Secret Heart Strawberry Vanilla Pound Cake Recipe

This easy Valentine’s Vanilla Pound Cake has a sweet surprise – a strawberry flavored heart baked right in the center. If you are looking for a delicious dessert for Valentine’s Day, look no further!

I am just in LOVE with this cake and the ‘hidden heart’ that’s inside! I mean, what better way to show your special someone how much they are loved than with a cake that has such a sweet surprise in every slice?! It’s perfect for Valentine’s Day or as a special treat on your special someone’s birthday.

I know as you look down the list of ingredients and steps, it might seem daunting to get this cake made. I promise, it’s easier to pull together than it seems ‘on paper’. Bonus is you can make it over a few days to save yourself some time if you need to, leading up to Valentine’s Day. Here’s a simple way to break it down into smaller steps:

• Two days before serving / February 12^th – make the strawberry hearts. Store them in an airtight container until the next day. Let the kids help cut out the hearts and then enjoy some cake scraps with ice cream.
• One day before serving / February 13^th – make the vanilla pound cake with the hearts inside. Let cool completely and then store in an airtight container overnight.
• Day of serving / Valentine’s Day – make the icing and decorate the cake just before serving to your family or significant other

It’s the perfect way to show your love and appreciation for someone this Valentine’s Day!

How To Make A Secret Heart Strawberry Vanilla Pound Cake

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To make this cake, you definitely want to invest in a good quality vanilla extract.  It’s very easy to make your own vanilla or you can grab a bottle next time you head to your local grocery store. You will also need a great loaf pan and a two to 2 1/2 inch heart-shaped cookie cutter. 

Strawberry Heart Ingredients:

• 1 C unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 C flour
• 1 C sugar
• 4 eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tsp strawberry extract
• 1/2 tsp salt
• pink gel food coloring

Vanilla Pound Cake Ingredients:

• 1 C unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 C flour
• 1 C sugar
• 4 eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt

Royal Icing Ingredients:

• 2 egg whites
• 1 C powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• pink gel food coloring

Strawberry Heart Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prep a loaf pan with baking spray.
2. On high speed with an electric mixer beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Beat after adding each of the eggs, one at a time. Add strawberry extract and salt.
4. Gradually add the flour beating on low until all ingredients are combined.
5. Add several drops of the pink gel food coloring.
6. Pour the pink batter into the loaf pan.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for about 50 minutes (loaf will not be completely baked) 
8. Cool in pan 15 minutes.
9. Flip the loaf onto a wire rack to cool completely.
10. With the cookie cutter in hand measure for the width of each slice.
11. Cut each slice according to the above measurement.
12. Using the cookie cutter, cut out the hearts.  Set aside.

Vanilla Pound Cake Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prep a loaf pan with baking spray.
2. Set each heart slice into the loaf pan (these should reach from one end of the loaf pan to the other end of the loaf pan).
3. On high speed with an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Beating after adding each of  the eggs into the bowl, one at a time.
5. Stir in the vanilla and salt.
6. Gradually add the flour beating on low until all ingredients are combined.
7. Begin by filling  in the batter on both sides and in between the heart slices and lastly cover the top of the heart as well with the batter.
8. Bake  at 350 degrees for about 1 hour or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean .
9. Cool in pan 15 minutes.
10. Flip the loaf onto a wire rack to cool.
11. Turn upright to cool completely.

Royal Icing Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients, except the food coloring, in a mixing bowl mixing on medium speed for 4 minutes. 
2. If icing is not stiff enough add an additional 1/4 C powder sugar.
3. Divide the icing evenly into two bowls.
4. In the first bowl of icing add several drops of pink gel food coloring.
5. Mix well.
6. Scoop the pink icing into a piping bag with a #2 tip.
7. In the second bowl this icing remains white.
8. Scoop the white icing into a piping bag with a #2 tip.
9. Drizzle the pink and white icing on the top of the loaf cake.

