Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 13x9-inch pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, beat together the cake mix, water, and egg with an electric beater until smooth. Pour into the prepared pan, spreading out until smooth. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean

Allow cake to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before gently removing from the pan. Finish cooling on a rack.

Once cake is cool, use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out an even number of hearts.

In a small bowl, beat together the softened butter, shortening, sugar, and vanilla for the filling with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add the ricotta cheese and beat until smooth and fluffy.

Spread half of the heart shapes with the filling, topping with the other half of the hearts. Putting the top sides of the hearts together (so the bottom of each cake is on the outside) will give the finished cakes a more polished look.

Place cakes in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt 2 cups of the white chocolate with ¼ cup of the shortening in a medium bowl on high for 30-second intervals in the microwave, stirring between each interval, just until melted. Stir in food coloring, one drop at a time, until you reach the desired color.

Remove the chilled cakes from the refrigerator. To coat, place a cake in the bowl with the white chocolate. Use a spoon to pour the coating over the cakes. Use two forks to lift the cakes out of the bowl, letting the excess drip off before setting on a piece of parchment paper until set.

For the white swirls, melt the remaining white chocolate with the remaining ½ teaspoon of shortening. Pour into a zip-top bag, then cut a small corner off the bag. Drizzle the white chocolate onto the top of the cakes in a swirl pattern.

Store cakes in the refrigerator. Remove from the refrigerator about 30 minutes prior to serving.