Valentine's Snack Cakes

I'm on this kick of taking my favorite store  bought snacks and treats and remaking them in my kitchen. As I've mentioned before, I really like knowing what is in my food.

I don't know about you but I have a soft spot for Little Debbie Snack Cakes. Which ones you may ask... All of them. Yep all of them. But my favorites are the seasonal Valentine's Snack Cakes. Yummm!

The morning I bookmarked this recipe I couldn't stop thinking about it. So naturally I went to the store at midnight that night and bought all the ingredients. Okay so maybe I had everything but two ingredients. I then resisted all temptation and went to bed and didn't stay up all night making these.

I only had a large heart shaped cookie cutter and that made for very large snack cakes. So if you're looking for smaller ones (which I'd recommend) use a smaller cookie cutter.

As the creator of this recipe said, "Eat you heart out (literally) Little Debbie."

Valentine's Snack Cakes
(Recipe from Melissa's Munches)

1 box white cake mix + whatever is needed to make cake according to pkg. directions
6 Tbsp. vegetable shortening
1/3 cup marshmallow fluff
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. milk
24 oz. vanilla candy melts
3 oz. white chocolate

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare cake according to package directions. Divide cake batter into 2 bowls, add a few drops of red food coloring into one of the bowls, mix well. Line an 11x17 inch jellyroll pan with parchment paper. Alternately pour cake mixes into prepared pan, mixing colors if necessary. Bake until cake just begins to brown, about 12-14 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before you begin to cut the cake.

To make the filling:
In the bowl of a mixer, beat 4 tablespoons of the shortening, vanilla, and marshmallow fluff until well combined. Add milk and powdered sugar and beat until light and fluffy.

Once cake has cooled completely, use a heart shaped cookie cutter to cut out as many hearts as possible  (make sure you end up with an even number of hearts, you'll be putting two together to make a single cake). Using a knife, or whatever you feel comfortable with, to remove cutout hearts from pan.

Spread filling on half of the cutouts, and top with remaining hearts. Set aside on a large piece of wax paper.

To make the candy coating:
In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt candy melt and remaining shortening; stopping to stir every 30 seconds. Be very careful to not overcook and burn candy coating.

Very carefully roll sides of cakes in candy coating, place back on waxed paper. Spoon coating over top of cakes until completely covered. Drizzle with melted white chocolate.