Homemade Little Debbie Heart Cakes

We are all suckers for Little Debbie snack cakes. This recipe (found on http://busylizzielife.blogspot.com/2012/02/diy-homemade-little-debbie-be-my.html) turned out really well. I would make these instead of sugar cookies any day. We already have plans to make the Christmas tree cakes at the end of the year. Really, this recipe could be used with any shape of cookie cutter. 

The cake: 

1 stick butter

7/8 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 Tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup milk

The filling:

1/4 cup butter

1/8 cup--(or two spoonfuls) marshmallow fluff

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 1/2 Tablespoons half and half

Cream the butter and sugar together with a mixer. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients and milk, alternating additions. 

I added some red sprinkles to the batter at this point for an added surprise. 

Grease and flour a large cookie sheet pan. Add the batter to the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for  12-14 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out cleanly. 

Place the pan on a wire rack and let the cake cool completely. Use a cookie cutter to cut the cake into your shapes. 

Meanwhile, make your filling. 

Beat 1/4 cup butter, 1/8 cup marshmallow fluff, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla. Add 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Then add 1 1/2 Tablespoons of half and half cream.Beat until fluffy. 

Place the filling in a plastic baggie. Cut the tip off one of the ends of the bag. Pipe the filling on one of the heart cakes. Place another heart cake on top of the filling. 

Melt white or milk chocolate to cover the cakes. I used a spoon to cover the cakes with chocolate. (The bottom is not covered with chocolate. It was a lot less messy just to cover the top and the sides with chocolate.) Then the boys decorated them with sprinkles or melted red chocolate.