They say the way to someone’s heart is through their stomach. I would have to agree – especially if you’re serving chocolate on Valentine’s Day!
I decided to try the Heart Tasty-Fill™ Pan using a chocolate cake mix, chocolate filling and icing, and covering it all with chocolate ganache. Yum!!!
I started by using Bake Easy™ Non-Stick Spray on the pans. Even with non-stick pans, you still need to prepare the pan. Bake Easy™ will help with the release and make clean up easier.
I used a boxed chocolate cake mix, followed the pan instructions, and divided the batter among the two pans by filling the center cavities and outer rings. I realized that the pans can be a little intimidating. Which side does the batter go in? Remember that the rolled edge of the pans face up.
I then baked the cakes following the directions on the cake mix box for two round pans. I allowed the cakes to cool in the pans for about 10 minutes before I put them on a cooling grid.
While my cakes were cooling, I made my chocolate filling/icing. I used two 8-ounce containers of frozen whipped topping thawed and added two tablespoons of cocoa powder. I mixed it until it was blended. Using a spatula, I then filled the cavities with the chocolate filling. The bottom layer is the layer with the “V” shape to it (this is the bottom of the heart design). Make sure to fill a level layer and make this even with the cake edge. Repeat this for the top layer and then put the top layer on top of the bottom on a cake board.
As you can see, I had an area on the top layer that sunk in a little bit as I didn’t put the batter in evenly. Don’t worry; you won’t even know it once I’m done icing it! I then iced the entire cake with the remaining chocolate icing. I put the cake in the refrigerator while I made the ganache.
For the ganache glaze, I used one bag of Light Cocoa Candy Melts® and 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream. Once made, I let it cool for about 15 minutes before putting this on top of the chocolate icing.
I added four royal icing red roses. These were so easy to use and polished off my cake! I just opened the package and took the roses out and placed them on my cake. It couldn’t have been easier!
Of course, we couldn’t wait to dig into the cake! I would suggest refrigerating the cake before cutting to get a nice clean cut. Refrigerate leftovers, if you have any!!!!
I’m sure any sweetie would love this cake and the nice surprise they will find when you cut it!
Paula is a Wilton Customer Service Key Account Rep and a Certified Wilton Method Instructor. She has been with Wilton since 2009. Her love of creating things and using Wilton products started in high school when she began making candy. Outside of Wilton, Paula enjoys family time with her husband and two daughters. She loves baking, decorating, and making candy for family, friends, and coworkers.
Outstanding, finally a post that isn’t about cake pops! I like the step-by-step Paula, I wish you did take pictures of when you filled the heart crevices with icing/filling.
Hi The Cake Commando!
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed my blog!
Sorry, I didn’t take a photo when I filled the heart. When you fill the inside, just make sure to fill in only the open areas and not on top of the baked cake areas. This way when you put the two layers together, you will not have a seam where the two layers meet.
Hello everyone!
I did this last week and turned out to be topsy turvy hearty cake??
I followed the instruction.. the bottom of the cake should be the taller cake and the top should be the thinner cake but the heart went upside down when it’s ready ;( Where do I go wrong? Can anyone help me with the proper instruction pls?
But overall the cake looks good if only the heart is not topsy turvy ;))
Thanks heaps in advance!! Cheers/ruru
Hi RuRu!
Thank you for replying!
Unfortunately, I don’t understand what you mean by a topsy turvy cake for this pan. You want to make sure the the layer with the “v” shaped cut out is on the bottom and the “m” shaped cut out is the top layer. You may want to reread the instructions above and see if they may help. I’m sorry for the problem you’ve encountered.
I recently purchased this pan…looking forward to using it for Valentine’s Day creations. Thanks for the step by step guide…seems easy enough. The recipes that come with the pan sound yummy…looking forward to trying those also.
Hi Trish!
I’m glad to hear you purchased the pan. Yes, it is easy enough and turns out great! Besides the recipes that you received with the pan, please check out our website for even more recipes. Here is a search to some other ideas: http://search.wilton.com/?q=tasty+fill+heart
Ditto what “The Cake Commando” said! 🙂
Hi Lisa!
