Easy Valentine’s Day Desserts
It may be the thought that counts, but on this Valentine’s Day you can do better than a basic box of chocolates. Instead, impress your love with a homemade chocolate dessert. Bonus: Our picks are so easy, two don’t even need an oven.
At Milk Street, we’ve picked our best, most decadent, to-die-for chocolate Valentine’s-ready treats that each take less than an hour to whip up—including one that requires only 10 minutes of active work. There’s a flourless chocolate cake inspired by an Italian mystery, a gooey dump-and-stir cake, an elegant torta with a pat-in-the-pan crust, a creamy pudding with a sesame topping and a simple steamed cake.
Italian Flourless Chocolate Torta
Inspired by the sumptuous flourless chocolate cake at Pasticceria Gollini in Vignola, Italy, we came up with our own version of the torta Barozzi. Created in 1886 and named for a 16th-century architect, the much-loved sweet continues to be a closely guarded secret. Undaunted, we set out to devise our own formula. We did know that this gluten-free cake relies on ground peanuts and almonds—along with whipped egg whites—to deliver a structure that’s somehow rich and dense yet remarkably light. But we found we could skip the peanuts, as almond flour alone worked well. Using both cocoa powder and bittersweet chocolate gave us complex chocolatiness, and a dash of instant espresso powder accentuated the deep, roasty, bitter notes. Plus, we added our own secret ingredient.
Stovetop Chocolate Cake
For baking beginners, this no bake Valentine's dessert is an easy way to floor your significant other without putting in significant guesswork. One of the trickiest parts of the process is understanding that oven heat is extremely variable, changing from top to the bottom rack and from the front to the back. You can remove the guesswork by moving to the stovetop—and steaming your cake. Steaming batter causes it to set more quickly, trapping moisture that otherwise would evaporate in an oven. As a result, this chocolate cake's crumb is exceptionally tender. All you need is a Dutch oven (or another pot with a tight-fitting lid), a coil of crumpled foil and 10 minutes to mix a rich batter.
Creamy Chocolate Pudding with Whipped Sesame
Cuisines across the world frequently pair sweet ingredients with contrasting flavors, often something savory or bitter, to balance what otherwise would be one-note sugary desserts. Nuts and seeds are common choices, which we kept in mind as we sought ways to add interest to a rich chocolate pudding. The solution? Folding tahini into whipped cream, a dollop of which balances the sugar with the earthy, nutty notes of toasted sesame. This stovetop dessert doesn’t skimp on the chocolate; we opted for a mixture of Dutch-processed cocoa and chopped semisweet chocolate. And a sprinkle of cocoa nibs and sesame seeds added a bit of crunch.
Chocolate-Hazelnut (Gianduja) Crostata
Lovers of Nutella have gianduja to thank. The chocolate-hazelnut paste was created in Turin, Italy, and it inspired the chewy, rich filling for this delicious dessert. A crostata usually is made with a rolled, free-form crust that is folded over the edges of the filling, but we wanted a simpler way that required no rolling pin and no fuss. The crust, made with whole-wheat flour, is simply pressed into the bottom of a springform pan; its nuttiness pairs perfectly with the intense filling. If you like, dust the baked crostata with powdered sugar before serving, or top wedges with unsweetened whipped cream or crème fraîche.
Swedish “Sticky” Chocolate Cake
For a brownie-like treat, we looked to a popular sweet in Sweden called kladdkaka, which translates as “sticky cake.” With crisp edges and a gooey interior that’s just shy of molten—besides having only seven ingredients and an easy dump-and-stir mixing method—this Valentine’s Day treat is easy to love. For our version, we brown the butter to add a subtle nuttiness, and we use brown sugar for its molasses notes. The cake can be served warm or at room temperature. Top slices with whipped cream, ice cream or gelato.
