A sweetly charming vintage 'Be my Valentine' cake recipe

There are certain times of the year that are synonymous with sugary treats aplenty, and few are more famous or beloved in this respect than Valentine's Day. February 14th, the day of amore and fabulously lovely things to eat, be it a glass of bubbly or a heart shaped box of chocolates.

By and large, I don't eat a lot of sugar, so holidays feel like an extra big treat for me, and I rarely pass up the chance to indulge for just one festive day. This year, as much as I love chocolate (the darker the better!), I feel like I'm in much more of a cake mood, so I went hunting for a vintage dessert that would fit that bill and today's absolutely darling 1950s vintage recipes does the job splendidly.

It's enrobed in a hefty layer of pink coconut, boasts a cute heart made, fittingly, from red gumdrop candies (you could easily use cinnamon hearts, Red Hots, or jelly beans instead, if you preferred), and sounds just as sweet as sweet can be. You could also - and I think that this is precisely what I'll do - bake it in a heart shaped cake pan for an extra dose of seasonal flare.



{Perfect to send youngsters off to school, share with your honey bunny, or have star as the main attraction at a February 14th party, this wonderfully easy, budget friendly 1950s cake is bound to ensure you'll have folks lining up around the block to ask you to be their Valentine this year. Image source.}

 
By all means, if you'd prefer, swap in your favourite white (or golden, cherry chip, or even chocolate, the latter being especially fitting for St. Valentine's) cake recipe instead, and should you, like me, need to keep things strictly gluten-free, I recommend using two boxes of Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Yellow Cake Mix (it, and the chocolate version, really are the best GF cake mixes I've found on the market so far) for this fun recipe.

You could also whip up a batch of pink coconut and red candy heart topped cupcakes instead, or as well. Perhaps using pink, red, gold or otherwise festively hued or patterned cupcake wrappers (liners). A cute little conversation heart candy, instead of the red sweets, would be an endlessly February 14th appropriate touch, too.

Whether you leap for the nearest chocolate truffle, swoon for caramels, or have a hankering for cake as well, I hope that you get a chance to satisfy your own cravings for something beautifully sweet, special and busting with the spirit of this deeply lovely time of the year at least once this week. I know that as soon as I grab the heart shaped cake pan from the basement and whip up this great vintage Valentine's Day recipe, I'll be doing just that!

And remember, my darling friends...

{Image source}

Vintage 365: Joyful Valentine’s Day wishes!

✯ Day 45 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

February 14th means a great many different things to each of us. Some people (*shots hand up in air*) revel in a merry celebration of love, whereas would prefer it if the calendar went from the 13th and 15th, leaving out today all together.

Whether you're head-over-heels for hearts or prefer to eschew the sugary-sweet side of this festive day, I hope dearly that today fills you with positive thoughts about all kinds of love. From romantic passion to the wonderful kinship between you and your bff, love is never trivial; it's a highly important component to life and one that, I firmly believe, deserves to be acknowledged and cheered - both today and always.

One thing I think we can all agree that we adore is the wonderful world of vintage images, such as this positively delightful Motorola ad from 1950, which features a love-struck couple who are clearly crazy for one another. I hope that it’s beautiful art and chipper hues bring a smile your way and helps make your morning extra bright.

Please know, dear friends, that I'm thinking of you today and sending out my deepest heartfelt wishes for a Valentine's Day that radiates with joy in whatever capacity you most desire.

Happiest Valentine's Day (with love and best wishes), everyone!

Vintage 365: Darling vintage inspired, handmade Valentine's Day card is sure to warm hearts

✯ Day 21 of Vintage 365 ✯

With about three weeks left to go until Valentine's Day, it hit me this morning that time is running out to buy (or make) and send cards to your secret crush, BBF, beloved relative, favourite sorority sister, high school lab partner, or anyone else you'd like. In fact, I think Valentine's Day is a stellar - and very poignant - time to let (or remind) a lot of different people in your life that your care about/love them.

While the mainstream emphasis behind February 14th may be on romantic love, I've always seen this day, tucked away in the middle of a chilly winter's month, as a time to spread a general message of adoration and happiness, friendship and care amongst those you hold dear (after all, who doesn't love that special feeling that comes from receiving a beautiful card, complete with a thoughtful message written by friend or relative, any time of the year?).

With that thought in mind, I went searching on etsy for a card that would convey a sense of the Valentine's Day spirit - yet not necessarily be geared towards those who are knee deep in romantic amour. Of course said Feb. 14th destined card would also have to be delightfully old school inspired, too. After a fair bit of hunting around, I came upon exactly the type of vintage Valentine's Day card I had in mind amongst the delightful handmade creations offered up by etsy seller Sunny Skye Creations.

Bursting with splashes of red and pink (definitely enough to fulfill any Valentine's Day quota), charming doily lace inspired border work, a hint of sparkle, and an incredibly cute vintage inspired hand stamped image of a little girl holding a heart with with the letters "X" and "O" in it, this beautiful card (which sells for $4.00) would surely bring a generous dose of warm, fuzzy feelings to whomever you sent (or handed) it to!