Thank you! I hope you enjoy the pan too!
Oh yum. May I have a slice pleease? 🙂
Hi Milcah!
Thank you!
I love chocolate and I thought it was yummy!!!! Sorry, there was none left, I shared it with my co-workers and family!
I hope to find it here in Italy!!!!
Thanks for sharing step-by-step, ciao Flavia
Hi Flavia!
Here is the link to our International Distributors: http://www.wilton.com/about/contact/intl_distrib.cfm Please find a store near you and contact them about purchasing the pan.
You are welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed my post.
I love these pans. I just saw them on Amazon I think? Anyhow, great pictures and step by step instructions!
Hi Jane!
Thanks for your comments! I had fun with this blog and it was “tasty” as the name of the pan says!
How many boxes of cake mix did you use for this cake?
Hi Profulla!
I used one box of cake mix.
ooooh this looks fun! I may have to go pick up a pan at Michael’s [if they have any left] and make this to bring into work. We like to have “bake-offs” at the office for the holidays 🙂
Hi Krystal!
Yes, this is a fun pan! It provides alot of oohs & aahs when you cut the cake and people see the inside. Office “bake-offs” sounds neat!
Hi Paula.
Thank you for sharing your instructions! Your ganache has an absolutely BEAUTIFUL look (finish) to it. GREAT JOB! I must give that a try.
Overall – great cake!
Hi Karlene!
Thank you! Yes, give this pan a try; you’ll like it! The cakes can be assembled quickly.
Tonight I made another cake using this pan and filled the cavity with mint chocolate chip ice cream and covered the cake with chocolate. Ganache is delicious and very easy to make! If you have extra ganache; put it in the refrigerator until firm. Then you can take it out and roll it into small balls. Roll those balls in powdered sugar, cocoa powder, nuts, etc and you have truffles. Yum!
Hi Paula,
I have these pans and I could not understand how to get the batter around and have the middle for the whip cream or filling, in other words I did not know which was the right side of the pan. Thanks so much for these instructions. Now I can use my pans. Very good
instructions thanks again.
Hi Diana!
I’m glad the instructions helped you! Happy Baking!
I’m in the middle of making this cake. I’ve got it filled and it’s firming up in the fridge. I thought I’d have enough filling to use as frosting, but was wrong.
I have a question-though it’s not about the pans. I didn’t use a mix, but made a cake from scratch. I used the recipe that is found on the back of a major US company’s baking cocoa cannister(can I say the company?) which is my go to cake recipe for chocolate cake. It’s really moist. Which I think might be a problem for this pan. I did butter and flour the pans really well. But had a hard time getting the cakes out of the pans. I wonder if I let them cool in the pan too long? When I moved the cakes to the plate the bottom one cracked! I pushed it all back together before filling it with the whipped ganache I made. I definatly let them cool enough, because I made the cakes yesterday and let them cool completely then wrapped them.
I’m hoping the heart shape comes through, but I’m not sure it will. But, this was my first time making it, and it’s for my boys-they’ll gobble it up regardless! BUT-I want to make it again maybe for friends or co-workers and have it turn out right.
Hi Margi!
You do want to make sure you are using an shortening/spray oil with flour or a combination spray, as butter can burn.
Make sure you let the cakes cool about 10 minutes before removing the cakes from the pans and then letting them cool on a cooling rack.
Here are some reasons why the cake might crack: overbeating, overbaking, not enough batter or too much batter. You mention the cake being moist, so it sounds like you may not have overbaked it. You can try lowering the oven by 25 degrees and increasing the baking time by 10%, if needed.
Hope these suggestions help!
Happy Baking!
hi paula i recently ordered these pans and anxiously await its delivery. thanks for the step by step.. i’m excited to use and will definitely be back on ur blog to make sure i do it right 🙂 thanks again! also.. any extra ideas for flavours for the filling and batters that go well will always be welcomed by all 🙂
Hi!
I’m glad to hear you ordered the pans. I gave a set to my friend and she also loves them!
