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Homemade Little Debbie Valentine’s Cakes Recipe

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  • Author: Chef
  • Total Time: 1 hour 17 minutes
  • Yield: 10 heart-shaped cakes (20 hearts cut, paired to form 10 cakes)
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

These Little Debbie Valentine’s Cakes are a delightful homemade treat featuring soft heart-shaped cakes coated in white chocolate with a choice of strawberry powdered sugar dusting or a decorative white chocolate drizzle. Perfect for Valentine’s Day or any special occasion, these cakes combine a tender, moist crumb with a creamy, luscious icing and a smooth chocolate coating for an irresistible dessert.

Ingredients

Cake:

  • 2.5 cups fresh milled soft white wheat (sifted)
  • 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1.5 cups maple sugar or sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • ¾ cup buttermilk
  • ½ cup softened butter
  • ¼ cup avocado oil
  • ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt

Icing:

  • ½ cup softened butter
  • 1.5 cups powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2-3 tablespoons milk

Coating:

  • 14 oz white chocolate
  • 3 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 3-4 drops plant-based red food coloring

Strawberry Powdered Sugar:

  • ¼ cup powdered sugar
  • ⅛ cup freeze dried strawberry powder

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare for baking the cake.
  2. Cream butter, oil, and sugar: In the large bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the softened butter, avocado oil, and maple sugar until light and fluffy.
  3. Add eggs and vanilla: Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract until the mixture is light and fluffy, about a couple of minutes.
  4. Add yogurt: Mix in the plain Greek yogurt until fully combined.
  5. Prepare dry ingredients: After milling your flour, sift it to remove most of the bran. In a separate bowl, combine the sifted flour with baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt.
  6. Combine wet and dry ingredients: Working in batches, add one-third of the flour mixture followed by half the buttermilk to the batter, mixing well after each addition. Repeat this process, ending with the last of the flour to create a smooth batter.
  7. Pour batter into pan: Pour the cake batter evenly into a large baking sheet (approximately 13 x 18 inches) lined with parchment paper, or divide between two smaller baking sheets.
  8. Bake the cake: Bake the cake for 17-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  9. Cool and cut hearts: Allow the cake to cool completely. While still in the pan, use a 3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out heart shapes. This yields about 20 hearts from the batter (10 heart cakes).
  10. Remove and slice hearts: Use a spatula to gently lift the heart shapes from the pan. If the hearts seem too thick, carefully slice a bit off the backs to reduce thickness.
  11. Prepare icing: Beat together softened butter, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until the icing is fluffy and smooth but not too stiff.
  12. Assemble cakes: Place icing in a piping or ziplock bag, pipe onto half the heart shapes, then top with the remaining hearts to form sandwich cakes.
  13. Freeze cakes: Place the assembled heart cakes on a baking sheet and freeze for one hour to firm up before coating.
  14. Melt coating: Melt the white chocolate chips and coconut oil in short 15-30 second bursts in the microwave, stirring between intervals to avoid burning.
  15. Reserve coating for drizzle: Remove ¼ cup of the melted white chocolate and set aside for decorating drizzle later.
  16. Add food coloring: Allow the remaining white chocolate to cool slightly, then stir in 3-4 drops of plant-based red food coloring until evenly mixed.
  17. Dip cakes in coating: Using a large fork, hold one heart cake over the bowl of colored white chocolate; pour the chocolate over the cake using a small measuring cup to fully coat while letting excess drip off. Place coated cakes on a baking sheet lined with wax or parchment paper.
  18. Add toppings option 1: While the coating is still wet, blend freeze dried strawberry powder and powdered sugar until pink. Sift this mixture evenly over the coated heart cakes for a strawberry powdered sugar topping.
  19. Add toppings option 2: Once coated cakes have hardened, use the reserved white chocolate placed into a ziplock bag with a small corner snipped off to drizzle circular patterns on top, then allow to harden.

Notes

  • Ensure the cake is fully cooled before cutting to prevent crumbling.
  • Freezing the assembled cakes before coating helps the chocolate adhere smoothly without melting the cake.
  • Be cautious when melting the white chocolate in the microwave to avoid burning it; stir frequently.
  • Use a sifter or fine mesh sieve to evenly sprinkle the strawberry powdered sugar topping.
  • If you don’t have fresh milled wheat, you can substitute with sifted all-purpose flour, but texture might vary slightly.
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Find it online: https://saracooking.com/homemade-little-debbie-valentines-cakes-recipe/