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60 Cakes, Cupcakes, & Cheesecakes You'll Want To Be Your Valentine This Year

Cake >>> chocolate.

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chocolate covered swill roll with a strawberry swirl
PHOTO: ANDREW BUI; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

Valentine’s Day might often 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 cake? Check out our chocolate-covered strawberry Swiss roll 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 Jell-O cake, our Biscoff tres leches 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 white Russian 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 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.

1

Oreo Cheesecake

oreo cheesecake topped with whipped cream and oreos
PHOTO: MURRAY HALL; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

Cheesecake is a forever-favorite dessert, and Oreos are our favorite cookie, so you can only imagine how deadly this combination is for us. Oreos are involved in every component here: the crust, the cheesecake, and the topping. This is a must-make for the Oreo lover in your life.

Get the Oreo Cheesecake recipe.

2

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.

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3

Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Swiss Roll Cake

chocolate covered strawberry swiss roll cake
Andrew bui

This Swiss roll is filled with a light and fluffy strawberry filling that's perfect for a Valentine’s Day treat. If you're feeling extra, serve some freshly dipped chocolate-covered strawberries alongside the cake for decorations, but the beautiful spiral of this cake also speaks for itself.

Get the Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Swiss Roll Cake recipe.

4

Red Velvet Cupcakes

red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting
PHOTO: ANDREW BUI; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

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.

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5

Big-Batch Lava Cake

large chocolate lava cake topped with vanilla ice cream
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

She’s beauty, she’s grace, she’s big-batch lava cake! If you’ve been intimidated by the thought of making lava cakes, this is your perfect starter recipe. It only requires 10 ingredients, and because it’s one large batch, there's no need to stress about overcooking the center.

Get the Big-Batch Lava Cake recipe.

6

Raspberry Cheesecake

raspberry cheesecake with raspberry sauce swirl
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

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.

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7

Strawberry Cake

layered strawberry cake with pink icing and a strawberry on top
PHOTO: JULIA GARTLAND; FOOD STYLING: ADRIENNE ANDERSON

Making strawberry compote for this cake is easier than you'd think. All you're doing is cooking down the fresh berries with sugar and lemon juice. We used it in the batter and frosting to make sure that this has the BEST strawberry flavor possible (even when they're out of season!).

Get the Homemade Strawberry Cake recipe.

8

Cookie Cake

chocolate chip cookie cake topped with frosting swirls and sprinkles
PHOTO: JOSEPH DE LEO; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

Bigger is better, especially when we're talking cookies. If you’re not a chocolate layer cake lover but enjoy a pile of warm gooey cookies, then this is THE Valentine's dessert for you.

Get the Cookie Cake recipe.

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9

Strawberry Chocolate Mousse Cake

strawberry chocolate mousse cake
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: FRANCESCA ZANI

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.

Get the Strawberry Chocolate Mousse Cake recipe.

10

Chocolate Cake

chocolate cake
PHOTO: ROCKY LUTEN; FOOD STYLING: ADRIENNE ANDERSON

If we're really being honest, most chocolate cakes are pretty lackluster—either they don’t taste enough like chocolate or are so dry they’re unpleasant to eat. We worked for weeks to avoid that here, making sure that this chocolate cake recipe was one that we (and you!) could rely on again and again.

Get the Chocolate Cake recipe.

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11

Cannoli Cupcakes

cannoli cupcakes
Parker feierbach

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.

12

Baklava Cheesecake

pistachio orange cheesecake with walnut and pistachio baklava crust and honey syrup
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI ; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

Baklava is already one of our not-too-sweet dessert faves, so turning it into a cheesecake felt like an obvious way to take things to the next level. Instead of the traditional pressed graham cracker, the crust is made from layers of butter-brushed phyllo dough, chopped walnuts and pistachios, and a hearty drizzle of honey, just like a traditional baklava.

Get the Baklava Cheesecake recipe.

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13

Mini Chocolate and Raspberry Cakes

mini chocolate cakes

Not having a big Valentine's blowout this year? Not to worry, this mini cake is perfect for a mini celebration, and you only need one cake pan to make it!

Get the Mini Chocolate Raspberry Cake recipe.

14

Jell-O Cake

jello cake topped with frosting and strawberry slices
PHOTO: ROCKY LUTEN; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

This Jell-O cake is a delicious and easy dessert that was all the rage at potlucks and parties in the '70s and '80s, and we want to bring it back. It's giving nostalgia, kitsch, and strawberry shortcake vibes, and we are here for it.

Get the Jell-O Cake recipe.

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15

Funfetti Cheesecake

funfetti cheesecake with sprinkles
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

Why choose just one dessert for your celebration when you can have two classics in one? If you love festive Funfetti but are more of a cheesecake person, this sprinkle-filled cheesecake is the dessert for you.

Get the Funfetti Cheesecake recipe.

16

Opera Cake

opera cake slices on plates with gold forks
PHOTO: JOSEPH DE LEO; FOOD STYLING: TAYLOR ANN SPENCER

Opera cake is one of those baking projects that will make you feel like a pastry chef superstar. Coffee- soaked almond cake, coffee buttercream, and chocolate ganache are layered together to create a French masterpiece that’s equally stunning to look at and enjoy on Valentine's day.

Get the Opera Cake recipe.

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17

Cannoli Icebox Cake

layered cannoli icebox cake
PHOTO: JOSEPH DE LEO; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

With the not-too-sweet creamy filling inside a crispy shell, cannoli are a nearly perfect dessert. Making your own is a fun little project but a little time consuming, and frying the shells can be intimidating. This easy icebox cake is the perfect alternative.

Get the Cannoli Icebox Cake recipe.

18

Pink Lemonade Pound Cake

pink lemonade pound cake
PHOTO: ANDREW BUI; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

When you need a sweet treat that brings some sass too, this pink lemonade pound cake is just right. Shot-through with a stripe of hot pink, the cake is plenty citrusy, thanks to a whopping 2 tablespoons of lemon zest, plus juice in both the batter and glaze.

Get the Pink Lemonade Pound Cake recipe.

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19

White Russian Cupcakes

white russian cupcakes topped with chocolate shavings
PHOTO: BRYAN GARDNER; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

These White Russian cupcakes bring a coffee flavor that will have you reminiscing about a decadent White Russian cocktail. Adding Kahlúa to the buttercream frosting will emphasize the espresso in the cake while providing a hint of cream and sweetness, with more chocolate shavings adding to the richness of it all.

Get the White Russian Cupcakes recipe.

20

Chocolate Strawberry Cheesecakes

chocolate covered strawberry cheesecakes
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: FRANCESCA ZANI

Chocolate covered strawberries + cheesecake = OMG. Plus, since you're covering them in chocolate, you don't have to worry about your cheesecakes cracking. Win!

Get the Chocolate Strawberry Cheesecakes recipe.

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