AH, love! We celebrate this one true, pure and beautiful emotion once again on Valentine’s Day, 14 February. Nothing can beat the feeling of being in love and being loved back with equal intensity. So we celebrate it with the sweetest treats we can find — cakes, bakes, chocolates, ice cream… These are just some of sweetest expressions of love the World of Flavors found this year, and we are sharing them with you…

HEART OF MINE

What better way to express your love than with a heart-shaped Caramel Cake by Shirley Santos-Yanga. She started offering it when she got based in Singapore from 2016 to 2022. For someone living abroad, she missed eating this nostalgic cake with caramel frosting, and so she offers her own take on it for Valentine’s Day now that she’s back in town. Inspired by an heirloom recipe, she put together her own eight-inch, heart-shaped Caramel Cake, which she custom-bakes for customers.

Orders may be placed through her website, www.shirleyyangacakes.com.

HER NAME IS LINDA

Master baker Dorothy Ferreria re-introduces her Linda Cake in time for Valentine’s Day this year. It is a two-layer chiffon cake — a choice of mocha or chocolate, with a dulce de leche filling — completely covered with marshmallow icing and topped with a playful bouquet of flowers executed with the same fluffy icing. Now, this, she does play around with according to customers’ preference of color or color combination.

While some people initially thought that she named the cake after her mother, Chef Dorothy actually named it after her best friend. Eight inches in diameter, the cake is done the old-fashioned way, with no preservatives or emulsifiers, and priced at P1,750.

To order, send her a message on her FB or Instagram accounts.

PRETTY IN PINK

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Honeybon has brought back its much-loved Strawberry Matcha Mousse Cake. It is a dessert that beautifully balances the sweetness of ripe strawberries with the earthy richness of matcha, layered into a light and creamy mousse cake, with the matcha layer at the bottom and the strawberry layer on top.

This simple but beautiful cake reflects Honeybon’s signature “just the right sweetness” that makes it the perfect romantic gift for people who like their desserts balanced and refined.

To add a personal touch to it, Honeybon’s Dedication Hearts allow customers to include heartfelt messages on the Strawberry Matcha Mousse Cake or any of Honeybon’s other well-loved cake offerings.

Other cake choices include Tres Leches Cheesecake (known for its rich yet delicate milky flavor), the classic Red Velvet Cake (with moist cocoa layers and tangy cream cheese frosting) and the Ultimate Chocolate Cake (generously layered with luscious chocolate ganache). Then there’s the Mango Royale as well as the timeless Tiramisu with its espresso-soaked layers and creamy mascarpone.

Honeybon is located at SM North EDSA (2nd Floor, Main Mall), SM Megamall (3rd Floor, Building B), Festival Mall (2nd Level), and all Tokyo Bubble Tea branches. Online shopping and delivery options are available via https://honeybon.ph.

CHIFFON CAKES AND CHEESECAKES

If you like chiffon cakes and cheesecakes, Susan Ong of Le Delicieux Patisserie & Café suggests their roster of cakes, which includes Almond Crème Brulee (layered chiffon cake filled and frosted with crème brulee, garnished with sliced almonds), Blueberry Crème Brulee (layered chiffon cake filled and frosted with crème brulee, and topped with blueberry filling, garnished with almonds), Baked New York Cheesecake (with plump strawberry topping), and Baked New York Cheesecake (spread with Biscoff and garnished with Biscoff biscuits).

Le Delicieux is located at 1763-H Paz Mendoza Guazon St., Paco, Manila, with telephone number (02) 561-9601.

HEART-SHAPED SILVANAS

Can you believe it — even silvanas have taken the shape of hearts this Valentine season? Cipriano’s, which is known for its Sans Rival cakes and silvanas, is offering heart-shaped silvanas as a fun and festive way to make Valentine’s extra special. It’s a tradition that the brand started last year.

These silvanas are available per piece or in boxes of 6 at its SM Megamall and Glorietta locations until 28 February. They are also available only in boxes of 6 at Cipriano’s pick-up points in Pasig (Valle Verde 6, 0917-1643939), Quezon City (Roces Ave., 0917-1643939), and Antipolo (Town & Country, Marcos Highway, 0917-3271822).

FLOWERS AND CAKES

At Sweet Success, this Valentine’s season is all about combinations of cakes and exquisite floral bouquets. No need to order flowers elsewhere, as cakes and bouquets are packaged together for your convenience. What’s more: You can choose the floral bouquet and the cake you want separately, and your choices will be prepared in one package, all ready to be handed over to the one you love.

Depending on your budget, the cake choices include Mocha Chiffon Buttercream, Ube Sans Rival, Tables Chocolate Cake and Mango Sans Rival in cake form or in a tin can. The floral bouquets, expertly designed by the bakeshop’s partner, The Flowerman, are made up of exquisite blooms, from sunflowers to roses.

Also available are Personalized Cookie Cakes that come with your dedication, Butter Talk Biscuits and limited-edition Valentine’s Mini Cake Box of 3.

To check out packages and to order, visit www.sweetsuccess.ph.