You can check out other flavors here:
http://search.wilton.com/?q=tasty+fill
Here are filling recipes:
http://www.wilton.com/recipes/browse.cfm?cat=Cakes&cat2=Cake-Fillings
and batter recipes:
http://www.wilton.com/recipes/browse.cfm?cat=Cakes&cat2=Cake-Batters
Happy baking!
Made this for the 1st time. Came out great except I used a whipped topping/pudding type filling. Next time I will use a firmer filling as I didn’t get a good definition of the heart (you could sort of see it if you looked for it but it mostly looked like a regular filled cake). Love this pan!
HI!
Yes, a firmer filling will make a clearer, defined shape. Make sure to refrigerate your cake for a little bit before cutting and that should help too.
I love that pan too!
Happy Baking!
hi. i want to make a vanilla cake with a chocolate heart inside. what do you think is the best thing to use so that the heart cuts nicely and keeps it shape,
Hi Leslie!
Thank you for commenting. I think you can use the same chocolate filling recipe I used. Just be sure to refrigerate the cake for a little bit after assembling it and that should help for a nice cut.
Can a nobake cheesecake be used for the filling. I just bought this set and my daughter’s 16th birthday is coming up and I don’t want to flop this cake. Thanks!
Hi Rayma!
I’ve never used a no-bake cheesecake filling before, but if it is a firmer filling, it will probably work. Make sure to refrigerate the cake after filling or even freeze it for a little bit (if the filling says freezing is okay) and then refrigerate it. If I’m concerned when using a new recipe/pan-sometimes I do a trial run with it, especially if it is for a celebration. That way I know what works or what I may have to change. Good luck and Happy 16th Birthday to your daughter!
Hello,
I have one of the Wilton Hearty Tasty-Fill Cake Pan Sets. I have made the Chocolate Ganache Mousse Cake-I followed every instruction, and had gotten all the correct ingredients to make it. It came out delicious, however, the heart that is supposed to show up in the middle always comes out looking like a circle!
Can you please give me some tips for the next time I make my cake, so that the design in the middle actually looks like a heart.
Thank You. 🙂
Hi Patricia!
It sounds like you may need to make sure your cake is very cold or pop it into the freezer for a little while. Also, please make sure your filling is on the firmer side and that will help too.
I just purchased the Heart Tasty-Fill™ Pan and have tried various recipes but the cake just does not come out right! the centre looks like a big blob instead of the heart. I need to know how to release the cake without damaging the centre.
Please help!!!
Hi Shelale!
Please make sure you are baking your cake long enough and letting it cool. You will also want to use a firmer filling to hold the heart shape. You can search for more recipes by putting the pan name in the search box at the top of the web page. Perhaps putting your cake in the fridge will help too. Hope this helps!
spray you pan with a non stick spray (lightly) then when you fill with batter make sure that the humps are covered, when you take out of your oven cool about 5-10 minutes place a plate on the bigger one and turn over, it should fall out easy. do the same with the other piece.
I found using a nutri-whip or a heavy cream beat it until it is really stiff then use it to fill ( can use jello pudding mixes for flavoring) you can also frost with it if you do not like it too sweet.
enjoy your cake pan it is great.
Hi Paula,
thanks for the tutorial. I am thinking of buying this pan but would like a little more info and hopefully you may be able to help.
I have read a couple of times in the above comments that you say its best if the cake is in the fridge to firm the filling and make it look more like a heart; what if I am unable to (as I cover the cake in fondant and leave on the counter overnight); will a firm non perishable filling still come out as a heart?
Also, it looks like a lot of filling for a slice of cake, will it be best for a light flavoured filling so its not so overpowering then?
Thanks,
Ange
Hi Ange!
Thank you for replying!
Unfortunately, I do not think you will get a clear heart shape without refrigerating the cake. As you mentioned, you won’t be able to refrigerate the cake with fondant on top of it. You may just get more of a round shape to the cake center; not a heart shape. What type of filling are you thinking of using?
