This vanilla loaf cake is easy to make and has a surprise inside a strawberry-flavored heart-shaped center! This simple pound cake can be made in just a few steps.
It may be just the baker within me, but a few things say, “Hey, you’re awesome!” It’s better than spending precious time and effort on a tasty treat that will delight your loved ones’ hearts and tastebuds.
It’s even more special when a heart-shaped piece of strawberry-flavored poundcake accompanies the delicious treat.
Why wear your heart on a sleeve if you can wear it on your cake instead?
How to make this loaf cake
Cream the butter in a large bowl until it is smooth. Add the sugar, scrape the sides, and continue to beat until the mixture is light and fluffy. (About 1-2 minutes). Scrape the sides.
In a separate mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks, strawberry emulsion, and 4-5 drops of red food coloring gel.
Slowly pour the egg mix into the batter while using a low-speed mixer. Once the entire mixture is added, increase the speed of your mixer to medium-high and beat for about 1-2 minutes.
Add 1/3 cup of Flour at a time with the mixer on low. After all the Flour is added, use a scraper to clean the sides of the mixer. Then, increase the speed to medium and beat the mixture for 1-2 min.
Pour the batter into a 9″x9 “pan lined with parchment paper, smooth it out using an offset spatula, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes at 350F.
Use a small cookie cutter in the shape of a heart to cut out pieces of cake while it is still warm.
Pro tip: If there’s any leftover strawberry poundcake, you can use it to make homemade ice cream or cake pops. If you don’t plan to use it right away, place it in a Ziploc bag and freeze it.
Third, make the rest of the Pound Cake.
This step involves repeating the first step of making the batter but using the ingredients from the vanilla pound cake.
Spread a thin layer of batter (about a half-inch thick) in the bottom of your loaf pan.
Place the heart-shaped pound cake pieces in a straight line in the pan, leaving approximately 1/2″ at each end.
Pour the vanilla batter over and around the hearts. Stopping occasionally to press the batter down, make sure that it does not go between the hearts.
Bake the cake at 350F between 1 hour 10 and 1 hour 15 (or until the toothpick in the middle comes out clean).
In a large bowl, combine the icing and whisk until it is smooth.
The icing can be microwaved for 15 to 20 seconds. The icing will crust quicker if you cook it. This will prevent it from dripping down your cake. Let the icing cool down for about one minute.
Pour the icing over your cake. Add sliced strawberries to the top.
Tips for making this cake
How to use leftover strawberry pound cake: You can make homemade ice cream or cake pops with leftover strawberry pound cake. If you don’t plan to use it right away, place it in a Ziploc bag and freeze it.
Check for doneness. It’s important not to overbake this cake. Insert a toothpick in the middle of your cake to test its doneness. When the cake is ready, it should come out completely clean.
Why do we cook glaze? Cooking the glaze produces a hardened glaze (rather than a soft glaze) that becomes a shell. This is perfect for sealing in moisture and preventing the icing from running down the sides of the cake.
Storage: Your pound cake can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days at room temperature. You can keep it in an airtight container wrapped in plastic and in a bag with a tight seal in the fridge for up to 1-2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 6-12 months.
Did You Make This Recipe? Would love to know how it turned out in the comments. You can also take a picture and post it to Instagram using #thesimplesweetlife. I love to see your creations!
For the strawberry poundcake:
10 tbsp Unsalted Butter at Room Temperature
1 cup Granulated sugar
Two large eggs
Two large egg yolks
Half a teaspoon of Strawberry emulsion
4 – 5 Drops of red food coloring
Half a teaspoon Salt
1 cup All purpose Flour
For vanilla poundcake:
16 tbsp Unsalted Butter at Room Temperature
3/4 cup Granulated sugar
Three large eggs
Three large egg yolks
2 tsp vanilla extract
Half a teaspoon Salt
1 3/4 cups purpose Flour
To make the icing:
2 Cups Powdered Sugar
3 tbsp Water
Strawberries for garnishing
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Instructions
Cream the butter in a large bowl until it is smooth.
Add the sugar, scrape the sides, and beat until fluffy and light (1-2 minutes).
In a separate mixing bowl, combine the whole eggs and yolks with 4-5 drops of red food coloring.
Pour the eggs slowly into the batter while the mixer is on low speed.
Increase the speed up to medium-high and beat for about 1-2 minutes.
Add the Flour in 1/3 cup increments.
After adding all the Flour, increase the speed and beat the mixture for 1-2 mins.
Pour the batter into a 9″x9 “pan lined with parchment paper, and smooth the top using an offset spatula.
Bake at 350F between 30-35 minutes.
Use a cookie cutter in the shape of a heart to cut out the cake while the strawberry is still hot but cool enough to touch.
Repeat steps 1-7 in the bowl of the stand mixer with the ingredients to make the vanilla poundcake.
Pour 1/2 cup of vanilla poundcake batter into the bottom of an oiled loaf pan.
Place the strawberries pound cake in a straight line on the batter, leaving a space of about 1/2” on each side.
Pour the remaining batter of the pound cake gently over the tops of the hearts.
Smooth the top of the cake with an offset spatula.
Bake at 350F between 1 hour and 1 hour 15 minutes.
Whisk together all the ingredients in a bowl.
Allow the icing to cool down for about 1 minute after you microwave it for 15-20 seconds.
Pour the icing over the top of a pound cake. Garnish the cake with fresh strawberries.
