Quilted Valentine Cake

Cooking Instructions

Prepare cake mix and bake in a 13 x 9-in. pan as directed on box. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes before inverting on rack to cool completely.

Color frosting as follows: Tint 1 cup pink and 1 cup pale lavender. Spoon 2 Tbsp of each color into separate small bowls (see Tip). Spoon remaining white frosting into the plastic bag; seal bag. Knead 1⁄4 cup confectioners’ sugar into frosting in each bowl until a clay-like dough forms, kneading in more sugar if dough is sticky. Wrap airtight in plastic wrap.

Lightly dust work surface and rolling pin with cornstarch. Roll doughs to about 1⁄8 in. thick. Using cutters, cut a lavender L and V, a pink heart and E, and 4 small hearts from each color. Press and reroll scraps (pieces may crack, so make extra).

Transfer hearts and letters to a cornstarch-dusted sheet of foil. Let set uncovered at room temperature overnight.

Score top of cake with a toothpick or skewer into 12 even rectangles (3 rows lengthwise; 4 crosswise).

To frost cake: Carefully spread pink and lav­ender frosting in alternating rec­tangles and on sides of cake. Snip tiny tip off corner of bag with white frosting and pipe zigzag stitching lines between rectangles and around top of cake. Press a candy heart in each corner. Snip 1⁄4 in. more off corner of bag; pipe beads around base of cake.

Press alternating pink and lavender hearts in top and bottom row of rectangles and L(heart-shape)VE in center row.

NOTE Cutters, piping tips and heart-shaped pans can be found in stores selling Wilton cake-decorating supplies.

Planning Tip: The hearts and letters can be stored, loosely covered, at room temperature up to 1 week. The cake can be decorated up to 1 day ahead. Store loosely covered at room temperature.