Red and pink are the colours of choice this week with retailers gearing up for Valentine’s Day on 14 February. But forget all the cards, expensive chocolates, and other fluffy tokens of affection, what better way to offer your Valentine a gift than to bake a proper homemade treat. Grandma Abson always said, “Who can resist the joys of a simple, fresh sponge cake, warm, aromatic and straight out of the oven?” So here we go…
My heart-shaped baking tin
It’s over 15 years since my Aunty Ivy gave me a load of cake tins and among them was a heart-shaped tin. Ivy belonged to our great family tradition of baking, but her prowess extended well beyond producing tasty cakes, puddings, and pastries. She excelled in sugar craft cake decorating and design, producing numerous wedding cakes with great artistry. But most of all, Ivy had a great sense of fun in everything she did. When she was 80, she always said she felt like a 19-year-old in her head, happily reminiscing about Valentines from long ago. Sadly, Ivy passed away in 2013, but I make a Valentine’s cake every year in her memory.
Valentine’s Chocolate Cake
6 oz/175g butter
6 oz/175g sugar
6 oz/175g self-raising flour
2 tbsps cocoa
3 eggs
2 tbsps black treacle (warmed)
½ tsp vanilla essence
½ cup milk
How to make…
Pre-heat the oven to 180C. Line a cake tin* with baking parchment.
Cream the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl.
Sift the cocoa and flour together in a separate bowl.
Beat the eggs in another bowl.
Alternate adding the beaten eggs and cocoa–sugar mixture little by little, to the creamed butter and sugar until all are combined.
Add the black treacle and vanilla to taste.
Add a little milk to give a softer consistency.
Put the mixture in the cake tin. Bake for 45 minutes.
*If you haven’t got a heart shaped cake tin, a round or square 20 cm tin would work in the same way.
Meryl says: Soften the butter before using by taking it out of the fridge for an hour or so and cut it into cubes before adding to the sugar. It makes it easier to cream.
Once cool, decorate as you please, perhaps keeping to the Valentine’s theme with a topping of chocolate ganache, and some pretty heart-shaped sweets, biscuits or chocolates. Add red roses and ribbon and who could resist?
Origins of Valentine’s Day
As with all the traditional events in the calendar which we mark with a culinary treat, there are myths and legends about why we celebrate Valentine’s Day. The feast of Saint Valentine goes back to a Christian feast day in memory of Saint Valentine, a martyr who was imprisoned and executed during the Roman Empire in the third century. From the eighth century onwards, when it became linked to 14 February, the notion of romantic love and the theme of springtime were combined to make it a celebration of love and romance all over the world.
And don’t forget to read our article about Galantine’s Day on 13 February, too. It’s another fantastic reason to make a cake and show your love and support to all your female relations, colleagues, friends, and besties. Happy Days!
You can read more about Grandma Abson’s life, her passion for baking and recipes, and head over to Instagram @grandmaabson to see Meryl baking alongside her grandchildren.
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