Step 1: Make the Pink Heart Cake Preheat your oven to 350°F. Combine the dry mixes for the pink heart cake that’s the white or strawberry cake mix and the vanilla instant pudding mix. Add in 4 large eggs or 5 egg whites and ½ cup oil, whisking everything until it’s smooth and creamy. Hey, after that, stir in 2 teaspoons almond extract if you’re using it, 1 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt, and red food coloring only if you’re not using strawberry cake mix to get that pink hue.

Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan and bake for 40-50 minutes. You know it’s ready when a toothpick comes out mostly clean. Let it cool completely, then trim the ends and slice the loaf to fit your small heart cookie cutter. Cut out the hearts from each slice, making sure to avoid the brown crust for a clean look. For tips on using leftover scraps, check out this banana bread recipe for ideas on turning extras into treats.

Step 2: Prepare the Bundt Batter Now, for the main bundt cake, combine its dry mixes: 1 white cake mix and 3.4 ounce vanilla instant pudding mix. Add 4 large eggs or 5 egg whites and ½ cup oil, whisking smooth. Stir in 1 tablespoon almond extract and 1 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt until everything is well mixed and smooth. This part keeps the cake nice and dense just like in this almond croissants recipe for that extra flavor boost.

Step 3: Assemble the Bundt Cake Grease and flour a bundt pan that’s about 9.5 inches in diameter and 3.5 inches deep. Pour half of the bundt batter evenly into the pan. Arrange the pink cake hearts upside down so the point side is up in a circle, fanning them out from the center. Then, spoon the remaining batter over and around the hearts carefully to cover them without messing up their spots.

Step 4: Bake the Bundt Cake Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes. Check if it’s done by seeing if it springs back when you touch it lightly, or if a toothpick has just a few moist crumbs. Let it cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then move it to a wire rack to cool completely. Keep an eye on it since the hearts are already baked.

Step 5: Make the Frosting For the cream cheese frosting, beat the ¼ cup cream cheese until it’s fluffy. Add ½ cup butter and beat until smooth. Mix in ⅛ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon almond extract, and 1 cup of the 2 ½ cups powdered sugar until smooth. Add 1 tablespoon milk, then gradually mix in the rest of the powdered sugar. If it needs it, add more milk one tablespoon at a time to get the right consistency.

Step 6: Frost and Decorate Once the cake is fully cool, frost it with a spatula or piping bag. Add sprinkles or sliced almonds if you want to make it extra pretty. This step really ties everything together, giving your cake with heart inside that final wow factor.