Valentine’s week, which begins on February 7 and concludes on February 14, is a time for couples to celebrate love. All lovebirds wish to celebrate the week-long festivals with their loved ones, relishing in the spirit of romance. Needless to say, everyone wants their date to be extra-special. While Saint Valentine may not have foreseen it, but be it dark chocolate or plain vanilla, cakes are a must during this week.
Here, we suggest a few perfect cake ideas to celebrate the spirit of love:
1. Homemade cake with chocolate syrup
Homemade cakes are the easiest to make and most satisfying. They are prepared with flour, powdered sugar, baking powder, eggs, milk, butter, vanilla essence, cashew nuts and raisins, all baked for a little over half an hour. The chocolate syrup can be made with cocoa powder, sugar or stevia, salt and water. The syrup is poured over the cake and served.
2. Coconut cake
Coconut cake or Baath cake is a popular Goan dessert. The cake is made with eggs, powdered sugar, butter, flour, baking powder, vanilla essence, semolina or Suji, milk and of course, grated coconuts. Almond extracts can be included as part of the recipe as well. It takes about half an hour to bake this cake.
3. Red Velvet Cake
The colour red is associated with passion and romance, making the velvet cake a perfect Valentine’s Day confectionery. However, store-available varieties use red food colouring, which research suggests, is harmful to children and may cause cancer. Beetroot pulp, which has a dark red colour, is the healthier alternative. The cake is made using most of the basic ingredients mentioned above, with the addition of coffee powder, buttermilk, baking soda, vinegar and sweeteners. The cream layer is made with whipped cream, icing sugar, butter, vanilla extract and salt.
4. Cheese-less Strawberry cheesecake
It does not seem possible, given the name. However, cheese-less cheesecakes are a thing, especially among those who do not consume dairy but want have the fun of savouring this mouth-watering delicacy. The cake can be made using vegan plant-based milk creams, pureed strawberry, cashew cream, coconut cream and biscuit crust dust for the base layer.