What can be sweeter than sweets for the sweet on the sweetest day? These easy, edible hearts will give your lips a delicious rest from all that kissing you’re anticipating. No special equipment or particular expertise is needed for either treat, and with a little supervision, even children can prepare these sweet expressions of love.
Making a heart-shaped cake without the expense of buying a special pan is as easy as one, two, three. |
HEART-SHAPED CAKE WITHOUT A SPECIAL PAN
Make a heart cake without purchasing a special pan. You’ll need a:
9-inch round cake pan
9-inch square baking pan
Cake batter
Pour prepared cake batter into pans and bake according to package directions. Cool cakes and remove from pans. Place square cake diamond fashion on a large platter or dish that you’re going to decorate the cake on. Cut round cake in half. Place each half with cut side next to the square side. You may need to trim corners. This creates a large heart. Frost with white frosting and make a raised border around the top. Fill in with cherry pie filling.
To keep the cake from rising higher in the middle while baking, place wet paper towels in narrow strips around the outside edge of the cake pans. The outside edges will bake slower, making the cake flat.
GIANT COOKIE HEART
Be big-hearted on Valentine’s Day and make an oversize cookie heart. Make a large heart-shaped paper pattern, or use a heart-shaped cake pan. You will also need prepared sugar-cookie mix.
Grease a baking sheet. Roll out dough on the counter. Use a heart-shaped pan or pattern as a cookie cutter. Cut out cookie. Lift giant cookie by placing a rolling pin at the top of the cookie. Carefully lift dough onto rolling pin and roll cookie toward you around rolling pin. Unroll it onto baking sheet.
Bake at 375 degrees F. (19 C.) 10 to 12 minutes. Cool and remove from sheet.
Frost and decorate as desired.
