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Home ยป Cakes ยป Pink Velvet Cake

Pink Velvet Cake

By Olivia, 61 Comments

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This candy heart studded Pink Velvet Cake is the perfect way to celebrate Valentine’s Day with the one you love!
A cake sitting on top of a table

This Pink Velvet Cake was 100% unplanned. It all started when I was in Michaels looking for Valentine’s Day props for another post (coming soon) and I spotted them. The CUTEST pink ombre candy hearts I had ever seen.

I had to have them. Four packs of them, apparently. They were on clearance for some reason, and I worried they’d be discontinued, so I grabbed a bunch in case I want to use them again next year or something.

A cake sitting on top of a table

My first plan was just to cover the entire side of the cake with them in an ombre fashion. My inspo for that was from this Mini Egg Cake. Adorable, right? So simple, yet so pretty!

I worried it might be a bit much though, since the hearts are much smaller than the eggs, and I’d easily go through all 4 packs if I did it that way. So I started brainstorming other ideas and laying the hearts out in different patterns on my kitchen counter.

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I finally settled on a random, crazy pile of hearts that looked like they were raining down and getting darker as they hit the bottom. I’m actually surprised at how well it turned out.

A close up of a cake

I planned to do this kind of thing before with my Froot Loops Cake and it was a total fail when I was making, so I went with something simpler there. But on this one, the hearts worked! Yay! 

I was going to leave the top plain, but I decided it needed some kinda rosettes or dollops on top, and while I was rifling through one of my baking drawers, I spotted another Valentine’s Day prop/accessory that I’d totally forgotten about (this happens way too often).

I had bought some heart-themed washi tape to make little flags. I’d learned about this technique from Lindsay over at Coco Cake Land. I loved the little cake flags she showed off on her cake, so I bought the tape. I had no idea where I intended to use that either, but I thought it would be better to have it than not, right? I couldn’t find any wider Valentine themed tape (at least not pretty ones), so I bought a 5 pack of thinner ones. I think they worked ok, but I’ll definitely try to find wider washi tape next time.

The little flags are SO easy to make. Literally all you need is bamboo skewers, washi tape, and scissors.

A close up of a cake

It’s not often that the exterior design of a cake dictates the inside, at least not for me. Usually I come up with a flavour combination I think would be good, and then stress about the decorating on the day of. This time though, I had to figure out what would be inside this Valentine’s day themed cake.

I tossed around a few ideas with Ryan, and ultimately decided on a pretty Pink Velvet Cake.

Pink Velvet is nothing more than a name here. I just thought it would be a fun play on red velvet cake. It doesn’t have the traditional elements of a red velvet cake though — no cocoa powder or vinegar. If this upsets you, I’m sorry! 

A close up of a cake

I colored the cake layers using pink color gel and for a bit more color and flavour I added some raspberry jam between the layers. You could use any flavour you like, or just leave this out.

I LOVE how this cake turned out, both inside and out! It’s a really fun and easy way to make a festive dessert to celebrate with the one you love this Valentine’s Day!

A piece of cake on a plate

Looking for more Valentine’s Day desserts??

  • Strawberry Cake with Mascarpone Buttercream
  • Valentine’s Heart Macarons
  • Strawberry Cheesecake Cookie Cups
  • Dark Chocolate Ganache Tart
  • Chocolate Raspberry Cake

Tips for making this Pink Velvet Cake:

  • ***NOTE*** The cake layers are thinner than I normally make (just over 1″ thick) because I wanted a smaller, square cake. To make thicker layers, you can 1.5x the recipe to make a standard three layer 6″ or two layer 8″ cake.
  • To make cupcakes, all you need to do is reduce the baking time — start checking at 15mins or so.
  • The cooled cake layers can be baked ahead of time, double wrapped in plastic wrap, and frozen for up to 3 months. Take out 2-3 hours before assembly.
  • The frosting can be placed in an airtight container and refrigerated for 1 week for frozen for 3 months. Bring to room temp and rewhip before using.
  • I used pink color gel to color the cake layers, be careful not to overmix the cake batter.
  • I found the pink candy hearts at Michaels, but you can also buy them on Amazon.
  • For the ruffle dollops on top, I used a 1M tip and piped straight down.
  • I made the little flags using bamboo skewers and washi tape.
  • For the sprinkles, I just used a bunch of random pink and heart sprinkles I had laying around.
  • Be sure to check my Swiss Meringue Buttercream post for tips and troubleshooting.
  • Learn how to keep your cakes moist using Simple Syrup.
  • To help ensure your cake layers bake up nice and flat, check out my How to Bake Flat Cake Layers post!

