Miniature Valentine’s Cakes

Photo by Jamie Plain

If you are searching for the perfect Valentine’s Day gift, what could be better than a sweet treat? These miniature portable loaf tins are easy to find and your cakes can be baked right inside and topped with any Valentine’s Day themed candies you desire. The best part is, they can be quickly made with box mix and store-bought icing! With a few changes, you can make any box mixture taste homemade and delicious. The hacks I use to make any box cake mixture better are replacing the required oil with melted butter, replacing required water with milk, adding one more egg than is required, and adding 1/4 cup of sour cream to the mixture. You can also upgrade your box mixes by including your own add-ins (for example, chocolate chips or a small amount of fresh chopped fruit—just make sure to keep an eye on your mixture because this could change your baking times). Store-bought frosting becomes a lot easier to work with if you whip it first! I will be showing how to make strawberry cakes, but any cake mixture/decorations can be used for a perfect gift. Make someone feel extra-special this valentine’s day with these homemade treats!

Ingredients:

›› One box of strawberry cake mix

›› One tub of vanilla frosting

›› One tub of strawberry frosting

›› Valentine’s Day candy decorations/sprinkles

›› Ingredients required on the box of cake mixture (make sure to read the recipe intro for ways to upgrade your box mixture!)

Instructions:

›› Preheat your oven to 350 (or follow the temperature listed on your box cake for the cupcake size). Spray each of your mini loaf tins with cooking spray.

›› Mix together all your box cake required ingredients, or use the hacks listed in the intro to this recipe for a box cake upgrade. 

›› Once your mixture is ready, pour into each tin a little more than half way. Follow the bake times for cupcakes listed on your box cake mix, until a toothpick inserted in the middle of each cake comes out clean.

›› Once the cakes have cooled, spread a layer of whipped vanilla frosting flat against the top of the cake tin to add a clean layer to your cake, then pipe in your favorite strawberry frosting on top for decor. You can also top your cakes with candy hearts and Valentine’s Day sprinkles to make each of these gifts extra cute!