Red Velvet Cake Hearts with Cream Cheese Filling

With the up and coming Valentines holiday vastly approaching my daughter begins her yearly brainstorm of how she can out do everyone and have the “BEST” Valentine treats to pass out to her class.  This being her last year of elementary school (to quote her) it “Like has to be the best “LIKE EVER” this time mom-REALLY!” (the word like was used a lot more in that conversation but I’m LIKE not going to even get started on that), there is also a dance-yes, for 5^th graders (7pm-9pm on a Saturday night- That’s like a date-right?), which threw me off because I thought that was a more middle schoolish event- so I made it clear to my daughter there will be NO dancing with boys… She just laughed at me… “of course we don’t dance with the boys mama”-, this dance worries me-so I did what any mother who wouldn’t let their daughter ride the bus until she was in the 5^th grade would do- I signed up to be a chaperone- Hey, I have to bring the dessert  anyway-so I might as well stay. Okay,Okay- forgive me I’m rambling.... Moving on to yesterday when we were at the market and she brings me a magazine with a beautiful cake on the front. (a wedding cake) and said- “I think this would be perfect!!”- After quickly explaining how inappropriate it would be to bring a wedding cake to a 5^th grade valentines dance, we continued our shopping while looking for inspiration.  On a whim I came up with the master plan to make Red Velvet Whoopie Pies..

 Let me tell you – I have NEVER made Red Velvet anything before so this was my first attempt at it and being the ambitious cook that I am- Hey let’s make them from scratch. EPIC FAIL!… they came out tasting good but they did not look pretty AT ALL-LOL! So they were quickly eliminated from the list of possibilities.

We moved on the 2^nd recipe on the list- Red Velvet Cake Hearts- they turned out to be delicious (thanks to Duncan Hines Red Velvet Cake Mix) and are now #1 on the list.- She still has hope that I will make that wedding cake. So I’ll close this post with her words… “Think of how wonderful a wedding cake would be for Valentines.” 

Love is in the air my friends… breathe it in. 

Red Velvet Cake Hearts with Cream Cheese Filling

Ingredients

1 box Red Velvet Cake mix ( I used Duncan Hines)

4 oz cream cheese, softened

½ cup unsalted butter, softened

1 ½ cup confectioners sugar

Garnish: confectioners sugar

Directions

Spray a 15X10 baking sheet with non stick baking spray. Line with parchment paper.

Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes. Turn out onto a cutting board and cool completely. Using a 2in shaped heart cookie cutter, cut out 24 hearts. Cut hearts in half horizontally.

For the Filling- In large bowl, combine cream cheese and butter. Beat at medium speed until fluffy. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar, beating until smooth.

Turn hearts, cut side up. Pipe filling into center of 12 hearts and top with remaining 12 hearts. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Garnish with confectioners’ sugar as desired.

And there you have it. Simple Right?