A cake sitting on top of a table
Print Rate
5 from 5 votes

Pink Velvet Cake

This candy heart studded Pink Velvet Cake is the perfect way to celebrate Valentine's Day with the one you love!
Course Dessert
Cuisine Cake
Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 25 minutes
Servings 10
Calories 625kcal
Author Olivia

Ingredients

Pink Velvet Cake:

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsps baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 large egg whites room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3/4 cup milk room temperature
  • pink color gel

Vanilla Buttercream:

  • 5 large egg whites
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter room temperature, cubed
  • 1 tsp clear vanilla extract

Assembly:

  • 2 Tbsp seedless raspberry jam optional
  • 2 packs Wilton Candy Hearts
  • a variety of pink and white sprinkles if desired
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Pink Velvet Cake:

  • Preheat oven to 350F and grease and flour three 6" cake rounds, line with parchment.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  • Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth. Add sugar and beat on med-high until pale and fluffy (2-3mins).
  • Reduce speed and add egg whites one at a time, fully incorporating after each addition. Add vanilla.
  • Alternate adding flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with flour (3 additions of flour and 2 of milk). Fully incorporating after each addition.
  • Add a small amount of pink color gel using a toothpick. Mix to incorporate but try not to overmix.
  • Spread batter evenly into prepared pans. Smooth the tops with a spatula.
  • Bake for approx. 25 mins or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
  • Place cakes on wire rack to cool for 10mins then turn out onto wire rack to cool completely.

Vanilla Buttercream:

  • Place egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk until combined.*
  • Place bowl over a hot water bath on the stove and whisk constantly until the mixture is hot and no longer grainy to the touch (approx. 3mins).
  • Place bowl on your stand mixer and whisk on med-high until the meringue is stiff and cooled (the bowl is no longer warm to the touch (approx. 5-10mins)).
  • Switch to paddle attachment. Slowly add cubed butter and mix until smooth. Add vanilla and continue to whip until smooth.**

Assembly:

  • Place one layer of cake on a cake stand or serving plate. Top with approximately 2/3 cup of frosting and spread evenly creating a bit of a lip on the edge. Fill with 1 Tbsp raspberry jam.
  • Repeat with remaining layers and apply a thin coat of frosting all over the cake. Chill for 20mins.
  • Frost and smooth the sides and pipe ruffle dollops on top using a 1M tip. Chill for 20mins.
  • Place candy hearts randomly around the cake -- starting with the darker hearts at the bottom and working your way up to the top and lighter colors.
  • Sprinkle top of cake with a variety of pink and white sprinkles if desired.

Recipes You May Like

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    Strawberry Cake with Mascarpone Buttercream
  • A decorated cake on a table
    Pink Champagne Cake
  • A decorated cake on a cake stand
    Raspberry Mango Cake
  • A bundt cake on a white cake stand sitting on top of a wooden table.
    Rum & Eggnog Bundt Cake

Notes

* Ensure there is NO trace of egg yolks in your whites and that your mixer bowl and whisk is completely grease free or your meringue won't stiffen.
** The buttercream may look like it's curdled at some point. Keep mixing until it is completely smooth.
Calories: 625kcalCarbohydrates: 68gProtein: 5gFat: 37gSaturated Fat: 23gCholesterol: 99mgSodium: 173mgPotassium: 153mgSugar: 53gVitamin A: 1165IUVitamin C: 0.3mgCalcium: 61mgIron: 0.9mg
The nutritional information and metric conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data. If this important to you, please verify with your favourite nutrition calculator and/or metric conversion tool.

