Beginner Macaron Shapes to Try: Macaron Heart Cake

If you’re brand new to macarons, you’ll love starting with fun shapes like this. And if you’re ready to go deeper, I created a step-by-step Macaron Guide that covers my recipe, mixing technique, and beginner tips so you can bake with confidence.

💡 What Makes This Shape Easy

This heart cake macaron succeeds because of three simple techniques:

• Use a template to guide your piping
• The large size makes it easier to shape.

You don’t need any advanced skills or multiple colors — just one color and a steady hand. 💕

📎 Printable Heart Template

I always work with a template under my mat so I can see exactly where to pipe. It makes shapes like this so much more confident.

How to Pipe the Heart Macaron Shell

Tools you’ll need:

• Piping bag + 2A tip
• Heart-shaped template under your mat
• Macaron batter (any color you love)

Step-by-step:

1. Place 2 heart templates under parchment or a mat.
2. Start piping at one rounded top of the heart.
3. Pipe down toward the point of the heart so that the batter fills that half of the heart.
4. As you reach the point of the heart, slowly release pressure on the piping bag so the batter tapers off instead of pooling at the tip.
5. Repeat on the other side so the two halves meet.

This shape is surprisingly forgiving — slight differences just make it look handmade and charming! ❤

How to Bake the Heart Macaron Shell

If you are following my recipie,

• Let the macaron fully dry.
• Bake Convection Setting Oven, 275 F
• Bake for about 28 mins. *I say about because every oven runs different and since the macaron is so big the bake time may vary.

Fill It Like a Mini Cake

This is a big part of why this goes viral for my business every year Valentine’s Day. Overfill it with buttercream. On both the bottom and top shell of the macaron do a bunch of large dollops of buttercream. When you place the two shells together the hight of the macaron cake is about 3 inches.

Since it is such a big macaron there is room for it to have more flavors like a cake. Here is what my bakery offers, but there are so many possibilities you can do:

• a choice of either Vanilla Bean Buttercream or Sprinkle Vanilla Bean Buttercream
• Buttercream with Cake Truffle Center
• Buttercream with Fresh Strawberry Cake Filling.

When I do the option with the filling, I spread a thin layer of buttercream on the macaron shells as a protective layer between the shell and the wet filling (like a fruit filling). I then do large dollops of buttercream outlining the heart so there is a wall to hold the filling in the center.

And like i said there are so many different flavors you can do for this cake but from a bakery stand point just keeping it simple with crowd favorites will help eliminate the chaos. And just an additional note, I do charge extra few dollars if someone adds the cake truffle or fresh strawberry filling.

Decorating the Heart Border

For the piping decoration:

• Use a piping bag fitted with a 4B tip
• Pipe a simple border around the top edge of the heart

This outline gives your heart that “Vintage Heart Cake” look without complicated techniques. Slow, even pressure is all you need — and tiny imperfections just add character.

💡 Why This Is Perfect for Beginners

• Only one color
• A template guides your shape
• Large shape = fewer tiny details
• Simple border piping = forgiving

This beginner-friendly shape is a great next step after a classic round macaron!

✨ Creative Variations

Want to make this design your own?

• Switch up the pastel colors
• Add a short sweet message on top
• Make it mini for a Valentine’s box assortment

📌 Bakery Point of View

This Valentine’s heart cake macaron looks like a little showstopper, but it comes from simple steps you can feel confident with — even if you’re newer to shaped macarons.

As a bakery owner this Heart Cake always goes Viral for Valentine’s Day and is also great for Mother’s Day. When my bakery is marketing it, I make sure people know it is their “favorite gluten free indulgent dessert”; or “Vintage Heart Cake, but make it Gluten Free”

When making the Heart Macaron Cake, if using my recipe and the size is for 45 normal macarons, that batch size makes about 7.5 hearts (or 15 shells total). At my bakery (as of 2026), I charge $20 for this macaron cake. But depending where you are located, it has the potential to be marked up higher. At this price point I am only using basic flavors and up-charging for extra add-ons. So if you are selling these cakes, keep it simple. I am only offering Vanilla Bean Buttercream and Sprinkle Buttercream. For an extra +$4, I am offering the option to add fresh strawberry cake filling and sprinkle cake truffle. Because I am working out of a microbakery and I allow the customer choose the flavor they would like, I make this cake a preorder item only.

For packaging, I use a 6″ cake circle and as a box I am using a 6″x6″x4″ like this: 6x6x4 Inch 50 Pack

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Let me know how yours turned out in the comments!

Tools Used

Thank you so much for using my links or purchasing my guides. Your support helps me continue growing my small bakery and work toward expanding into a future café space where I can share even more desserts with you.