whip up the heavy cream on low for 1 minute, then medium for 1 minute, then high for 1 minute until stiff peaks form.
  • Add in the vanilla, almond, and powdered sugar. Whip up again, then spread out onto the bottom half of the sliced cake. Add the top layer on top using the method described above.

For the vanilla buttercream

  • Whip up the butter in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Add in the salt and vanilla. Whip up again, then add in the powdered sugar. Add in heavy cream – then whip up again. Add more if needed, then turn the speed on high until the buttercream is lighter in color and texture, about 2 minutes. Beat down with a wooden spoon to remove some of the air bubbles.
    Fill a piping bag with a 868 piping tip and white buttercream. Tint the rest of the buttercream pink with a drop or two of soft pink gel coloring.

For the white chocolate drizzle

  • Melt the white chocolate melts in the microwave 30 seconds at a time, and stir, until it's completely melted. Pour into a squeeze bottle and set aside.

Assembly

  • Frost the cake and spread flat using a flat cake scraper.
  • Squeeze on the white chocolate in thin overlapping ovals.
  • Pipe the white buttercream shell around the outside of the cake in a straight border. Enjoy!
Author: Mandy Merriman – Baking with Blondie