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How to make a cake with a heart inside

by Jessie Daye

First published: April 28, 2015 | Updated: June 10, 2026

Mother’s Day is right around the corner so I thought this would be the perfect cake to make with my two girls. And everyone gets a kick out of the heart in the center of the cake! Howwwwww did you do that!?? Howwwww is that possible? Well, I will show you! Scroll down for the tutorial.

Mother’s Day Heart Cake

Ingredients
Pound Cake
1 Box White Cake Mix
Food Coloring or food color gels

Directions
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and coat a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray or butter.

2. Read the back of your cake mix box and make the white cake according to the instructions on the back. Add food coloring and set aside.

3. Thaw your pound cake and slice it into 2″ slices. Use a heart cookie cutter to cut out hearts in the center of each pound cake slice. Set aside.

4. Pour only about one inch of cake batter into the bottom of your prepared loaf pan and cook just the two inches for about 10 minutes and remove from oven. 

5. Now carefully place your pound cake hearts all in one row UPSIDE  DOWN in the middle of your cake. The reason they are upside down is so they sit correctly.

6. Now pour the rest of the cake batter all over the pound cake hearts in the pan and bake it at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Let cool before flipping over onto your desired platter.

7. Frost if desired and serve.

Mother's Day Heart Cake

Author: Jessie Daye
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Cook 55 minutes
Total 55 minutes
A white cake with hidden pound cake hearts inside, perfect for Mother's Day.

Ingredients

  • 1 box white cake mix
  • food coloring or food color gels
  • 1 pound cake, thawed
  • non-stick cooking spray or butter for coating loaf pan

Method

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and coat a 9" x 5" loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray or butter.
  2. Read the back of your cake mix box and make the white cake according to the instructions on the back. Add food coloring and set aside.
  3. Thaw your pound cake and slice it into 2" slices. Use a heart cookie cutter to cut out hearts in the center of each pound cake slice. Set aside.
  4. Pour only about one inch of cake batter into the bottom of your prepared loaf pan and cook just the two inches for about 10 minutes and remove from oven.
  5. Now carefully place your pound cake hearts all in one row UPSIDE DOWN in the middle of your cake. The reason they are upside down is so they sit correctly.
  6. Now pour the rest of the cake batter all over the pound cake hearts in the pan and bake it at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Let cool before flipping over onto your desired platter.
  7. Frost if desired and serve.

Notes

Use a heart cookie cutter to cut hearts from pound cake slices. The pound cake hearts should be placed upside down in the batter so they sit correctly when the cake is flipped.

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Hi, I'm Jessie. 

I’m a Los Angeles mama, home renovator, and lifelong creative, sharing the things that make everyday life a little more beautiful. I believe food is one of the best ways to bring people together, which is why I love cooking: it turns an ordinary Tuesday into something worth remembering. From recipes I make on repeat to DIY projects, home design, and a little bit of real life in between — welcome to my corner of the internet. I’m so glad you’re here.

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