55 Valentine’s Day Desserts Worth Swooning Over

We’re pretty sure that when people say, “love is in the air” around Valentine’s Day, what they’re actually referring to is dessert! Because, who can resist the aroma of a sweet, frosting-covered cake? Or a batch of freshly baked cupcakes or cookies? We know we can’t. In fact, there’s nothing we adore more than a sweet treat, lovingly made by our special someone. That’s the inspiration behind this collection of recipes. Whether you’re a pro in the pastry department or a novice when it comes to measuring, baking and decorating you’re sure to find something here that’s doable. And, no matter what you choose, your Valentine will love it. One of our favorites? This clever cake that’s inspired by a boxed-chocolate favorite: cordial cherries. The cake is layered with a candied-cherry mousse and covered in a rich chocolate ganache—making this one cake that lives up to the promise of being swoon-worthy.

There’s no need to commit to a big-batch dessert for a date night. This recipe for whoopie pies with rich cream cheese frosting sandwiched between tender red velvet cookies is perfectly portioned for two. Plus, you can have them ready in just an hour, including cooling, and no electric mixer or special equipment is needed.

Whether it’s a date night or you’re celebrating with the whole family, this creamy dip is the perfect end to a Valentine’s Day meal. Dark cocoa powder gives it a deep rich color, but if you don’t have any on hand, substitute regular unsweetened cocoa powder; the finished dip will just be a little lighter in color. We’re serving ours with strawberries, but feel free to use other fruit or even plain crisp cookies for dippers.

While most cake rolls seem time consuming and daunting, this version is foolproof, thanks to an easy and fun method of assembling the cake layer. We added delicious strawberries and dark chocolate for the ultimate dessert.