Originally published Jan 21, 2018

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January 21, 2021

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Anita says

    March 2, 2021 at 9:40 PM

    Hi! Please can i use this recipe for blue velvet.? Thank you

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      March 3, 2021 at 9:00 AM

      Hi Anita! For sure. Just change the pink gel to blue ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  2. Alison says

    February 12, 2021 at 12:13 PM

    Hi, could you tell us what butter you use for the buttercream please and how you get so white? Thank you

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      February 12, 2021 at 1:21 PM

      Hi Alison! I use Natrel that I buy from Costco. Any butter works though! I have a detailed post on how to make buttercream white here: https://livforcake.com/how-to-make-buttercream-white/ I actually didn’t use any of those tips with this cake though so it still has a bit of a yellow tint but I used them here: https://livforcake.com/chocolate-peppermint-cake/

      Reply
  3. Litz AS says

    February 9, 2021 at 4:18 PM

    I have loved your other recipes and am planning on doing this one for Valentineโ€™s but as cupcakes. Is it OK to make cupcakes from this recipe? If so, how many cupcakes do you think this recipe would make? Lastly I want to use freeze dried strawberries to color tabs flavor the batter. If I do this, how much should I put in and when in the recipe should I put it in? Thank you so much and thanks for the site!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      February 11, 2021 at 10:18 AM

      Hi Lita! To make cupcakes you just need to reduce the baking time. Start checking them at 15 mins or so. The recipe should make around 18 cupcakes depending on size. Adding freeze dried strawberries would affect the consistency of the batter. Are you wanting to do this instead of using color gel? If you want to try it to add some color you can fold some in right at the end. I’m not sure how the consistency will be affected though.

      Reply
  4. Stacey says

    October 24, 2020 at 11:27 AM

    Hello can I use cake flour instead if all purpose flour?

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      October 26, 2020 at 9:20 AM

      Hi Stacey! Yes, that should be fine.

      Reply
  5. Lisa says

    September 10, 2020 at 1:34 PM

    Hi
    I was wondering if you can substitute in buttermilk for the regular milk? I have a large carton that I bought to make your vanilla cake, which was delicious!!!
    Will it change the flavour or texture much?
    Lisa

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      September 11, 2020 at 11:39 AM

      Hi Lisa! Yes, that should be fine. It’s a very similar recipe!

      Reply
  6. karam says

    June 21, 2020 at 12:16 AM

    hi

    I want to make this cake but I have 3x 20cm cake tins, what will be the right measurements for making the pink velvet cake

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      June 21, 2020 at 10:23 AM

      Hi Karam! I would 1.5x the recipe (change the Servings to 18) for three 20cm pans. Baking time may be slightly different.

      Reply
    • Silvia says

      September 19, 2020 at 9:06 PM

      5 stars
      I made this cake for my daughters trail smash cake and loved it! (Decorated differently on the outside but the inside was really good). I am planning on officially making her smash cake using this recipe. However, I would like to make a larger cake as well for the guests. I am planning on using 3 pans of 10 inches. Should I double the amount or 2.5? Thanks for the help!

      Reply
      • Olivia says

        September 21, 2020 at 10:23 AM

        Hi Silvia! So happy you loved it! Converting pan sizes is always tricky. Here’s a site I use as a guideline: http://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html I think you’d actually need to triple the recipe based on that.

        Reply
        • Silvia says

          September 24, 2020 at 8:11 PM

          Thank you! I just baked the larger cake today and you were right, I needed to triple. Came our great! Thanks again for this recipe.

          Reply
  7. Dani says

    June 3, 2020 at 5:07 AM

    Hi Iโ€™m Dani. I just left a comment on the white choc raspberry cake as well, my daughter loves pink and wants a โ€œprincess, ballerina, flower partyโ€ ?? Lol very girly girl.
    Anyway I was thinking this or the choc raspberry cake, in your opinion which of these is the better choice? Easier? Flavor wise? Any advice?
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      June 3, 2020 at 11:50 AM

      Hi Dani! I love the WC raspberry cake personally and it gets some great reviews! I would just add some pink color gel to that cake (add it to the milk mixture and then more at the very end if you’d like it more pink).

