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Little Debbie Valentine's Heart Cake Sheet Cake

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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
Author Mandy Merriman - Baking with Blondie

Equipment

  • 9x13 Baking Pan
  • flat cake scraper
  • 868 Ateco shell piping tip
  • piping bag
  • squeeze bottle for the white chocolate drizzle
  • cake leveler or serrated knife

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

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!