Candy Hearts Fake Cake (Printable)

Creamy no-bake cheesecake with graham crust, fluffy whipped topping, and colorful candy heart decorations.

# What You Need:

→ Crust

01 - 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
02 - 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
03 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

→ No-Bake Cheesecake Filling

04 - 16 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
05 - 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
06 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
07 - 1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold

→ Whipped Frosting

08 - 1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
09 - ½ cup powdered sugar, sifted
10 - ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
11 - A few drops pink gel food coloring, optional

→ Decoration

12 - 2 cups conversation heart candies
13 - ¼ cup rainbow sprinkles

# Directions:

01 - In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and granulated sugar. Mix until the texture resembles wet sand and clumps together when pressed.
02 - Press the crust mixture firmly into the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan lined with parchment paper. Use the bottom of a measuring cup to smooth and compact. Chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
03 - In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract; beat until fluffy and fully combined.
04 - In a separate chilled bowl, whip 1 cup heavy cream to stiff peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until no streaks remain.
05 - Spread the cheesecake filling evenly over the chilled crust. Smooth the top with an offset spatula. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight for best results.
06 - In a clean, chilled bowl, whip the remaining 1 cup heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla to stiff peaks. Add pink gel food coloring one drop at a time until desired shade is reached.
07 - Release the chilled cheesecake from the pan and transfer to a serving plate. Spread the whipped frosting evenly over the top and sides of the cake.
08 - Gently press conversation heart candies into the sides of the cake, covering the frosting in an even layer. Decorate the top with additional hearts and rainbow sprinkles.
09 - Chill the decorated cake for 30 minutes before slicing to allow the frosting and candy to set. Serve chilled.

# Top Tips:

01 -
  • No oven required, which means your kitchen stays cool and your stress stays low.
  • The combination of buttery crust, silky filling, and whipped frosting tastes far more impressive than the minimal effort it demands.
  • It's genuinely foolproof—even if your frosting isn't perfectly smooth, those candy hearts hide everything and look intentional.
02 -
  • Conversation hearts soften and lose their crunch if they sit on warm frosting for too long, so decorate as close to serving time as you can manage—30 minutes is the sweet spot.
  • Those candy hearts that seem too hard to press gently? They'll crack the frosting if you force them; if one feels stuck, leave a small gap and fill it with a sprinkle instead.
03 -
  • Chill your mixing bowls and beaters before whipping cream—it whips to stiff peaks in half the time and holds longer than room-temperature equipment would achieve.
  • Press the graham cracker crust really firmly; a loose crust will shift and crack when you slice, so take the extra 30 seconds to make it solid.
Go back