Chocolate Valentine Cakes

What does everyone like to do for Valentine's Day? I prefer birthdays and anniversaries to be the big present giving days, so for us, Valentine's Day isn't anything too fancy. It usually involves roses, chocolates, candy and cards; I like it to be traditional. Sometimes we go out for a beautiful meal and sometimes we like to stay in and cook something special.

I love making a cake for Valentine's Day; its pretty much the only time of the year when everything can be red, pink and heart-shaped with a huge dose of lovey-doveyness. Last year's rose petal cake was so delicious and romantic that I actually thought about making it again this year. In the end though, I decided to not even make one big cake, but rather little cakes with lots of chocolate and some cute decorating.

These little love cakes are made using heart shaped silicone cupcake liners. The Martha Stewart one-bowl chocolate cupcakes recipe that I used for them is absolutely gorgeous and are probably the best chocolate cupcakes I've ever tasted! I poured silky chocolate ganache over the cakes for a decadent finish. The red cakes are made with white chocolate and red food coloring and the dark cakes are made with rich dark chocolate.

Heart shaped chocolate cupcakes: Adapted from Martha Stewart's one-bowl chocolate cupcakes
(makes 18-24)

• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 3 tablespoons safflower oil (I used pure coconut oil)
  
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Ganache icing:

• 200g good dark chocolate or white chocolate
  
• 1 cup of heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon butter

Pre-heat oven to 350F.

Sift together all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Whisk in the eggs, warm water, buttermilk, oil and vanilla until smooth.

Fill heart shaped cupcake liners 3/4 full with the batter.

Bake for approx 20 minutes at 350F.

Allow to cool completely and then remove them from the liners and refrigerate while you make the ganache.

Chop all the chocolate up into very small pieces and put in a large bowl.

In a pot heat the heavy cream and butter until boiling.

Quickly pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth.

Put the cakes on a cooling rack with a baking pan underneath.

Immediately pour the ganache over the cakes and allow to drip down on a cooling rack.

Decorate as you like. :)