It's that week of the year where you can show your loved ones how much you care and appreciate them being in your life. And what better way to do that than making delicious desserts for your favorite people. You don't have to search for the recipes as we bring them right to you! So don’t wait, dig in!

CUPID’S TOUCH CAKE

Ingredients

For the cake:

Butter, for greasing

1 3/4 cups (225 grams) all-purpose flour, plus more for pans

2 cups (400 grams) granulated sugar

3/4 cups (64 grams)

3/4 cups Auric hot chocolate

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature

1/2 cup fresh vegetable oil

2 large eggs, at room temperature or use half cup curd

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup freshly brewed hot Ecotyl coffee

For the strawberry buttercream:

6 cups (750 grams) powdered sugar, sifted

4 sticks (452 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2/3 cup seedless strawberry preserves

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Red gel food coloring, if desired

Chocolate Covered Strawberries, for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Butter and flour 2 round cake pans (8 inches each).

1. Sift the flour, sugar, Auric Hot Chocolate, baking powder and baking soda into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a whisk attachment or into a large bowl and hand whisk with your hands. Add the salt and whisk to combine.

1. In a large measuring cup or small bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs (or curd ), and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed or whisking, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Add the hot coffee and, using a rubber spatula, scraping the bottom of the bowl until everything is well blended. Don't over mix, the batter should be very thin and runny.
2. Divide the batter among the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. The cakes may sink a bit in the center because they're so moist. Let them cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then carefully turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely. Freeze or refrigerate until firm to the touch.

For the buttercream:

1. Combine the sugar and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or in a large bowl with a hand mixer. Mix on low speed until everything is well blended, then increase the speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes until the cream is very light and smooth. Add strawberry preserves, salt, and vanilla and beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Add about 1/4 teaspoon gel food coloring, (if using) and beat until buttercream is evenly colored. Add more color if needed.

1. Place one cake layer, flat side up, on a flat surface or cake pedestal. Using an offset spatula, spread about 1/3 of the frosting over the cake, pressing it out past the edges.

1. Place the second cake layer on top, flat side up, and spread with a very thin layer of frosting, creating a crumb coat. When scraping off the excess frosting, be careful not to mix the crumbly frosting back in with the clean frosting. Freeze or refrigerate the cake until the frosting is set.

1. Remove from the freezer and spread remaining frosting evenly over the cake, scraping off excess frosting and smoothing out any unevenness with the offset spatula. Garnish with sprinkles and chocolate covered strawberries, if desired, before serving.

VEGAN LOVE- YOUR- TUMMY MUFFINS

Ingredients

1.     Rolled oats- 2 cups
2.     3 small ripe bananas
3.     Almond milk or any plant based milk- 1/3 cup
4.     Sunflower or any vegetable oil- 2 tbsp
5.     Dates- ½ cup
6.     Vanilla extract or vanilla beans– 1 tsp
7.     Salt- ½ tsp
8.     Baking powder- ½ tbsp.
9.     Baking soda- ½ tsp
10.     Cinnamon- 1 tsp

Instructions

1.     Blend the rolled oats in a blender for a minute. Set the flour aside.
2.     In the blender, add the wet and dry ingredients: ripe bananas, almond milk, oil, dates or date paste, vanilla extract, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Optional- cinnamon for extra flavor.
3.     You can transfer the mixture and oat flour to a large bowl and combine the ingredients well.
4.     Now transfer the mixture into a muffin pan with muffin cups and bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes.
5.     After 30 minutes check for muffins by sticking a toothpick into the muffins and see if it comes out clean.

Enjoy this quick, healthy breakfast or snacks with jam!

BERRIES KISSED PANCAKES

Ingredients

For pancakes

1.     1 tsp baking powder
2.     150 G True elements pancake mix
3.     Pink food colour gel or Ecotyl beet root powder
4.     20 G butter, cubed.

For syrup

1.     150 g frozen mixed berries (strawberries, raspberries)
2.     1 ½ tbsp. icing sugar + ½ tbsp. for dusting
3.     ½ tsp vanilla extract or bean paste
4.     ½ orange, zested and juiced

Instructions

1.   Put the ingredients for syrup in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil. Simmer it down and cook for 8 to 10 minutes and make sure to stir till the sauce turns syrupy but the berries are holding its shape. Set this aside
2.   Now it’s time to make the pancakes. Take the True elements’ pancake mix and add the baking powder to it. Mix well. Pour 180 ml of water and pink food colour into the mix, combine well till smooth.
3. Add some butter to a nonstick pan on a medium to high flame and pour the batter into the pan to create an 8 cm pancake (roughly). For 1-2 minutes cook it on one side until bubbles appear in the batter. Flip and cook on the other side for another 2- 3 minutes until fluffy and risen. Make the rest of the pancakes similarly.
4. Since it’s the special day of valentines, cut the pancakes into hearts using an 8 cm heart shaped cookie cutter. Stack the pancakes on a plate and drizzle the syrup and dust some icing sugar. Enjoy!