Gretchen's Vegan Bakery

Vegan Valentine’s Day Cake Ombre Heart Cake

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Valentine’s Day in the bakery was the prettiest holiday!

There was never a need to decorate the bakery because the cakes do it all by themselves!
Especially when you make this Ombre Heart Shaped Vegan Valentine’s Day Cake!

 

My original vegan vanilla cake is the base for this awesome ombre effect

In shades of pink and red with buttercream filling to match!

Ombre Heart Valentine's Day Cake

If you are like me and you only have one heart shaped pan~ No Problem!

This cake batter is user friendly and will allow you to leave it sit on the counter while the other layers bake
Because there is baking powder in the recipe and not baking soda the last layer baked just as perfect as the first!

Ombre Heart Valentine's Day Cake

Buttercream roses to decorate the top are optional, but I have a step by step tutorial to show you how to make them!

CLICK HERE FOR THE STEP BY STEP VIDEO TUTORIAL FOR HOW TO MAKE BUTTERCREAM ROSES

Ombre Heart Valentine's Day Cake

The gold luster dust adornment to the white chocolate drip really made this cake pop!

UPDATE: 2023 introduced the Buttercream Drip technique which is way easier than what I did here back in 2018!

Ombre Heart Valentine's Day Cake

Be sure to check out the FULL VIDEO TUTORIAL ON YOUTUBE for How to Make this Ombre Valentine’s Day Cake!

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Notes For Success & Substitutions

Originally I used a confectioner sugar drip for this cake, but now there is the new buttercream drip technique that is way better!

The mix method for this original vanilla cake required creaming method
But if you want an easier cake with less ingredients and no egg replacers you can try my Bakery Style Yellow Cake instead!
Or go super easy route and make the Duncan Hines Box cake Hack for white cake!

Tools Used to Make the Vegan Valentine’s Day Cake

Heart Shaped Pan

VEGAN FOOD COLORING

Gold Luster Dust

TURN TABLE

PASTRY BAG

ATECO TIP SET

 

Yield: serves 16 people

Vegan Valentine's Day Cake

Ombre Heart Valentine's Day Cake

Grease and line your heart pans withpan greaseand parchment paper lining

Prep Time 4 hours
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 25 minutes

Ingredients

For the Sugar Glaze:

  • 1 cup confectioners sugar
  • 1 Tbs plant milk- adjust to your desired consistency
  • Gold Luster Dust

Instructions

  1. Prepare the cake batter as per the instructions on that recipe post
  2. Divide the batter evenly into 4 bowls and color them from darker pink to light pink (almost white) with your choice of food coloring
  3. If you only have one heart pan, that's ok the batter will stay fin on the counter as each layer bakes
  4. Bake each layer for 25 minutes in a greased and parchment lined heart shaped pan or until springy to the touch when you gently press the center
  5. Meanwhile prepare the buttercream recipe of your choice as per the instructions on that recipe.
  6. Divide the buttercream into 4 equal bowls leaving 1 larger portion white and the other 3 portions (approximately 1 cup each) in ombre pinks with your desired food coloring.
  7. Decorate as shown in the video.
  8. For the sugar glaze combine the confectioners sugar with the plant milk keeping a more stiff consistency and pipe around the edge of the cake.
  9. Once the sugar glaze has dried, paint it with gold luster dust mixed with a bit of vodka to make a paint-able paste.

Notes

This cake is best served room temperature and can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.

For longer storage keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week

© Gretchen
 

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Amondi

    Hi Gretchen, kindly let me know where I can find these gadgets for decorating cakes – I need the entire set

    • Gretchen

      HI There, unfortunately I no longer sell the cake kits which included all of the tips & pastry bags, but you can find everything on Amazon nowadays.
      I use Ateco tips #21 for the shell border in this video

  2. Kateena Innis

    Hey Gretchen!!! I’m in love with the gold drip! I’m actually getting ready to make an 8” round with a gold drip, but want to have the ganache on the top as well. Do you think I could get away with using just one container of luster dust? Thanks in advance for your input and as always you have amazing recipes!!

  3. Anna

    I just got your book in the mail. I had pre-ordered it and I’m THRILLED. I like the size, the weight, the professional pictures, and as I went through and marked the recipes I want to try, I realized I’d be quite busy for a few months. I have moderate experience as a vegan baker so a lot of recipes I sort of know by trial and error and have made a lot of mistakes. I also found out the hard way, that sometimes recipes are not tested before being published in a book. So, I compared several of my successes to proportions and ingredients and was very pleased. I know this isn’t a review of any actual recipes, but I am very confident in having successes. Thank you!

  4. Yahaira

    Gretchen if I don’t have cake flour, ehat can I use to have the same success with the recipe, thank you!

  6. Remy Hughes

    Hi Gretchen, this is Remy from the Philippines I just had few question about you butter cream using to make a flowers .
    how long you leaved your flowers on a room temperature ?
    why you flowers it look pretty it doesn’t sag?
    here in the Philippines is hot and hummed one’s I make the flowers the longest I can keep on a room temperature is just 1 to 2 hours…..

    thanks Remy

    • Gretchen

      HI Remy, be sure to use shortening in your buttercream recipe. I sometimes freeze the flowers click here when I make them in bulk to use on alot of cakes at one time, but if you are in very humid climates, this may be worse since the extra condensation from the freezer to room temperature may cause more problems. The buttercrem roses will stay at room temp for a couple days

  7. Neanie

    Hey Gretchen, if I made this in round tins how many tins should I use? Love your recipes and want to try to turn this one into a round birthday cake. Thanks 😉

  8. Sarah

    ahahaha. Love it when you say things like “didn’t wash the pan, I’m unsubscribing”. I can just see people doing that. But why? It’s a tutorial video. Anyway, the cake looks amazing. I’m going to try it, even though I’m not vegan.
    Love watching your tutorials, Gretchen and LOVE your recipes. Still making the white cake these days 🙂

  9. Pratibha

    Hi Gretchen

    I have been trying to open your old website gretchensbakery.
    It is not accessible.
    Have you shut it down?

    Thanks
    Pratibha

    • Gretchen

      Hi Pratibha, Yes, my non vegan blog is shut down
      I just couldn’t keep up the cost to host it on the internet and maintain it monthly anymore
      I had always said I would continue to share my recipes for free & give free tutorials on YouTube for as long as I could afford to do so, and well.. I just can’t anymore
      The cost to host such a huge database was close to $400 a month (with the maintenance cost, I needed to hire a tech guy to help keep it running smoothly)
      So that cost was severely outweighing any small profits I had been making though running ads on the videos & blogsite.

      I have not kept any of the non vegan recipes, since for over 4 years now I have been strictly vegan;
      so for me they are of no use.

      Not to mention I am not comfortable sharing non vegan recipes anymore,
      as it promotes animal abuse and torture not to mention animal agriculture is a disease on the earth as well as human health.

      Thanks for your support and encouragement though the ages!
      ~Gretchen

  11. Milana Diamond

    Hello Gretchen, thank you so much for inspiring so many people to make these beautiful cakes. I got your book, and it is AMAZING! i absolutely love it! I have a question about the recipe though, i only have one heart shaped tin, is it ok if the cake dough stays out while i bake it one by one?

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