I am so giddy sharing this Valentine’s Day Cake recipe with you! This impressive Valentine’s Day Cake with chocolate cake and fluffy pink buttercream looks like something from a gourmet bakery, but is totally doable at home!

What makes an exceptional Chocolate Cake? You only need one bowl and minimal ingredients to make this Chocolate Cake. Rich in chocolate flavor with a tender-moist crumb, and fluffy with the perfect amount of sweetness. This is what chocolate dreams are made of!

This Chocolate Cake is beyond moist. You could LITERALLY leave out it on the counter for several days and it would still be luscious.

I don’t use the term ultimate lightly so if you are a chocolate lover I HIGHLY encourage you to make this cake!

Valentine’s Day Drip Cake

prep time: 20 MINUTES cook time: 40 MINUTES additional time: 30 MINUTES total time: 1 HOUR 30 MINUTES

Ingredients

For Chocolate Cake

• 1/2 cup sour cream at room temperature
• 1 cup buttermilk at room temperature
• 3 large eggs at room temperature
• 1 & 1/2 cup fresh brewed hot coffee
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 & 2/3 cup white granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 & 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt

For Vanilla Buttercream

• 1 stick butter at room temperature
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 4 tablespoons heavy cream at room temperature
• Pink food gel color

For Decorating

• Red Candy Melts
• Lollipop sticks
• Valentine’s Day themed silicone mold
• Valentine’s Day themed sprinkles

Instructions

For Chocolate Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350F and prep cake pans.
2. Sift together the dry ingredients (including the sugar) into the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk to combine.
3. Add the wet ingredients into a large bowl and whisk together.
4. Add the wet ingredients the dry ingredients. 
5. Whisk to combine then mix on low for about a minute.
6. Distribute batter evenly cake pans and bake for about 35-40 minutes at 350F or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Allow time to cool for 10 minutes then invert onto wire racks to cool fully.

Vanilla Buttercream

1. Sift 4 cups of powdered sugar & set bowl aside.
2. Cream butter & shortening.
3. Blend in vanilla extract.
4. Scrape down the sides.
5. Place your mixer on the lowest speed & slowly add in your powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time.
6. Do not worry if your buttercream looks crumbly & dry because we will fix that next.
7. Scrape down the sides one last time.
8. With your mixer on a medium high speed, slowly add in heavy cream and a few drops of 3-4 drops of pink food gel.
9. Turn mixer up to a high speed and whip your buttercream until you have light & fluffy consistency you are looking for.

Valentines Day Themed Lollipops

1. Pipe melted candy or chocolate about halfway into each cavity of your silicone mold and tap it to release air bubbles.
2. Insert a lollipop stick in the notch, twirling it around until it’s completely covered. This ensures the stick gets a firm grip on the candy.
3. Fill each cavity to the top with more melted candy, tap and chill until set. Check the underside to see if it’s frosted over.
4. Once done, tap the mold on your counter and lift it by using the stick.

Cake Assembly

1. After your cakes have cooled, level your cakes. If you’d like to make this a 4-layer cake, half each cake.
2. Place your first layer onto your cake turntable.
3. Spread a generous amount of pink vanilla buttercream frosting on top and spread evenly with your straight or offset spatula.
4. Place your next layer of cake, top with more buttercream frosting and spread evenly. Continue these steps for all of your lays.
5. Once your cakes have been filled and stacked, you’re ready to add buttercream frosting around your cake.
6. Start from the bottom, and while rotating your cake turntable, pipe on your buttercream in an upward motion.
7. Using a cake frosting scraper, straight spatula, or offset spatula you will want to smooth over your buttercream. The best way is to hold your smoothing tool upright and gently pressed against your cake while rotating your cake turntable.
8. You’ll want to continue this until you have a smooth coating. When you’re doing the final smoothing and you notice the texture of the buttercream become a bit ragged there’s an easy fix! Get a bowl of HOT water and dip your tools into the bowl to warm them up. pat dry and smooth. The warm metal will melt the buttercream and give you a nice SMOOTH finish.
9. Smooth the top of your cake with an offset spatula.
10. Set in the fridge and allow to chill for 5 minutes.
11. After your cake has set, begin your candy melt drip. Begin to drip your off the sides of the cake before filling in the top.
12. Decorate the top of the cake with dollops of buttercream frosting, sprinkles, and your Valentine Day themed lollipops.

Notes

• Room Temperature Ingredients: Be sure to allow your dairy ingredients to reach room temperature. Room temperature ingredients not only combine more effortlessly (no over-mixing needed) but they also trap air so much better. This trap air will expand and produce a fluffy texture during your baking process.
• Prepared Pan: There will always be the “next best way to prepare your pan” article. Simply put however, the most effective way i find in my kitchen is a light rub of shortening around the sides, parchment paper on the bottom of the pan, & a very light dusting of flour (cocoa powder for chocolate baked goods) all throughout.
• Room Temperature Ingredients: Be sure to allow your dairy ingredients to reach room temperature. Room temperature ingredients not only combine more effortlessly (no over-mixing needed) but they also trap air so much better. This trap air will expand and produce a fluffy texture during your baking process.
• Prepared Pan: There will always be the “next best way to prepare your pan” article. Simply put however, the most effective way i find in my kitchen is a light rub of shortening around the sides, parchment paper on the bottom of the pan, & a very light dusting of flour (cocoa powder for chocolate baked goods) all throughout.
• You can use this buttercream right away or place it in an airtight container in your fridge until ready to use. Just be sure to whip before using.
• If you’d prefer to skip the shortening, simply swap it out with 1 additional stick of room temperature butter.
• If you’d prefer a more white, stiffer, buttercream then simply omit the butter & replace with 1 additional cup of shortening. Also be sure to swap out the vanilla extract for clear vanilla extract.
• Make sure you sift your powdered sugar. This will help the sugar mix into the butter & shortening smoothly.
• When all your powdered sugar has been added in, the buttercream will appear dry. Don’t raise the alarms. When adding in your milk or heavy cream, your buttercream will start to have the fluffy texture it‘s known for.
• Keep in mind that your heavy cream should be added in 1 tablespoon at a time. I do this way to make sure I am not drowning my buttercream to the point of a soupy mess.
• Also worth mentioning, if desired, you can easily swap out the heavy cream for equal parts of your preferred milk such as whole milk or buttermilk.