28 Comments 
Swirl Valentine’s Day Cake
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
This festive and delicious Valentine’s Day Cake is so easy to make! It uses a boxed mix that you turn half pink with strawberry Jell-O mix for a swirled cake when you cut into. The frosting is canned that you dye and drizzle to make it look festive. Anyone can make this Valentine’s Day dessert. Perfect for letting the kids help, too!
The perfect easy Valentine’s Day dessert is this pretty and delicious Valentine’s Day Bundt Cake! The inside cake is swirled pink. The top is a mixture of drizzled white and pink cake frosting.
It’s so easy to make using a boxed cake mix and canned frosting, so even if you are busy you can whip this up in no time at all and treat your sweetheart!
Why this Recipe Works:
- Starts with a box cake mix + ingredients to make it. Dye it half pink with food dye or strawberry Jell-O mix for a surprise when you cut into this cake.
- The frosting is a store bought vanilla frosting that is half colored pink. Warm it up and drizzle it over the top of the cake for a fun look.
- Don’t forget the Valentine’s Day Sprinkles to top everything! Life is more fun with sprinkles!
Ingredients Needed
- White cake mix + Ingredients to prepare cake
- Strawberry Jell-O mix
- Container white frosting
- Pink Gel Food Coloring
Steps to Prepare
- Prep – Preheat oven to temperature on cake mix. Generously grease a bundt cake pan and set aside.
- Prepare Cake – Make cake batter according to directions on box. Pour 1/2 of the batter into a small bowl; stir 1 Tbsp strawberry Jell-O into cake mix until well mixed. Pour 1/2 of the red cake batter into bottom of pan. Carefully pour remaining white batter over red batter. Top with the rest of the red batter. The red batter will not completely cover the white batter.
- Bake – Bake as directed on box.
- Cool – Cool cake 5 minutes. Flip out of pan onto cooling rack and cool cake completely.
- Frost – When cake is cooled, divide the frosting evenly into 2 microwaveable bowls. Microwave 1 bowl of frosting on high a few seconds until smooth enough to drizzle over cake. With spoon, drizzle all of the 1st bowl of microwaved frosting over the cake. Repeat microwaving second bowl. Stir in the pink gel food coloring. Drizzle over cake. Note: you do not need to use all the frosting!
- Serve – Let the cake stand until frosting is set. Enjoy!
Helpful Tools
Do I need to use Jell-O Mix in Cake?
No you can also just dye it with red or pink food coloring to give it that fun pink tint to make the swirl in the cake. The Jell-O mix does give it a slight hint of strawberry but nothing to strong.
Storage Tips!
This cake is best stored in a cool place in an air tight container.
If it is uncut it can last up to five days. After it’s been cut into it will dry out faster and only last up to four days. To help prevent the cake from drying out you can make sure to wrap the cut ends in plastic wrap to keep the moisture in.
If you want to maximize it’s shelf life store it in the refrigerator.
More Valentine’s Day Recipes!
- A sweet Valentine’s Day Snack Mix with popcorn, M&M’s and peanuts. Beware it’s super addicting!
- Red Velvet Cake Truffles are always popular on Valentine’s Day! Red Velvet Cake coated in a candy coating.
Have you tried this recipe? I’d love if you would rate it!! A five-star rating will make my day!
Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @julieseatsandtreats or #julieseatsandtreats that way I’m sure to see your pictures!!
Valentine’s Swirl Cake
Super Easy Dessert Starts with a Boxed Cake Mix and Becomes the Perfect Easy Valentine’s Day Dessert!
Ingredients
- 1 box white cake mix + Ingredients to prepare cake
- 1 Tbsp strawberry jello
- 1 container white frosting
- Pink Gel Food Coloring
Instructions
- Preheat oven to temperature on cake mix. Generously grease a fluted tube cake pan. Make cake batter according to directions on box.
- Pour 1/2 of the batter into a small bowl; stir 1 Tbsp strawberry jello into cake mix until well mixed.
- Pour 1/2 of the red cake batter into bottom of pan. Carefully pour remaining white batter over red batter. Top with the rest of the red batter. The red batter will not completely cover the white batter.
- Bake as directed on box. Cool cake 5 minutes. Flip out of pan onto cooling rack and cool cake completely.
- When cake is cooled, divide the frosting evenly into 2 microwaveable bowls. Microwave 1 bowl of frosting on high a few seconds until smooth enough to drizzle over cake. With spoon, drizzle all of the 1st bowl of microwaved frosting over the cake. Repeat microwaving second bowl. Stir in the pink gel food coloring. Drizzle over cake. *Note you do not need to use all the frosting!
- Let the cake stand until frosting is set. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 162kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSodium: 301mgPotassium: 26mgSugar: 18gCalcium: 94mgIron: 0.8mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
i haven’t tried it yet, but i made it with raspberry jello, and my frosting came out more of a lilac shade and i used red sprinkles – still pretty! i usually like to bake from scratch, but sometimes a box is better 😉 although i got confused in the store of the difference between white frosting vs vanilla, since the photos looked the same, lol!!
I think the lilac frosting with red sprinkles sounds fun too! Hope it tasted as good as it looked!
This recipe is SUPER easy and the whole family loved it!
Perfect! I’m so glad it was a hit!
I made this cake last year for Valentine’s Day and I am definitely making it again!! It is easy and so pretty!!
Perfect! I’m glad you loved it!
The frosting on this is gorgeous. Super simple recipe makes it a winner in my book!
I’m so glad you loved it!
Julie, one question, the Valentine’s Swirl Cake, do you actually take a knife and swirl the batter or does it automatically swirl when it is cooked. Thanks.
I personally didn’t swirl mine with a knife. If you do make sure sure to do it lightly!
Your parents seriously went to your house and CLEANED?? You have got to be kidding me. I can’t relate. But the husband not noticing part? That I can definitely relate to 🙂 Love this pretty swirled cake, Julie!
I know…this was an old post and now I’ve been thinking how nice it would be if they magically did it again. To bad my house is now twice as big! Although Mom did drop me off Valentine’s Day Cupcakes when I was at work yesterday. Better than nothing!
I would happily bake treats for anyone who want to clean my house!
Right!
Stopping by from Mix it up Mondays! Your secret is safe with me:) Like I always say, they made cake mix for a reason, Right? Cake looks yummy and perfect for Valentines Day! Lynn H @ Turnips 2 Tangerines
I LOVE your theory on cake mix…I’m going to go with that!
This is such a pretty cake.
Thanks Val!
Totally drooling- that looks so good. I can never resist cake.
Me neither…add some ice cream to it and I am definitely a goner.
What a gorgeous cake! I love that it starts with a mix!!! And planning ahead for holidays 6 months away? It’s normal right? 🙂
Totally normal…I keep telling myself that 🙂 Bloggers problem right?!
Such a pretty cake. I was going to make heart shaped cinnamon buns, but now this has me debating which would be better!
Both! Cinnamon rolls for breakfast and this for dessert 🙂
This is SO pretty and Valentine’s Day recipes can never come too soon. I love all the pink and red, it makes me happy. 🙂
I know it makes me happy…anything to get me through the rest of the winter!!
What a fun cake for Valentine’s Day cake! Love the swirl!