Description
Surprise Heart Holiday Loaf Cake is a delightful and festive pound cake with a hidden red heart shape baked into the center of each slice. Topped with green icing and holiday sprinkles, this show-stopping dessert adds a sweet surprise to your Christmas table.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 box red velvet cake mix (plus required ingredients: eggs, oil, water)
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup milk
- Green food coloring
- 1 cup powdered sugar (for icing)
- 2–3 tbsp milk (for icing)
- Holiday sprinkles (for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Prepare red velvet cake mix according to package directions. Pour into a 9×13-inch pan and bake until done (about 20–25 minutes). Let cool completely.
- Once cooled, use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out hearts from the red velvet cake. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Mix in vanilla extract.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add to the wet mixture, alternating with milk. Add green food coloring until desired color is achieved.
- Pour a thin layer of green batter into the bottom of a greased and lined loaf pan.
- Stand red velvet hearts upright in a row down the center of the pan.
- Gently pour remaining green batter around and over the hearts, covering completely.
- Bake for 50–60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the green cake (not the heart center) comes out clean. Let cool completely.
- For icing, mix powdered sugar with milk until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled loaf and decorate with holiday sprinkles.
Notes
- Make sure red velvet hearts are well-cooled before cutting and inserting.
- Don’t overfill the loaf pan—leave space for the cake to rise.
- Store covered at room temperature for 2–3 days or refrigerate for up to 1 week.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 27g
- Sodium: 220mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 70mg