Top 15: Valentine’s Day Cakes in LondonBy Alicia Grimshaw
Looking for the best ways to sweeten you Valentine’s Day? Here’s 15 of our favourite sweet treats in the capital, especially for V-Day. Heart shaped cookies at the ready, let’s romance:
1. For Biskies: Cutter and Squidge
Order: Biskie Box (box of 4 – £ 14.90)
The 411: Cutter & Squidge is offering up a selection of limited edition sweet treats, and an in-store Afternoon ValenTEA to send sparks flying this Valentine’s Day. Cutter and Squidge’s trademark Biskie has been struck by Cupid’s arrow. Available in boxes of 4 and 8, the Biskie Box is made up of a mix of mouth-watering chocolate salted caramel and succulent very berry Biskies; all decorated with little love notes.
Where: 20 Brewer St, Soho, London W1F 0SJ
2. For All the Cakes: Ottolenghi
Order: Heart Shaped Chocolate Tea Cakes
The 411: A host of Valentine’s delights are now available at the Ottolenghi delis (Notting Hill, Spitalfields, Belgravia, Islington). Think meringues with rose petals, heart shaped chocolate tea cakes, pink macaroons, and a heart shaped red berry pavlova for two to share. All cakes will be available to take away at all the delis, and also to eat in at Ottolenghi Spitalfields and Islington.
Where: Locations here
3. For Mini Cakes: Konditor and Cook
Order: Chocolate Cherry Magic Cakes (from £3.15)
The 411: Konditor and Cook’s signature magic cakes have received a Valentine’s Day makeover. Each bite features a dark chocolate sponge, spiked with Kirsch soaked cherries, and iced in a hot palette of red and pinks. Also appearing in the Valentine’s Day range is dodgy jammers – an adult version of kids birthday party favourite, Jammy Dodgers. It’s all about the three letter words.. You get the idea.
Where: Locations here
4. For Cupcakes: Crumbs and Doilies
Order: Valentine’s Cupcake Selection
The 411: Don’t say ‘I love you’ with flowers this year, say it with cupcakes. And we can report the cakes at Crumbs and Doilies are sublime. Crumb and Doilies have created a special Valentine’s Day selection box featuring a mix of raspberry bombe, red velvet, vanilla rose, and chocolate and vanilla cupcakes, along with a gift card bearing your message.
Where: 1 Kingly St, Carnaby, London W1B 5PW
Order: Heart Shortbread
The 411: The bakers down at Gail’s have been busy with their new Valentine’s Day range, now available in all stores. From mini honey cakes to lemon, rose and pistachio cakes, and heart shortbread to their signature 2kg loaves which have also had a makeover with a love heart stencil, enjoy all of the above with a good cuppa at Gail’s bakeries across London.
Where: Locations here
Order: Valentine 25-bite box (£25.00)
The 411: We knew the guys and gals down at Bad Brownie wouldn’t let us down with their V-Day offering. Their limited edition 25-bite brownie box has a flirty twist: each brownie’s very lick-able ganache topping has been hand-stamped with a saucy message. A great gift for your SO, best bud, or anyone you want to shock and/or seduce this Valentine’s. Brownie flavours include: rose and pistachio, dark chocolate espresso, tangy raspberry, white choc chip, milk chocolate and hazelnut.
Where: Order online
7. For Cookies: Peggy Porschen Cakes
Order: Love Heart Cookie Box – Large (£24.95)
The 411: Celebrate this Valentine’s Day with Peggy’s Love, Sweet Love collection. Showcasing a colour palate of blushing pinks and romantic rose golds – alongside key flavours of champagne, rose, chocolate and strawberry – the range features cookie cutters, three tired cakes and cupcakes. We’ve got a lot of time for the love heart cookie box, with pinked iced cookies. C’mon, they’re practically too pretty to eat.
Where: 116 Ebury St, Belgravia, London SW1W 9QQ
8. For Cakes and Chocolate: R Chocolate
Order: Heart Shaped Cake (£12)
The 411: R Chocolate have created a heart shaped cake specifically for Valentine’s Day. It’s a strawberry and champagne mousse cake decorated with milk chocolate red beads and dark chocolate hearts. And the inside is made from layers of hazelnut sponge and set raspberry jam. If you really want to impress, book you and your special someone (mum, dog, friend, other half) in for R Chocolate’s afternoon tea. There’s sarnies, chocolates and cakes galore.
