I wracked my brain, I wrote recipes out, took the pictures and as the days came the sugar began to make my sweetteeth ache.

I’m glad somebody loves me, since I’m sure I’ve packed on at least another five pounds this week alone with all the cake and truffle attempts. Delectable, yes, but honestly a girl can only take so much. I’ve made sure to love thy neighbour, my kid’s class, my parents, my and otherwise plus, anyone and everyone willing to have me pawn off my sweet kitchen offerings.

So then what was the Valentine’s celebrations here, you ask? Heart shaped pizzas and a French Martini to wash it down, now there’s an aging relationship with glamour.
xx

This cake is super easy, really the toughest thing was prepping the pan. It’s a perfect balance of tart and sweet, elegant for tea and a perfect crumb for a picnic. Almost too perfect, I found myself snacking on it instead of lunch.

Every so often I come across a recipe that reminds me of my grandmother, creating memories of yeast and warm mittens. My Nana just recently celebrated her birthday so to find a cake that screams East Coast charm barely out of the 1930′s was so fitting to try. Plus, it’s red, sweet and a little bit tart, just like Valentine’s really is.

CRANBERRY UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

1 1/2 Cups Cranberries, frozen
2/3 Cup Walnuts, broken
1/3 Cup Demara Sugar, loosely packed1/2 Cup Margarine
2/3 Cup Granulated Sugar
2 Cup All Purpose Flour, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 Cup Soy Milk
2 teaspoons Lemon Juice
1 teaspoon Lemon Zest

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Spray an 8″ square cake pan and line it with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, toss the cranberries, walnuts and demara sugar to combine.
Evenly layer the cranberry mixture to the bottom of the pan.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the margarine with the granulated sugar until very smooth.
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
In a measuring cup, combine the milk with the lemon juice.
Alternately add the flour and the milk mixtures to the creamed margarine until the batter is thick but smooth, adding the lemon zest with the last addition.
Dollop the batter over the cranberries, spreading carefully and evenly.
Bake for 40 – 45 minutes, or until the edges are golden and a cake tester is cleanly removed from the center of the cake.
Cool completely then invert on to a board to cut, if desired.
Dust with confectioners sugar.
Serve with love and tea.

Not like there is any mystery that I love chocolate, but I’d realized that I hadn’t yet created a torte recipe.
What better than Valentine’s week to do the dessert cart?

Generally, a torte is a flourless cake, often using bread crumbs or ground nuts in it’s place, resulting in a dense and intensely rich cake.

I love the contrast of a tart, red raspberry with the intense chocolate, and not only because it’s Valentine’s Day. Raspberries perfectly balance the richness with a bit of pucker making this a pretty sexy end to any meal.

EGGLESS CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY TORTE

1 Cup Almonds, finely ground
1/4 Cup Cocoa Powder, sifted
1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
2 Tablespoons Safflower Oil
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
1/4 teaspoon Salt
4 oz Broken Chocolate Pieces, 70+% Dark, Semi Sweet or mixed
1/2 Package Firm Silken Tofu
3/4 Cups Frozen Raspberries

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Lightly spray or grease an 8″ cake or spring form pan, dusting it lightly with cocoa and removing any excess.
Finely grind the almonds in a food processor, adding a spoonful of the sugar, as necessary to keep it from clumping.
Transfer the ground almonds to a bowl.
Purée the tofu in the food processor, until very smooth, add the remaining sugar, cocoa, vanilla, oil and salt.
Using a glass bowl or a double boiler, heat water to a simmer in the lower pan to gently melt the chocolate above.
Pour the melted chocolate into the tofu, mixing to incorporate.
Add the ground almonds, pulsing just to combine.
Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan then evenly sprinkle the raspberries over the top.
Cover the raspberries with the remaining batter.
Bake for 45 – 50 minutes or until the sides have crackled and the center is firm.
Cool the cake completely in the pan or refrigerate until serving.
Run a knife around the edge and release the sides of the pan.
Dust with confectioners sugar and serve with a raspberry emulsion, if desired.