One of the first signs of Valentine’s Day at our home is when Bryan purchases a box of Little Debbie Valentines Day Snack Cakes for himself. He loves those cute little cakes. One day when I had some extra cake batter left over from my easy Valentines Day Hugs and Kisses cupcakes I decided to experiment and came up with a copycat version. They’re semi-homemade so they don’t take a long time to make and they taste almost like the real thing. I’ve added instructions in case you want a gluten free version.
I started with a boxed cake mix and added a few ingredients to give it a semi-homemade feel. After I whipped up the batter, I spooned heart shaped silicone cups about 2/3 full with batter. Tip: Don’t add too much batter or it will expand when it bakes and poof outside the cups. These cakes need to only rise to the top of the mold. (Wilton makes these little cups and they can be found at craft stores, like Michael’s, or on Amazon.)
Bake as you would regular cupcakes. Mine were done in approximately 12 to 15 minutes. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely. Remove from the silicone cups. Next, melt white chocolate bark using your preferred method. I usually melt mine in the microwave for approximately 45 seconds, stir, and melt for another 45 seconds. Dip each heart in the white chocolate mixture. Place on a sheet of waxed or parchment paper to dry.
After each heart dried, I spread a small amount of prepared whipped frosting over the the hearts. (I like Duncan Hines Whipped Vanilla Frosting, it’s gluten free.) On top of each cake, I added a small sprinkling of pink colored sugar. Voila! Easy, simple copycat Little Debbie Valentines Day Heart Cakes.
- For cupcakes
- 1 box butter cake mix (or gluten free vanilla cake mix)
- eggs, butter and water as directed on package of cake mix
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- For white chocolate covering:
- 16 ounces white chocolate bark
- For icing
- 1 container (16 ounce) whipped vanilla frosting (or gluten free frosting)
- Decoration: optional: pink sugar
- Prepare cake mix as decorated on package. Add sour cream and extract and blend well. Fill hear shaped silicone container 2/3 full of batter. Bake as directed on package.
- Once cupcakes are done, remove from containers and allow to cool completely.
- Melt white chocolate, using your preferred method. Dip each heart into white chocolate. Place onto wax or parchment paper to dry. Once cakes are dry, spread a small amount of frosting on the top of each cake. Add sprinkles if desired. Makes 24 large heart cakes or 48 minis.
To make this recipe completely gluten free, use a gluten free boxed cake mix and a gluten free frosting. The recipe should make 24 regular sized heart cakes or 48 mini cakes.
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My kids would love to make these snack cakes! The decorating alone would be so much fun!
These sound delicious and so easy to make. I think I have all the ingredients to make them.
What a cute Vday recipe! I love the craftiness of this!
These look amazing. I love these little debbie like snacks, I haven’t had them in years though. I will have to try them.
I love quick and easy recipes. Thanks for sharing this super cute recipe!
What a fun recipe to do with the kids. It would be great to make these and give them to their teachers or their grandparents!
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These would be great to give to friends for Valentine’s day. It is easy to prepare and ingredients are not hard to find. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
This looks lovely and nice. These snack cakes would really be a great food for the holiday.
I love the little debbie heart cakes and the christmas cakes, which are the same thing in a different shape. Pinning your post. Your posts always make me want to bake something.
I love to try copycat recipes. This looks so delicious. I will have to try making them on the weekend.
They look pretty and yummy. I love that this is easy to make. The girls will love this.
I’m all for making things easier with a mix. These are so precious! Love the little size too.
These are darling, and I like that I would know what exactly is going in those Little Debbie look-alike cakes. I love Valentine’s Day, all the pinks and hearts make me happy 🙂
That is so easy and they came out great. We are doing a Valentine’s day Homeschool party – these are going to be a big hit with the kids.
Thank you for creating such a great copy cat recipe! My ids loves these and I hate the money I spend on them. Thanks for saving me money!
This is a cute idea. My kids would probably enjoy decorating their own.
I love Little Debbie snacks but have never tried making my own. I will be trying this with Madison. Thank you.
These look delicious. I need to buy those little silicone hearts. Where do I get those from?
I’m wondering that too!
They are made by Wilton. You can get them at craft stores or order them on Amazon. 🙂
These are adorable! I am trying to think of a long distance Valentine’s box full of things that will travel well. These little cookies might just be a good treat for that.
Loving those heart shaped silicone cups! Thanks for sharing gluten free options for making this. Very helpful!
These look so cute and yummy. Little Debbie cakes have always been one of my favorite snacks.
Oh my goodness! These look so good! My kids would love them for Valentine’s Day!
I love this recipe. I’m a big fan of copycat recipes, and Little Debbie is my favorite sweet treat. Thanks for sharing this!
They are definitely a good one to “copy”! My kids love Little Debbie treats.
Those are perfect for Valentine’s Day! I want to make some for my kids to bring to school 🙂