This heart shaped chocolate cake recipe makes two, tender chocolate cake layers that are frosted with homemade chocolate buttercream.

It’s the perfect way to celebrate Valentine’s Day, a special birthday, or an anniversary!

I have a soft spot for my chocolate buttermilk cake recipe, and this is essentially a small batch version of that recipe.

I’ve adjusted the recipe to create the perfect amount of batter to make a small, 8-inch cake.

Can I Make a Heart Shaped Cake Without a Heart Shaped Pan?

Short answer, yes! You can totally make a heart shaped cake without a heart shaped pan.

If you don’t have heart shaped cake pans, use a round, 8-inch cake pan. Use a ruler to mark two lines that are each 5-inches long to form a 90-degree angle like in the picture below.

Cut the cake layer along those lines with a serrated knife. Press the cake trimmings against the top of the cake to make the top of the heart.

It’s ok if the cake bits crack a bit as you bend them into place. No one will be able to tell once the cake is frosted.

I like to use a bit of frosting to stick the trimmings to the cake layer, then chill the cake in the freezer. This makes it so much easier to handle and frost.

Making This Heart Shaped Chocolate Cake: Step-by-Step Tutorial

Let’s walk through each step of this cake together to make sure it turns out as amazing as possible! I’ve also included a video tutorial below.

I figured it might be helpful to know what tools I use too, so I’ve shared a list below.

Not all of these are mandatory, but they make the process a lot easier. If you don’t have all these things on hand, feel free to improvise and work with what you have.

• 2, 8-inch heart shaped cake pans or 2, 8-inch round cake pans
• Serrated Knife
• 10-inch cake board
• Offset Spatula
• Bench Scraper
• 3 Small Piping Bags
• 3 Plastic Couplers
• 1 Small Round Piping Tip (like a Wilton 10)
• 1 Very Small Round Piping Tip (like a Wilton 3)
• 1 Small French Piping Tip
• Electric Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer

Step 1: Bake the Chocolate Cake Layers

Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C. Line 2, 8-inch heart shaped cake pans with parchment paper and grease with non-stick baking spray.

If you don’t have heart shaped cake pans, use 2, round, 8-inch cake pans and follow the instructions in the section above to make heart shaped cake layers.

Make the chocolate cake batter following the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Bake the cake layers for 32-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Let the pans cool for 10 minutes, then run a small offset spatula around the perimeter of the pan to separate the cake from the pan.

Place the cake layers into the freezer for 30 minutes to accelerate the cooling process. Once the layers are fully cooled, carefully flip the pans, and remove the layers.

These layers bake up pretty flat, so leveling them is optional! If you want to level them, use a serrated knife to level the top of each cake layer.

If you make these in advance, wrap and freeze them at this point. Take them out of the freezer about 20 minutes before you want to assemble the cake.

Step 2: Make the Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Next, we work on the buttercream frosting. I chose to make this cake with chocolate American buttercream because it’s sturdy and easy to pipe with.

However, if you want to use a less sweet frosting, I recommend making a batch of my Swiss meringue buttercream or 1.5 batches of my hybrid buttercream.

Add the cocoa powder and melted dark chocolate that the recipe card calls for into either of these recipes.

Step 3: Stack and Crumb Coat the Cake

Stack and frost the cake layers on a greaseproof cake board or flat plate. Use a dab of frosting to help stick the first cake layer to the board.

Spread an even layer of buttercream between the cake layers with a large offset spatula. Place the top cake layer upside down to make it easier to get sharp corners.

Add a thin coat of frosting around the cake to fully cover the cake layers.

Smooth using a bench scraper and offset spatula, then chill the cake in the fridge (20 minutes) or freezer (10 minutes) until the frosting is firm to the touch.

Step 4: Smooth on a Second Layer of Frosting

Then add a second, thicker layer of frosting to the cake and smooth using a bench scraper and a small offset spatula.

Chill the cake again in the fridge (20 minutes) or freezer (10 minutes) until the frosting is firm to the touch.

Step 5: Add More Chocolate into the Remaining Buttercream

While the cake chills, melt the dark chocolate in the microwave. Heat it in 15 second intervals, stirring between each interval.

Once the chocolate is melted, set it aside for 5 minutes to cool off so that it doesn’t melt the buttercream.

Use the melted chocolate and additional heavy cream to make 3 different shades of chocolate buttercream. Place each frosting in a piping bag that’s fitted with a plastic coupler.

Seal the top of each bag with a rubber band or clip and set aside.

Step 6: Pipe on the Details

Secure a small French tip on the darkest bag of chocolate buttercream and pipe a shell border around the top edge and base of the cake.

Remove the French piping tip, rinse it out, then secure it onto the lightest bag of chocolate buttercream. Pipe a similar border above the dark chocolate buttercream border.

Then use a circle cookie cutter to mark semi-circles around the side of the cake beneath the top buttercream border.

Start at the bottom of the heart and work your way up to the top of the heart.

Place a very small round piping tip (like a Wilton 3) on the medium bag of chocolate buttercream and slowly pipe semicircles around the cake.

