Copycat Little Debbie Valentine Cakes: A Nostalgic Homemade Treat
Valentine’s Day is all about love, and what better way to celebrate than with a sweet, nostalgic treat? If you grew up loving Little Debbie Valentine Cakes, you’re in for a treat!
These adorable, heart-shaped snack cakes with their pink frosting and creamy filling are a childhood favorite for many.
Now, you can recreate them at home with this easy Copycat Little Debbie Valentine Cakes recipe.
Perfect for sharing with loved ones or indulging in a little self-love, these cakes are sure to bring back fond memories—and maybe even create new ones!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Nostalgic Flavor: Just like the store-bought version, but made with love in your own kitchen.
- Easy to Make: Simple ingredients and straightforward steps, even for beginner bakers.
- Perfect for Valentine’s Day: Heart-shaped and pink—what’s more festive than that?
- Customizable: Add your own twist with different fillings or toppings.
Why This Recipe Works for Valentine’s Day
These Copycat Little Debbie Valentine Cakes are more than just a dessert—they’re a trip down memory lane.
Whether you’re making them for a loved one, your kids, or just for yourself, they’re a fun and festive way to celebrate the holiday.
Plus, they’re customizable! Add different fillings, try different colors, or even make them for other occasions like birthdays or anniversaries.
What You’ll Need
Here’s what you’ll need to make these delightful cakes:
- For the Cake: White cake mix (plus the ingredients listed on the box)
- For the Filling: Marshmallow creme, salted butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, kosher salt, and heavy cream.
- For the Coating: Almond bark (or white chocolate chips), crisco and pink gel food dye.
How to Make Them
- Bake the Cake Layers: Prepare the white cake mix and bake it in two thin layers on half-sheet pans. Let cool completely.
- Make the Filling: Beat butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and cream until smooth and fluffy.
- Assemble the Cakes: Cut out heart shapes from the cake layers, spread filling on one heart, and top with another. Freeze until solid.
- Coat with Pink Almond Bark: Melt almond bark, tint it pink with gel food coloring, and dip the frozen cakes. Add a white drizzle and sprinkles if desired.
- Let Them Set: Allow the coating to harden before serving.
Tips for Success
- Use room temperature ingredients for smoother mixing.
- Freeze the assembled cakes before coating to make them easier to handle.
- Stick with gel food coloring to avoid seizing the almond bark.
Final Thoughts
There’s something magical about recreating a childhood favorite, and these Copycat Little Debbie Valentine Cakes do just that.
They’re easy to make, delicious, and perfect for spreading a little love this Valentine’s Day.
Give this recipe a try, and don’t forget to share your creations with friends and family!
Copycat Little Debbie Valentine Cakes
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 box white cake mix
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 ⅓ cups water
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup full fat sour cream
For the filling:
- 7 oz marshmallow creme you can also use marshmallow fluff
- ¾ cup salted butter room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 2-4 tbsp heavy cream room temperature
For the coating:
- 32 oz almond bark
- 3 tbsp crisco you can also use vegetable oil or butter
- pink gel food dye it must be gel based or the chocolate can seize
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350° and spray and line with parchment paper 2 half sheet pans (18×13-inch). In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand held mixer, mix together the boxed cake mix, sugar, water, eggs, vanilla and oil until combined, about 1 minute. Add in the flour, salt and sour cream and mix on medium until incorporated and there aren't any lumps, 2-3 minutes.
- Divide the batter evenly between both pans and smooth. These cakes will be thin! Bake for 15-18 minutes or until completely cooked through. Remove from the oven and allow to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes before refrigerating for 30-60 minutes.
For the filling:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand held mixer beat the marshmallow creme and butter on medium high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add in the powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and 2 tbsp of heavy cream or milk. Mix on medium speed until smooth and add additional heavy cream until it reaches desires consistency. You want it spreadable but not too thin.
For assembly:
- Once the cake has cooled cut out 32 hearts using around a 3 inch cookie cutter. Spread the filling on top of half of the hearts and top with another heart. Place on a jelly roll sheet pan lined with wax paper or parchment paper and freeze for 1 hour.
For the coating:
- In a large heatproof bowl melt the almond bark, 30 seconds at a time mixing in between, until totally melted. Stir in the crisco until smooth. Remove ½-1 cup of the white almond bark and add to a separate heat proof bowl for the decorations. Mix about ½ tsp of pink gel color food dye into the larger bowl of almond bark and allow to cool for 3-5 minutes before dipping in the heart cakes.
To decorate:
- Dip the frozen cakes completely into the pink melted chocolate and place onto a cookie rack covered in wax paper or parchment paper. Allow to set for 10 minutes before drizzling on the leftover white chocolate in random circles to create design.
Notes
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