Where: R Chocolate London, 198 Ebury Street, Belgravia, London SW1W 8UN
Order: Red Love Eclair (£5.80)
The 411: If you haven’t tried an eclair from Maitre Choux – now is the time, pals. The Red Love Eclair is filled with a combination of a light yet intense Tahitian vanilla cream, and a refreshing raspberry puree beautifully textured with raspberry seeds. The eclair is then delicately covered with a raspberry-flavoured éclair-shaped macaron. A feast for both the eyes and the palate.
Where: 15 Harrington Rd, Kensington, London SW7 3ES. Or order online
10. For Pink Everything: Dominique Ansel Bakery
Order: The whole cake cabinet
The 411: Celebrating his first Valentine’s Day in the capital, Dominique Ansel Bakery London bring their annual tradition from New York to London – turning the bakery’s entire pastry case pink. Inspired in the kitchen; they’ll incorporate natural pink fruits and ingredients in to change the colouring of their creations. Chef’s will infuse items with grapefruit, guava and raspberries, while accenting with ingredients like cassis, rosé, pink champagne, Himalayan sea salt and pink pralines from Lyon.
Where: 17-21 Elizabeth St, Belgravia, London SW1W 9RP
Order: PAUL’s Sweethearts (£4.50 for one, £8.50 for two)
The 411: PAUL is transforming their most-loved bakes into limited edition heart-shaped cakes, baguettes, mini macarons and extra special personalised éclairs. PAUL’s Sweethearts features layers of Genoese sponge and mousseline cream shaped into a heart. These popular creations come in two variations: a pretty pink Coeur Frasier St. Valentin with fresh strawberries and sweet marzipan; and Coeur Craquant St. Valentin with rich dark chocolate, craquant pastry and a smooth chocolate mousse.
Where: Locations here.
Order: Mixed Truffle Box (£12.95)
The 411: Carluccio’s Valentine’s collection has received an injection of Eighties nostalgia with neon lettering, graffiti prints and sharing boxes decked out in clashing neon hues. Handpicked from Carluccio’s much-loved artisan producers dotted throughout Italy, gifts include the Mixed Truffle Box (£12.95) complete with graphic pop-art stickers for customising the case, bite-sized Heart Shaped Chocolate Confetti (£6.95) and fruity Fragoline Strawberry Fondant Drops (£6.95).
Where: Locations here
13. For Chocolates: Paul a Young
Order: Sea Salted Caramel Filled Heart (£25)
The 411: Valentine’s Day is a day for two, and good news – because Paul’s Sea Salted Caramel Filled Heart is made for sharing. Pairing a 64% Madagascan chocolate heart with his award winning Sea Salted caramel, the dessert is generously decorated with gold leaf and set on a Madagascan dark chocolate plaque.
Where: Locations here
14. For Cute Cakes: Flavourtown Bakery
What: Unicorn Love (£22)
The 411: Flavourtown Bakery has gone all magical on us for Valentine’s Day. Their all-new unicorn love cupcake box boasts Madagascan vanilla sponge stuffed with pink unicorn food sprinkles, and topped with pink vanilla seed buttercream. There’s a Unicorn hiding inside every one (ok, that’s a lie – but we can dream).
Where: Order online
15. For Doughnuts: Crosstown Doughnuts
Order: Valentine’s Dough Bites (£30)
The 411: For one day only (14th), Crosstown Doughnuts will be offering mini dough bites in a trio of flavours; Champagne & Rose – a one-off flavour created especially for Valentine’s Day, combining their signature sourdough with a champagne custard filling, rose glaze and edible rose petals; Chocolate Truffle – milk chocolate truffle mousse filling, hand-dipped in a dark chocolate ganache and finished with a dusting of cocoa; and Glazed Raspberry – home-style raspberry jam filling, with a Tongan vanilla bean glaze and crispy raspberry pieces.
Where: Pre-order your box here.
