Win the day with with a homemade Valentine’s Day dessert!
Nothing says “you’re special” like a homemade cake. This Valentine’s Day dessert recipe is so easy and the incredibly moist chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting is the perfect treat for your Valentine!
A Recipe for Love
I’m sharing with you a treasured family recipe. My mom’s Jiffy Cake recipe is timely for 2023 and our current egg shortage. It calls for no eggs. In fact, if you swap out the cream cheese frosting for a vegan alternative or skip it altogether, this cake is vegan. A recipe way ahead of its time!
While I don’t know how old this cake recipe is, I can say that my beloved and tattered hand-written recipe card itself is from the 60s or even earlier. So, let’s call it a mid-century recipe; otherwise, you may take issue with the name “Jiffy.” It’s not as fast as the microwave mug cake of today, but for a made-from-scratch cake, it is pretty quick to get into the oven.
The Valentine’s Day dessert recipe is simple and straightforward. If you have little helpers, there are plenty of fun hands-on jobs for them to help with and even a little science to talk about! Instead of the eggs, the combination of baking soda and vinegar give this cake its fluff. (Don’t be alarmed! It turns out great!)
Make this cake for your Valentine, your Galentine, or your family and make a memory. They’ll love it. They’ll love that you made a Valentine’s Day Dessert for them.
More Great Ideas to Celebrate Your Love
And, if this easy Valentine’s Day dessert recipe has inspired you to make a whole dinner for your special someone, check out our Meat and Seafood collection. Or, if you love the idea of a Valentine’s dessert but need backup, check out our Sweets and Treats. We’ll deliver a lovely Valentine’s Day dessert right to the doorstep! For more gift ideas for Valentine’s Day Gifts page for wine and chocolate gift sets, Champagne crates, spa gift baskets, fresh flowers, and more!
Mom’s Jiffy Cake
Preheat oven to 350
- 1 ½ cups flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 TBS cocoa powder
- 1tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 6 TBS oil (1/3 cup)
- 1 TBS vinegar
- 1 tsp vanilla
Measure flour, sugar, cocoa, soda, and salt into sifter. Sift twice, second time into a 9” square ungreased pan. Make 3 depressions. Pour oil into one, vanilla into another, and vinegar into the third depression. Pour 1 cup water over all and mix thoroughly.
Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese
- ½ TBS milk
- ½ tsp vanilla
- 1 ¼ cups confectionery sugar (powdered sugar)
Use mixer to blend cream cheese, milk, and vanilla. Add confectionery sugar until desired consistency. Spread on cooled cake.
Love you, mom. <3
