Valentine’s Day is round the corner and so comes the opportunity to celebrate love in all its forms. Cherish your dearest friends, embrace self love or curate a romantic surprise for your special someone. From classic favourites to innovative fusions, we have a selection of recipes that promise to make your Valentine’s feast truly memorable.
Berry Caviar Cheesecake
By Chef Varad Kotnala, Executive Sous Chef, The Ritz-Carlton, Bangalore
“This indulgent cheesecake combines the richness of classic New York-style cheesecake with an elegant topping of berry caviar and delicate caramel nest. The creamy, velvety texture of the filling contrasts beautifully with the buttery biscuit base, while the berry caviar adds a sophisticated touch making it perfect for special occasions.”
| Ingredients: For the Base | |
| Plain biscuits | 200 gm |
| Unsalted butter (melted) | 120 gm |
| Ingredients (For the Filling) | |
| Cream cheese (softened) | 500 gm |
| Plain flour | 2 tbsp |
| Vanilla extract | 1 tsp |
| Sour cream (full fat) | 125 gm |
| Caster sugar | 300 gm |
| Lemon zest | 1 lemon |
| Large eggs (room temperature) | 3 |
| For Toppings: |
| Berry caviar |
| Caramel nest |
1. Preheat oven to 160°C/320°F (140°C fan). Prepare a 20cm springform tin with parchment paper.
2. For the base: Process biscuits until fine, combine with melted butter, press into tin.
3. For the filling: Beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually incorporate flour, vanilla, sour cream, sugar, and lemon zest. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until just combined.
4. Pour filling over base and bake for 55 minutes until light golden and slightly jiggly. Cool in oven with door ajar, then refrigerate for minimum 4 hours.
5. Garnish with berry caviar and caramel nest before serving.
Coconut Pandan Tres Leches
Kripa Singh, DCDP, Malaka Spice Pune
“Coconut Pandan Tres Leches is a dessert that combines the creamy richness of coconut with the fragrant essence of pandan leaves. Starting with a light, golden cake made from yogurt, sugar, and maida, it is baked to perfection and soaked in a luscious coconut milk and pandan sauce. Topped with velvety coconut cream and garnished with roasted coconut and fresh pandan leaves, this dessert delivers a tropical explosion of flavour in every bite. Perfectly sweet, aromatic, and utterly indulgent, Coconut Tres Leches is a must-try treat for anyone craving a unique and delightful dessert experience.”
| Ingredients (For the Cake (Makes 24 pieces) | |
| Maida (Flour) | 1 Kg |
| Baking powder | 50 gm |
| Salt | 20 gm |
| Yoghurt | 500 gm |
| Castor sugar | 500 gm |
| Vanilla essence | 20 gm |
| Unsalted butter | 100 gm |
| Oil | 200 ml |
| Milk | 1 L |
| Grated coconut | 100 gm |
| Baking Soda | 10 gm |
| For the sauce | |
| Coconut Milk | 120 ml |
| Pandan leaves | 2 pieces |
| Milkmaid | 100 ml |
| Coconut cream | 150 gm |
Method
Prepare the cake:
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine 500 gm of yogurt and 500 gm of castor sugar.
2. Add the Maida, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and mix well.
3. Add vanilla essence, butter, oil, and milk, and whisk to create a smooth batter.
4. Stir in the grated coconut for added texture.
5. Pour the batter into a mould and bake at 180°C for about 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
6. Allow the cake to cool down completely.
Prepare the soak:
1. In a saucepan, combine coconut milk with a few pandan leaves.
2. Gently heat the mixture, allowing the pandan leaves to infuse their flavour into the coconut milk.
3. Once done, remove from heat and mix in Milkmaid for sweetness.
4. Once the cake has cooled, pour the pandan and coconut milk sauce over it, ensuring the cake soaks up the liquid and becomes rich and moist.
Garnish:
1. Spread a layer of smooth coconut cream over the soaked cake. This adds a rich, velvety texture that complements the cake perfectly.
2. Garnish with roasted coconut flakes and fresh pandan leaves to add a bit of crunch and fragrance to the dessert.
Heart-Shaped Doughnuts
By Chef Rajesh Mallick , Executive Chef, Cafe out of the Blue, Mumbai
| Ingredients | |
| Flour | 2 cups |
| Sugar | ½ cup |
| Melted butter | ¼ cup |
| Egg | 1 |
| Milk | ¾ cup |
| Baking powder | 1 tsp |
| Salt | ½ tsp |
| Oil | For frying |
1. Mix the dough: In a bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add melted butter, egg, and milk. Stir until a soft dough forms
2. Shape: Roll out the dough and cut heart shapes using a cookie cutter (or shape by hand).
3. Fry: Heat oil in a pan. Fry the doughnuts for about 1-2 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove and let them drain.
4. Glaze (Optional): Mix powdered sugar, milk, and food coloring. Dip or drizzle over the doughnuts.
Raspberry Bonbon
By Amit Kumar Patra, Pastry Chef, Hilton Bangalore Embassy Golflinks
“Raspberry bon bons are the perfect indulgence for Valentine’s Day—elegant, vibrant, and irresistibly delicious. The natural tartness of fresh raspberries beautifully balances the creamy sweetness of white chocolate, creating a luxurious bite-sized treat. Whether you’re making them for a loved one or simply treating yourself, they’re surprisingly easy to craft at home. With just a handful of ingredients, you can create something truly special—little bites of love, handcrafted with care.”
| Ingredients | |
| White chocolate | 250 gm |
| Edible pink and white colour | As needed |
| Fresh raspberries | 100 gm |
| Sugar | 20 gm |
| Liquid glucose | 10 gm |
| Corn flour | 2 gm |
1. Melt the white chocolate over a double boiler. Once melted, divide the chocolate into two portions.
2. Add red food coloring to one portion to create the pink chocolate. In the other portion, add white food coloring to keep it white.
3. Using acrylic chocolate molds, pour a layer of white chocolate into each mold and gently tap to remove air bubbles.
4. Pour the pink chocolate on top, ensuring it forms a shell by allowing the excess chocolate to drip out.
5. In a saucepan, combine water, sugar, liquid glucose, and raspberries. Cook the mixture until it thickens.
6. Once thickened, add cornflour and mix well. Let the raspberry mixture cook for an additional 2 minutes.
7. After the raspberry filling cools down, spoon it into the chocolate shells.
8. Seal the bonbons by adding another layer of pink chocolate over the raspberry filling.
9. Allow the bonbons to set completely before demolding.
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