What To Do With The Leftover Strawberry Cake

If you don’t want to have waste and you’re looking for ideas of what to do with the leftover strawberry pound cake after cutting out the hearts, you could use them to create cake pops or truffles, or to fold into homemade ice cream. You could also use the cake scraps to replace the bread in a bread pudding. Or up the strawberry flavor even more by using the strawberry pound cake to make strawberry shortcakes!

Storing Secret Heart Strawberry Vanilla Pound Cake

You can store the Strawberry Vanilla Pound Cake in an airtight container on your counter for about 2-3 days. You can also wrap it in saran wrap and place in a Ziploc bag – remove excess air before closing the bag – in the fridge for closer to a week. If you want to freeze the leftovers, it should last up to 6 months wrapped in the plastic wrap and sealed in a bag.

Yield: One Cake

Secret Heart Strawberry Vanilla Pound Cake Recipe

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This easy Vanilla Poundcake has a sweet surprise – a strawberry flavored heart baked right in the center. If you are looking for a delicious dessert for Valentine’s Day, look no further!

Prep Time 2 hours 25 minutes

Cook Time 2 hours

Total Time 4 hours 25 minutes

Ingredients

Hidden Strawberry Heart Ingredients:

• 1 C unsalted butter, room temp
• 2 C flour
• 1 C sugar
• 4 eggs, room temp
• 1 tsp strawberry extract
• 1/2 tsp salt
• pink gel food coloring
• heart cookie cutter

Vanilla loaf Ingredients:

• 1 C unsalted butter, room temp
• 2 C flour
• 1 C sugar
• 4 eggs, room temp
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt

Icing Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 lb. powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Pinch salt
• Pink gel food coloring

Instructions

Hidden Strawberry Heart Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prep a loaf pan (8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inches) with non-stick spray.
2. Line pan with parchment paper.
3. On high speed with an electric mixer beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Beat after adding each of the eggs, one at a time. Add strawberry extract and salt.
5. Gradually add the flour beating on low until all ingredients are combined.
6. Add several drops of the pink gel food coloring.
7. Pour the pink batter into the loaf pan.
8. Bake at 350 degrees for about 50 minutes (loaf will not be completely baked).
9. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes.
10. Flip the loaf onto a wire rack to cool.
11. Turn upright to cool completely.
12. Using the cookie cutter, measure the thickness for each slice.
13. Cut each slice according to the above measurement.
14. Using the cookie cutter, cut out the hearts. Set aside.
    

Vanilla Loaf Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prep a loaf pan with baking spray.
2. Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer, until light and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, to the creamed butter and sugar. Beat after adding each of the eggs into the bowl.
4. Add the vanilla and salt.
5. Gradually add the flour beating on low until all ingredients are combined.
6. Fill pan about 1/4 of the way with batter.
7. Stack the hearts and carefully place them in the loaf pan. These should reach from one end of the loaf pan to the other.
8. Add a little batter in between the heart cutouts as well.
9. Lastly,cover the top and sides of the hearts with the batter.
10. Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
11. Cool in pan 15 minutes.
12. Flip the loaf onto a wire rack to cool.
13. Turn upright to cool completely.
    

Icing Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients, except food coloring, in a mixing bowl. If mixture seems too dry, add milk one tablespoon at a time, until easy to mix at a medium or higher speed.
2. Beat for about 3-5 minutes, until very fluffy.
3. Divide the icing evenly into two bowls.
4. In the first bowl, add several drops of pink gel food coloring.
5. Mix well.
6. Scoop the pink icing into a piping bag fit with a #2 tip.
7. The icing in the second bowl remains white.
8. Scoop the white icing into a piping bag fit with a #2 tip.
9. Drizzle the pink and white icing on the top of the loaf cake.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

10

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 350Total Fat: 14.61gSaturated Fat: 3.1gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 3.8gCholesterol: 111mgSodium: 258mgCarbohydrates: 49.3gFiber: 0.5gSugar: 27gProtein: 6g

Nutritional info is provided as a courtesy and may not be accurate