The photo makes it appear like a huge filled area, but there is still alot of cake surrounding the filling. It also depends how thick you are slicing the cake. I was very happy with the filling I had made for my cake and felt it complemented the cake. 🙂 I feel you can never have TOO much chocolate! hehe Good luck!
buy it you will not regret it, so many different ways you can use it. The recipes that come with it are very tasty (especially the banana one) LOL
use a whipped cream filling with fruit or jello mixes for the center
I found that with this cake a nice Nutri-whip mix in a box of flavoring (jello mix) use the rest to ice the cake and it is so yummy…..
if someone might be able to do me a small favor I have miss placed my booklet of recipes and I really would love to have the banana cake recipe out of it. I have tried to find the recipe on line but can not find it anywhere…
Please help
Linda
cake-nut
Hi Linda!
I emailed the recipe for the Banana cake to you. 🙂
HELP!! i tried today using the wilton pan set and for the filling did a vanilla mousse, the heart didnt come out right!! it was like a rectangle 🙁 can someone please tell me why and how can i fix it?? PLEASE !! THANK YOU!
Hi Brenda!
I’m sorry to hear your cake did not turn out like you wanted. We do have two Tasty-Fill pans; one with the heart and one with the rectangle shape inside. Please check to make sure you have the heart shaped one; one of the pans will look like a “v” shape and the other will have like an “m” shape.
It sounds like you also may also need a firmer filling to show the shape clearer.
Paula, I have been reading your blog and I had seen a recipe for a banana cake that uses crushed vanilla wafers on the outside of the frosting. That was a week ago and now I cannot fing that recipe .I’m positive it was when I was looking for ideas for my new tasty fill pans that I had bought for Valentine day.
Hi Luci!
Thank you for replying!
I searched and did not find the recipe you described. There is a banana cake recipe in the instructions that came with the pan; you can always use that recipe and add the crushed vanilla wafers to the outside. 🙂
hi Paula,
i write from rome…sorry for my english.
I bought Tasty-fill but my heart inside in not beautiful like yours…please! what is a “contanier frozen whipped topping…i try ti translate, bbut in italy thereisn’t nothing like that frozen whipped toppong! is it a pudding) is it an ice cream? there is something that you can suggest to me for make my heard hard (sorry sorry for my english). thank you paula.
Kiss from Rome . Daniela
Hi Daniela!
Thank you for replying!
The container of frozen whipped topping is a “Cool Whip” type product. You may have a powdered “Dream Whip” in the pudding/baking aisle that would work for you. These are non-dairy toppings.
Our Whipped Icing Mix shown here:
http://www.wilton.com/store/site/product.cfm?id=3E311491-475A-BAC0-58E4AB9291C5910C&killnav=1 works well if you have that in Italy. You can also use ice cream to fill it, but then you need to make sure you store your cake in the freezer and take it out about 5 or 10 minutes before serving.
Good luck! 🙂
[…] Fonte: http://www.wilton.com/blog/index.php/serve-a-surprise-in-every-slice-with-the-heart-tasty-fill-pan/ […]
What cake box size do you think the cake will fit in? I’m planning to bake this for valentine’s as a gift and I want to know so I can buy the appropriate cake boxes and cake circles for it.
Hi Fatima!
The pans are 8.5″x2.75″. We have these 12″ heart platters http://www.wilton.com/store/site/product.cfm?id=3127F9A8-045B-D13B-DE0B87E0B3FB1039&killnav=1 that would look cute with that cake. Or check out all our other patterned cake boards and platters. Here is the link to our boxes: http://search.wilton.com/?q=cake+boxes depending on what size and shape cake board or platter; you can find a box that will fit the cake. Good Luck!
I bought the tasty fill heart pan a few yrs ago. I have tried many different variations of the cakes in the little recipe booklet. I like to be creative but simply. I have done chocolate cake and used raspberry flavor drops to make choc.raspberry cake and even a mint flavor to do choc.mint ( the cream in the middle of course)My favorite by far is the banana cake recipe. Like the others in the above comments I cant find the recipe anywhere. Is it possible for you to email it to me also. I have found many imitators of the recipe but never THAT recipe…
I would like to make the heart out of cake as well because I’m not very fond of frosting or mousse as a filling.
Is that possible?
Can I just use the reverse side of the pans to bake a heart and fit it in the cake?