      Both cakes are about the same difficulty, but the WC one requires chopping chocolate which takes up some time (unless you use white choco chips). The WC one is a larger cake too, but this one can be scaled up or that one down if needed.

      That being said, this one would be great for a pink princess ballerina flower party too!

      Reply
  8. Anika says

    May 8, 2020 at 3:34 PM

    Hi, your cake looks really pretty. Can I make this recipe in two 7โ€ pans?

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      May 8, 2020 at 4:39 PM

      Hi Anika! You will have a bit too much batter for two 7″ pans but you can make cupcakes with any extra ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
      • Anika says

        May 14, 2020 at 4:14 PM

        Thanks a lot! ๐ŸŒท

        Reply
  9. Anant Khurana says

    February 5, 2020 at 4:47 AM

    The heart’s on cake looks beautiful

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      February 5, 2020 at 11:41 AM

      Thank you Anant!

      Reply
  10. Cathy Rowe says

    October 16, 2019 at 9:47 AM

    I am having a problem with the buttercream…it is way thin! How can I thicken it up??

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      October 17, 2019 at 12:52 PM

      Hi Cathy! Sounds like it needs a bit of time in the fridge. See this post for troubleshooting: https://livforcake.com/swiss-meringue-buttercream-recipe/

      Reply
  11. Karen says

    April 8, 2019 at 10:37 PM

    Hi! Can the cake layers be baked in advance? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      April 12, 2019 at 2:05 PM

      Hi Karen! Yes, you can wrap them in plastic wrap once cooled and freeze until needed.

      Reply
  12. Ada says

    April 2, 2019 at 3:47 AM

    Hi, how many grams of butter is a 1/2 cup? Thank you for reply.

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      April 8, 2019 at 9:51 AM

      Hi Ada! There is a metric converter below the list of ingredients. It’s 113.5g.

      Reply
      • Ada says

        April 11, 2019 at 7:11 AM

        I m really sory, i didnt see it, i dont speak english very well, that is probably why ๐Ÿ˜Š thank you so much

        Reply
        • Olivia says

          April 12, 2019 at 2:20 PM

          No problem at all! ๐Ÿ™‚

          Reply
  13. Soraya says

    March 24, 2019 at 3:25 AM

    Can you replace the milk with water?
    My little one is allergic to milk.

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      March 24, 2019 at 10:01 AM

      Hi Soraya! That should work, or any milk alternative too like almond milk, etc.

      Reply
  14. Amateur baker says

    February 20, 2019 at 5:44 AM

    Hello Olivia,
    Your desserts are an inspiration. This cake looks spectacular. If i like to make it into 2 layers. What size tins should i use and for how long should I bake them? Thank you for your time.

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      February 23, 2019 at 12:39 PM

      Hi there and thank you! I would use two 8″ pans, but your layers will be a bit thinner. Ideally I would 1.5x the recipe and bake in two 8″ pans. Baking time would be similar, depending on your oven. Maybe 30mins or so.

      Reply
  15. Tatiana says

    February 15, 2019 at 6:38 AM

    I only have 1 (8″ or 9″, can’t remember) cake round so I have to bake it in batches. Do I absolutely need to buy more or can I just put the batter aside (fridge or room temp?) while the layers cook individually?

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      February 15, 2019 at 1:53 PM

      Hi Tatiana! It’s best to bake the batter right away. You can try it and see though!

      Reply
  16. Cicely says

    October 17, 2018 at 4:13 PM

    5 stars
    This cake looks amazing! Do you think it would work in a Dolly Varden tin?

    Thank you!!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      October 19, 2018 at 1:38 PM

      Hi Cicely! I’ve never used that in myself, but I don’t see why not!