Make sure your elbow or forearm is anchored to the counter to keep your hand steady. This part can be pretty challenging.

If any of the semicircles turn out less than perfect, don’t worry! The cake will be chilled, so it should be super easy to gently scrape off the frosting and try again. I usually do that at least once on designs like this!

Pipe another layer of smaller semicircles above these. Place a small round piping tip like a Wilton 10 on the lightest brown bag of buttercream and pipe small hearts on the side of the cake where the semicircles meet.

Use the same tip and bag of frosting to pipe a message on top of the cake. I wrote “love you,” but you can write whatever you want!

Place the smallest round piping tip (Wilton 3) on the darkest bag of frosting. Pipe the message again on top of the buttercream lettering, then add tiny hearts on the side and top of the cake, to fill in any gaps.

This cake can sit out at room temperature for up to 2 days, be stored in the fridge for up to a week or be kept in the freezer for up to a month.

Substitutions and Swaps – Chocolate Buttermilk Cake Layers

This cake recipe uses quite a few ingredients and I know you might not have them all on hand. Or if you have food allergies or restrictions, I’ve got you covered.

Below are some swaps and substitutions that can be made in this cake recipe.

• All Purpose Flour – This recipe turns out best with AP flour, but you can use a gluten free flour blend or cake flour if that’s all you have on hand.
• Granulated Sugar – I do not recommend reducing the amount of sugar or changing the type of sugar, as it will change the texture of the cake layers.
• Cocoa Powder – I prefer using dark cocoa powder in this recipe, but Dutch-processed, black cocoa, or regular baking cocoa powder will also work great.
• Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter on hand, you can use it in place of the unsalted butter in this recipe. Just be sure to omit the salt that this cake recipe calls for. You can also use vegan butter in its place (and also omit the salt)!
• Egg whites – I use egg whites out of a carton to avoid wasting any yolks! You can also use 5 egg whites or 3 whole eggs if needed. Or if you have an egg allergy you can use flaxseed eggs or an egg replacer.
• Buttermilk – You can also use full fat yogurt, sour cream, whole milk, or an alternative yogurt or milk (almond, soy, oat) if you’re dairy free.
• Vegetable Oil – You can use any flavorless oil in this recipe. Canola or even sunflower oil would work great!
• Vanilla Extract – Other extracts can also be used in place of the vanilla extract. Feel free to use almond or even coconut extract.

Substitutions and Swaps – Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

• Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter on hand, you can use it in place of the unsalted butter. Just be sure to omit the salt that this frosting recipe calls for. You can also use vegan butter in its place!
• Heavy Cream – Whole milk or alternative milk (soy, almond, oat) will work fine in this frosting recipe too.
• Cocoa Powder – I prefer using dark cocoa powder in this recipe, but Dutch-processed, black cocoa, or regular baking cocoa powder can also be used.
• Dark Chocolate – I like using high-quality dark chocolate chips, but milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips will also work. You can use chocolate chips, chopped up chocolate bars, or couverture chocolate.

Making This Chocolate Heart Cake in Advance and Storage Tips

You can make these cake layers in advance and freeze them. This breaks the process up and makes it more approachable. Cake layers can be wrapped and stored in the freezer for up to a month.

You can also make the frosting ahead of time or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in piping bags or an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

If you store it in a large container, be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again.

This cake can sit out at room temperature for up to 2 days or be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Tips for Making the Best Heart Shaped Chocolate Cake

• Properly measure the flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level) or use a kitchen scale to weigh it.
• Ingredients at room temperature mix together better. Set out any cold ingredients ahead of time.
• Chill the cake layers in the freezer for about 15 minutes before assembling the cake. This makes it a lot easier to stack and frost.
• I used piping bags to decorate this cake, but you can also use Ziplock bags if you don’t have piping bags! I recommend using the freezer type because they’re a bit sturdier. Cut a 1 cm hole in the corner of each.
• If you notice the heat from your hands is melting the frosting and changing its consistency, wrap the piping bag in a couple layers of paper towel or in a thin kitchen towel.
• Make a vegan or dairy free heart shaped chocolate cake if needed! Use your favorite type of dairy free milk to replace the buttermilk and heavy cream and use vegan butter sticks in place of the butter. For the eggs, I recommend using an egg replacer like this.
• Make sure the buttercream is the right consistency. This will help give your cake proper structure and make it easier to decorate.
• If your cake layers turn out less than perfect, read my cake troubleshooting guide to see where things might’ve gone awry.

Making this Chocolate Heart Cake in Different Sizes

One batch of batter can also be used to bake 3, 6-inch cake layers, or 1, 9- or 10-inch cake layer. Bake for 30-35 minutes in a preheated 350 F / 175 C oven.

You can also use this recipe to bake a 9×13-inch sheet cake. It will bake up to be a little taller than an inch. Bake for 30-40 minutes in a preheated 350 F / 175 C oven.

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you make this heart shaped chocolate cake recipe, I’d love to hear what you think of it! Please leave a rating and comment below.

Don’t forget to tag me @chelsweets on social media so that I can see your amazing creations!

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