60 Cakes, Cupcakes, & Cheesecakes You'll Want To Be Your Valentine This Year
Cake >>> chocolate.
Though Valentine’s Day can sometimes feel like it only revolves around perfect romantic dinners, desserts, and cocktails for two, what if you’re having a bigger celebration of love this year? You can still make something homemade that’ll show everyone how much you care. After all, isn’t the ultimate declaration of love a willingness to share your dessert? 😍 These 60 cakes, cupcakes, and cheesecakes will feed a crowd with ease, so whether you're baking for your family, an S.O., your friends, or your roommates, everyone can have a little something sweet this Valentine's Day.
We’ve got a little something for every kitchen skill level and flavor preference here. Looking for a show-stopping layer cake? Check out our strawberry crunch cake, our chocolate marshmallow cake, our tiramisu cake, or our red velvet cheesecake cake. Craving light and fluffy cake, but worried about your assembly skills? We’ve got a TON of single layer cakes here that are much easier to decorate, but are just as delicious and impressive. Check out our death by chocolate poke cake, our Oreo icebox cake, our peanut butter cake, or our heart-shaped cake (we’ve got the easiest hack making the heart, no special pan required!) to see what we mean.
Almost all of our cake recipes can be easily turned into cupcakes if you like, but we’ve included a number of cupcake-specific recipes here for you too. Our Dole Whip cupcakes, our Frappuccino cupcakes, our chocolate Merlot cupcakes, and our cannoli cupcakes are all just that little bit extra special, perfect for sharing with friends and loved ones this V-Day.
And don’t forget about cheesecakes! If you’re the type to avoid them because you’re worried about water baths and the tops cracking, we’ve got you. All you’ve got to do is let your cheesecake do its thing in your oven, then decorate the top like a cake. Check out our strawberry cheesecake, our Oreogasm cheesecake, our millionaire's cheesecake, or our espresso martini cheesecake for ideas. Pretty much every cheesecake recipe can benefit from some added frosting, fruit, crushed cookies or nuts, and more, so get creative.
Red Velvet Cupcakes
If you're looking for the most festive Valentine's Day dessert, you can't go wrong with rich and decadent red velvet cupcakes. Light and fluffy with plenty of chocolatey flavor, these mini cakes are the perfect treat to present (or gift!) on any special occasion.
Get the Red Velvet Cupcakes recipe.
Strawberry Chocolate Mousse Cake
This takes chocolate-covered strawberries to a whole new delicious level. Fair warning, this is an involved recipe you'll want to read through a few times before you get started. Trust us, it's 110% worth it.
Cheesecake Cupcakes
Who doesn't love an ultra-creamy slice of cheesecake? These mini versions are super-easy to make (no water bath!), but are just as delicious as their full-size counterpart.
Get the Cheesecake Cupcakes recipe.
Oreo Cookie Cake
This version of our OG cookie cake takes things to the next level by putting cookies INSIDE the "cake". It’s packed with chopped Oreos (in place of chocolate chips), decorated with a rich Oreo buttercream (in place of plain chocolate or vanilla), and crowned with even more Oreos. 😍
Get the Oreo Cookie Cake recipe.
Millionaire Shortbread Cheesecake
To make classic millionaire shortbread even more luxurious and indulgent, we added a fourth layer in the form of cheesecake. It may seem like a daunting recipe to tackle, but don’t fret! There’s a lot of hands-off time, and you can make some components ahead of time to make it easier.
Heart-Shaped Cake
This easy hack utilizes a square and round cake pan, as well as our absolute favorite red velvet cake recipe. If you're in a hurry, boxed cake mix works just as well! Don't sleep on the cream cheese frosting though, it makes everything 1,000x better.
Get the Heart-Shaped Cake recipe.
Cannoli Cupcakes
Let's be the real: The filling of the cannoli is the best part, and that's why these cupcakes are so amazing. They're filled to the brim with the good stuff.
Get the Cannoli Cupcakes recipe.
Hostess Sheet Cake
If you can't get enough of the fudgy, cream-filled cupcakes, then this sheet cake will be your new favorite dessert. Taking inspiration from the classic Hostess dessert, this sheet cake delivers on all the same flavors in an easy, shareable form.
Get the Hostess Sheet Cake recipe.
Strawberry Upside Down Cake
We made ours in an oven-safe skillet, but if you don't have one, just use a 12" cake pan. Don't forget the vanilla ice cream for serving!
Get the Strawberry Upside Down Cake recipe.
Espresso Martini Cheesecake
Espresso martini connoisseurs, this cheesecake is for you. The cheesecake filling is spiked with coffee liqueur and espresso to make it super-rich and creamy, and the top gets the iconic dusting of cocoa powder over an espresso-infused whipped cream. 😍
Get the Espresso Martini Cheesecake recipe.
Raspberry Cheesecake
This creamy, decadent cheesecake is swirled with a raspberry sauce to create a showstopper of a dessert, perfect for Valentine's. The raspberry sauce recipe will make more than you need for the swirls, so spoon it over top each slice right before serving.
Get the Raspberry Cheesecake recipe.
Honey Cake
What else would you make for your honey?! (Sorry, we had to!) This is the perfect light dessert after a special romantic dinner or companion to an afternoon coffee date.
Get the Honey Cake recipe.
White Chocolate Cake
A classic chocolate cake is always a good idea for Valentine's, but if you want to switch things up a bit, give this white chocolate cake a try. It's soft and layered with a white chocolate mousse, then frosted with a simple cream cheese frosting.
Get the White Chocolate Cake recipe.
Chocolate Strawberry Cheesecakes
Chocolate covered strawberries + cheesecake = OMG. Plus, since you're covering them in chocolate, you don't have to worry about your cheesecakes cracking. Win!
Battenberg Cake
This cake will make you feel like you’re on The Great British Bake Off. White- and pink-tinted slices of rich almond cake are brushed with apricot jam, artfully stacked, and covered with sweet almond marzipan for a cake that’s stunning and delicious enough to win the approval of Paul Hollywood.
Get the Battenberg Cake recipe.
Red Velvet Cake
Everyone should have a good red velvet cake recipe in their back pocket—and this is it. It has a decadent chocolate flavor and the creamiest cream cheese frosting, and the striking red color makes it unforgettable (and perfect for Valentine's!).
Get the Red Velvet Cake recipe.
Coconut Cream Cupcakes
Inspired by the beloved coconut cream pie, these stuffed cupcakes have all the classic components of the original dessert, sans pie crust. You won't miss it though, because in its place are our soft and fluffy vanilla cupcakes. 😍
Get the Coconut Cream Cupcakes recipe.
Peanut Butter Cake
Those that love peanut butter LOVE peanut butter, and this cake was made with those in mind. Peanut butter cake, peanut butter frosting, AND peanut butter drizzle make a big statement without too much effort. Add whole chopped Reese's, or for a colorful twist, use chopped Reese's Pieces instead!
Get the Peanut Butter Cake recipe.
Sponge Cake
Having this cake in your recipe arsenal will have you ready for anything: You can cube it a trifle, crumble it over ice cream, or—our favorite—stack it with whipped cream and berries. The best part? You can have this entire cake ready in just about an hour.
Get the Sponge Cake recipe.
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