      Reply
  17. brinacyl says

    September 6, 2018 at 8:11 AM

    5 stars
    Greetings from Pakistan! Thank you for the superb recipe. The cake came out moist and delicious. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes.

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      September 6, 2018 at 10:48 AM

      So happy to hear you liked it!

      Reply
  18. Jasmine says

    August 1, 2018 at 11:31 AM

    Can I use red coloring to create pink? Is that a dumb question?

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      August 3, 2018 at 2:36 PM

      Hi Jasmine! Not a dumb question at all, and yes, you can!

      Reply
  19. kemala hayati says

    June 15, 2018 at 9:16 PM

    can i replace 3/4 cup milk with strawberry milk/yogurt to get strawberry flavour?

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      June 18, 2018 at 4:06 PM

      Hi Kemala! I wouldn’t replace it with yogurt as it will be too thick. You can try the link though! Or try this recipe: https://livforcake.com/strawberry-cake-mascarpone-buttercream/

      Reply
  20. Laura says

    February 6, 2018 at 2:27 PM

    I am making this cake on Thursday! I recently bought those hearts at Walmart and Michaels and wasn’t sure what to do with them…..until now ๐Ÿ™‚
    My question is when putting the jam….
    Do you spread the jam ontop of the icing and spread right to the outer edges? I tablespoon doesn’t sound like a lot but I guess it is since you did it! LOL.

    Thank you for your time ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      February 9, 2018 at 9:52 AM

      Hi Laura! I do not spread it to the outer edges. I create a bit of a lip with the frosting to hold the jam in and put it in the middle. I might have used a tad more than a Tbsp, but if you use too much the cakes will slide around. Let me know how it turns out!

      Reply
  21. Prithesh says

    February 1, 2018 at 4:35 AM

    5 stars
    very nice blog, thank you for sharing.

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      February 1, 2018 at 5:05 PM

      Thank you!

      Reply
  22. Amy says

    January 26, 2018 at 12:24 PM

    How tall did this cake end up being? I would need to transport it, but am not sure my cake carrier would be tall enough.

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      January 26, 2018 at 2:30 PM

      Hi Amy! It was about 5″ plus the rosettes, so maybe like 6″? That does not include the flags.

      Reply
  23. Lakhbir says

    January 25, 2018 at 1:30 AM

    5 stars
    When looking at the pic it seemed very difficult to make but your instruction just made it easy.Will try this 2moro.

    Reply
  24. Kalyani karre says

    January 23, 2018 at 5:27 PM

    Hi Olivia

    I love your cakes there are awesome this is perfect for my daughterโ€™s birthday I was wondering if I can add some syrup to the cake layers is that ok or will the cake get soggy .I want to make a 3 tier cake please help me
    Thank you !!!!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      January 25, 2018 at 3:26 PM

      Hi Kalyani! You can totally add syrup, but not too much since the layers are on the thinner side. Or you can 1.5x the recipe to get thicker layers and use syrup as you’d normally do. Let me know how it turns out!! ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  25. Aisha says

    January 23, 2018 at 8:53 AM

    Beautiful Liv!! How tall are you normal cake layers?

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      January 25, 2018 at 3:25 PM

      Thank you Aisha! Normally my cake layers are about 2″ tall.

      Reply
  26. ChiChi says

    January 22, 2018 at 12:05 PM

    This is absolutely beautiful. Love this cake

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      January 22, 2018 at 12:32 PM

      Thanks so much ChiChi!! I love how it turned out ๐Ÿ˜€

      Reply
  27. Ann says

    January 22, 2018 at 11:35 AM

    So stinkin’ cute! I do the same thing with props, sprinkles, etc! It’s such an obsession!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      January 22, 2018 at 12:32 PM

      Thanks so much Ann! I love how it turned out ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  28. Kaye Wathen says

    January 22, 2018 at 9:55 AM

    Looks fabulous as always. Iโ€™m going to try this one for my birthday on the 2nd. Yum!!!!! Thank you your insight on baking these marvels is awesome.

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      January 22, 2018 at 12:31 PM

      Oh yay!! I hope you love it Kaye ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
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