Peek-a-Boo Pound Cake

This easy vanilla loaf cake has a sweet surprise: A strawberry-flavored, heart-shaped center! Learn how to make this simple pound cake in a few easy steps below.

This may just be the baker in me, but few things say "Hey you, I think you're pretty awesome" better than putting your precious time and efforts into a delicious treat that delights your loved one's heart and taste buds.

And doubly so when that delicious treat comes with a big ol' piece o' heart... A strawberry flavored pound cake heart to be exact.

After all, why wear your heart on your sleeve when you could wear your heart in your cake?

How to make this loaf cake

First, make the strawberry pound cake for the center.

In a large bowl, cream the butter until smooth. Scrape down the sides, add the sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy (about 1-2 minutes). Scrape down the sides.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, salt, strawberry emulsion and 4-5 drops of red food gel coloring.

With your mixer on low, slowly pour the egg mixture into the batter. Once all of the mixture has been added, increase the speed to medium-high and beat for 1-2 minutes.

With the mixer back on low, begin added the flour ⅓ cup at a time. Once all of the flour has been added, scrape down the sides, turn the mixer up to medium and beat for 1-2 minutes.

Pour the batter into a parchment paper lined 9"x9" pan, smooth with an offset spatula and bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes.

Second, cut out the cake hearts.

While the cake is still warm (but cool enough to handle), use a small heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out heart-shaped pieces of cake.

Pro-tip: If you're looking for ways to use up all that leftover strawberry pound cake, it's great in homemade ice cream or for making cake pops. If you're not using it immediately, simply drop it in a ziploc bag and freezer it for later.

Third, make the rest of the pound cake.

For this step, you're going to repeat all of the steps for making the batter from step one, but with the ingredients for the vanilla pound cake.

Once your batter is ready, spread a thin half-inch layer of batter in the bottom of a loaf pan.

Place the heart-shaped pieces of pound cake in a line in the loaf pan leaving about ½" of space at either end.

Gently start pouring the remaining vanilla batter around and over the top of the hearts, stopping occasionally to press it down around the heart, making sure it doesn't go between them.

Smooth the top of the cake with an offset spatula and bake at 350F for 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean).

Finally, make and top the cake with icing.

In a bowl, whisk together the icing until smooth and lump free.

Microwave the icing for 15-20 seconds. Cooking the icing will help it crust faster, which will keep it from streaming down the sides of your cake indefinitely. Allow the icing to cool for about a minute.

Stir the icing to break up any crust that might have formed and pour it over your cake. Top with sliced strawberries.

Tips for making this cake

• What to do with the leftover strawberry pound cake: If you're looking for ways to use up all that leftover strawberry pound cake, it's great in homemade ice cream or for making cake pops. If you're not using it immediately, simply drop it in a ziploc bag and freezer it for later.
• Testing for doneness: To keep this cake from being dry, it's important to not over-bake it. To test your cake for doneness, simply insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. It should come out clean when the cake is done.
• Why we cook the glaze: If you're wondering why we cook the glaze, here’s why: cooking the glaze causes a chemical reaction that results in a glaze that hardens quickly and becomes a shell (rather than a soft glaze). It’s perfect for locking in moisture and keeping the icing from running down the side of the cake indefinitely.
• Storage: You can store your pound cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. It can also be wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in an airtight bag and stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or up to 6 months in the freezer.

Did you make this recipe? I’d love to hear how it went in the comments below. Better still, snap a photo and tag it on Instagram with #thesimplesweetlife. I love seeing your creations!

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