• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• In a stand mixer, mix together the dry cake mix, flour, sugar and baking soda. Add the water, oil, vanilla. Then add one egg at a time, mixing the batter between each egg addition. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes until the batter is smooth.
• Line a mini muffin pan with 12 mini cupcake liners. Fill these cupcake liners 2/3 full with cake batter. Bake for 11-12 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• While the mini cupcakes are baking, grease and flour 2 8" cake pans.
• Divide the remaining batter between the two cake pans.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes come out clean.
• Allow the cakes to cool for 10 minutes, then invert them to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the candy hearts:

• Melt 1 cup of pink Wilton candy melts according to the package directions. (About 30 second intervals in the microwave, stirring between and being careful to get the candy completely melted, but not so hot that it burns.)
• Spoon the melted candy into a frosting bag with a size 3 tip. Squeeze the bag to draw small 1 to 1 1/2" hearts on wax paper. You'll need 12, but you may want to make an extra couple hearts in case one breaks.
• Allow the hearts to set.

For the frosting:

• In a stand mixer bowl with the mixer on medium speed, whip the butter for 2-3 minutes until it is almost white in color. Add in the powdered sugar, vanilla and 6 tablespoons milk. Beat on low speed for 3-5 minutes, adding in the last tablespoon or two of milk if the buttercream needs to be thinner in order to spread easily.
• Spoon frosting into a cake decorating bag with a 1M tip. Make small swirls on the cooled mini cupcakes.
• Gently press one of the candy hearts into each of the frosted mini cupcakes.

To put the cake together:

• Place one cake layer down on a cake plate. Frost the top of that cake layer.
• Place the second cake layer on top of the first.
• Frost the outside of the cake, on the tops and sides. Make frosting as smooth and as even/flat as possible.
• Sprinkle Valentine's Day sprinkles on the top of the cake.
• Gently press a mini cupcake around the outside edge of the cake.
• Use a decorating bag and Wilton tip 1M to pipe large stars around the bottom outer edge of the cake.
• Sprinkle more sprinkles on the bottom border, if desired.