The perfect cake-dessert for Valentine’s Day

I can’t believe another Valentine’s Day is just around the corner.

This year it is likely to look different. We are still in the midst of a global pandemic, and most are likely going to celebrate at home. Which sounds like a sensible choice.

Staying home for Valentine’s Day does not mean you can’t have an awesome day, including to share a romantic dinner with your significant other.

Whether you have planned to cook up a storm, prepare an in-door picnic or possibly order-in, a Valentine’s dinner calls for a special sweet ending.

There would be tons of delicious desserts I could think off that would be perfect for the occasion, but this year I am rally obsessed with these heart-shaped brownies and raspberry cream cake.

It is really easy to make and you can also prepare the cake the day before and just whip up the cream shortly before dinner. Thus, no need to spend more time in the kitchen than absolutely necessary on Valentine’s Day.

Fluffy brownie hearts with raspberry cream

For 8-10 Brownie Hearts

75 g whole milk chocolate, chopped
150 g hazelnuts, chopped
200 g semi-dark chocolate chunks
4 eggs
200 g sugar
1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
6ml vanilla extract
190 ml oil
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons milk
100 g all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1.5 teaspoons baking powder

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C

Combine eggs, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract and salt in a large bowl. With a hand mixer, beat the mixture well until thick creamy (for about 5 minutes).

Add in the oil and milk and mix until well combined.

Place the semi-dark chocolate chunks in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water until melted, stirring regularly.

Add the melted chocolate, flour, cocoa powder and baking powder to the mix and stir again until well combined.

Add chopped milk chocolate and hazelnuts and stir again lightly.

Line a 24×24 cm baking pan with baking paper. Fill the mixture into the baking pan and bake for 34-40 minutes.

Take out and let cool.

When cool, cut the cake horizontally in two pieces.

Using a cookie cutter in heart form, cut out 12-16 hearts. Put on a plate, top up the bottom heart with a tablespoon of raspberry cream, then put another heart on top.

Garnish with some powdered sugar and fresh raspberries.

For the raspberry cream

200 g raspberries 50 g  sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
150 g ricotta
125 g plain yoghurt
100 ml whipping cream

Put a handful of raspberries aside for garnishing.

Add raspberries, sugar and lemon juice to a bowl and blend together until obtaining a homogenous puree.

In a separate bowl, mix ricotta and yoghurt until well combined. Beat the whipping cream until stiff. Add to the ricotta-yoghurt mix and combine. Finally, add the raspberry puree and stir lightly.