Prep: 30 min.
Bake: 15 min. + cooling

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons baking cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting:
1-1/3 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons baking cocoa
2 to 3 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Decorator icing and confetti candies

In a mixing bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Add water, oil,
vinegar and vanilla. Pour into a greased and floured 8-in. square
baking dish. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick
inserted near center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before
removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
In a mixing bowl, beat confectioners’ sugar, cocoa, milk, butter and
vanilla until smooth; set aside. Transfer cake to a work surface.
Using a 3- to 3-1/2-in. heart-shaped cookie cutter, gently cut out
four heart-shaped cakes (set cake trimmings aside for another use).
Place one heart on a serving plate; spread with some frosting. Top
with a second cake; frost top and sides. Repeat with remaining cakes
and frosting. Decorate with icing and candies. Yield: 2 servings.

* 75g (1/2 cup) hazelnuts
* 480g (2 cups) fresh ricotta
* 100g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
* 125g (1/2 cup) sour cream
* 2 eggs, lightly whisked
* 1 x 100g pkt Lindt 70% cocoa dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
* 95g (1/2 cup) mixed peel
* 2 tbs brandy
* Icing sugar mixture, to dust
*
Shortcrust pastry
* 150g (1 cup) plain flour
* 55g (1/2 cup) almond meal
* 60g (1/3 cup) icing sugar mixture
* 125g chilled butter, chopped
* 1 egg yolk

Method

1. To make the pastry, place the flour, almond meal, icing sugar and butter in the bowl of a food processor and process until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and process until the dough just starts to come together. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Shape into a disc and cover with plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.
2. Preheat oven to 200°C. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 3mm-thick disc. Line a round 20cm (base measurement) fluted tart tin, with removable base, with pastry and trim any excess. Place in the fridge for 15 minutes to rest.
3. Meanwhile, spread the hazelnuts over a baking tray and bake in oven for 10 minutes or until lightly toasted. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Place the hazelnuts on a clean tea towel and rub to remove the skins. Coarsely chop.
4. Combine the hazelnuts, ricotta, sugar, sour cream, egg, chocolate, mixed peel and brandy in a large bowl.
5. Cover the pastry base with baking paper and fill with pastry weights, rice or dried beans. Place on a baking tray and bake in oven for 10 minutes. Remove the paper and weights, rice or dried beans and bake for a further 10 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and reduce temperature to 180°C.
6. Spoon the ricotta mixture into the pastry base and use the back of a spoon to smooth the surface. Bake in oven for 45 minutes or until filling is just set. Turn oven off. Leave the cheesecake in the oven, with the door ajar, for 1 hour or until cool (this will prevent the cake from cracking). Remove from oven and cover with plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for 2 hours to chill. Dust with icing sugar to serve.

Method: Beat yolks with 150 gm sugar and vanilla until light. Beat in wine and oil.

Fold in flour and baking powder. Whip whites until stiff and whisk in remaining sugar. Fold into cake mixture.

Bake in greased and lined loaf tin at 180 degrees C for about 40 minutes.

Decorate with cherries and serve with whipped cream and mango puree.

In a deep bowl beat the eggs with sugar and keep aside

Mix baking powder and 4 tsp of cinnamon powder with the flour. Gradually mix the powdered mixture into the beaten eggs.

Mix in oil, apples and walnuts with it.

Pour the mixture into the baking dish. Sprinkle the rest of the cinnamon powder on top.

Bake for one hour or till done. Serve.

Directions

Bake any flavor cake in a heart shaped cake form. Let cook and cut in half horizontally.

Mix a few drops of red food coloring into a container of whipped topping, and spread some on the bottom layer of the cake.

Add the top layer and frost the entire outside of the cake.

Top with fresh berries.

Ingredients

* 1 package white cake mix
* 1 package strawberry gelatine
* 4 eggs
* 3/4 C vegetable oil
* 1/2 C water
* 1 C fresh sliced strawberries
* Powdered sugar for dusting

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Lightly grease two 8-inch square baking pans.

3. Combine cake mix and gelatin in large mixing bowl. Add eggs, oil, water and half of the strawberries. Beat for a few minutes until well blended.

4. Divide batter evenly and pour batter into baking pans.

5. Bake for approximately 35 minutes or until golden. Cool for 5 minutes in pans before turning over to wire racks to finish the cooling process.

6. Top with remaining sliced strawberries and dust with powdered sugar.

Story

Not only is this the perfect cake for Valentine’s Day, but it would be great for a Princess Party or Tea Party, as well.

Ingredients

* 2 1/2 C all-purpose flour
* 1 TBSP baking powder
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 1 3/4 C milk
* 2 eggs
* 1/3 C vegetable oil
* 1/3 C packed brown sugar
* 1 C semi-sweet chocolate chips
* Powder sugar for dusting
* 3 inch metal heart shaped cookie cutters

Directions

1. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in large bowl.

2. Gently fold in chocolate chips.

3. In a separate bowl combine milk, eggs, oil and brown sugar.

4. Add to flour mixture.

5. Stir just until moistened (do not over mix)

6. Heat a griddle or skillet over low to medium heat.

7. Brush the heart-shaped cookie cutters with a little oil and place in griddle.

8. Pour 1/4 cup batter into cookie cutters and cook until pancake starts to bubble.

9. Remove the cookie cutters then turn and cook for another minute on the other side or until slightly golden brown.

10. Sprinkle with dusting sugar and serve.

Story

Why save these for Valentine’s Day. Make them every morning for the love of your life or for your kids. They’ll remember how mom always made them pancakes ‘with love’.

This would also be a great idea for Mother’s Day, a birthday or anniversary, or Father’s Day.

2 cups flour
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
4 tablespoons cocoa
1 cup sugar 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

Sift the above ingredients together.

1 cup miracle whip or mayonnaise (can be homemade) 1 cup water 1 tablespoon vanilla

Directions:

Mix the miracle whip or mayonnaise and water together. Add vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients until smooth. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. Cool.