I don’t go crazy with celebrating Valentines but I love it. I love the decor the shops have, all the romantic stories and all the good themed food. Whether it’s for the one you love, self-love or just sharing the love here are some bakes I have done for the month of love 💕
- Key Lime Pie :My obsession with these started in Key Largo where we had an amazing slice. Kev reckoned this one was very similar apart from the brown top! Not sure how to get a white cooked meringue . The recipe was from BBC Food
- Sweet Potato Cake and Berries :I was trying to think of healthier but tasty desserts and came across this recipe from scrummy lane. Topped with some butter icing (not as per the recipe) and decorated with some Baking Time Club cake sprinkles these made delicious little treats combined with some fruit. I used a stencil for the sign in the middle; remember to say those three important words to those who are near and dear to you ❤️. The sprinkles (gifted) are Vegan, Gluten Free, Halal, Kosher and made from Natural ingredients. I have been on the hunt for some sprinkles recently and quite glad I came across the Baking Time Club.
- Macaroni cheese with broccoli :This recipe was from the BBC Food. Some tweaks I made so I could use what I had at home.
-Swapped cheddar for Red Leicester
-Used much less cheese and topped the bake with just bread crumbs
-Used brown fusilli pasta instead of macaroni
The dish was still tasty. The next day I cooked some bacon and added it to the leftover! Just too good.
- Chocolate Brownies: Who isn’t a brownie lover? Whether it be one with a gooey centre or one filled with nuts- I love them all. The recipe I used was from BBC Food with a couple of tweaks:
-Swapped the caster sugar for coconut sugar (I have been doing that a lot just cause it sounds healthy- not sure if it is)
-Swapped white chocolate for milk chocolate so effectively had double the milk chocolate.
Decorated with some red royal icing these tasted as good as they looked
- Coffee and Walnut Cake :I used a basic sponge mixture for this cake (4 eggs, 8 oz butter, 8 oz sugar, 8 oz self-raising flour, 2 tsp baking powder) and added some coffee (mix 1 teaspoon of coffee with some milk to give a thick sauce) and chopped walnuts.I decorated the cake with some coffee butter cream, tried to add a dusting of grated dark chocolate to the sides and finished it off with a chocolate plaque from Thornton’s.It was my dads birthday the same weekend I baked the cake and I did cheat a bit by changing what was written on the plaque. He did end up with a heart-shaped cake but I think it was sweet and he liked it.
My tips for a sponge: Always beat the butter and sugar together first to a creamy white mix before adding the rest of the ingredients. Add some ground almonds to the batter for that delicate taste and perfect texture.
Rasha says
These all look delicious Neha! Your dad’s cake looks amazing too, I’m sure he loved it.
thetravelsofmrsb says
I love any excuse for romance (not that you need an excuse!). Valentine’s definitely has to involve chocolate for me!
Iris Thaumas (@Iris_Thaumas) says
it looks fab – it all makes me hungry
Bejal says
Some serious delicious looking baking here! Totally appeals to me as I LOVE cake!
notaboutthekids says
Wow Neha you are a pretty serious baker! I can’t pick a most tempting recipe they all sound and look totally relish. A little late, but Happy Valentine’s ❤️.