I guess you can tell this is not a meatless-Monday meal! We’ve been pretty good this week, eating lots of fruits and vegetables but now it’s time for a special Valentine’s Day dessert. If you’re planning a romantic meal for that someone special in your life – maybe you’d like to try this recipe. This is another really cool dessert that transforms after the layers are assembled. In fact these cookie stack cakes must be made 24 hours ahead of time in order for the cookies to soften into amazing thin layers of cake. The whipped cream adds moisture to the cut-out cookies and they become fork tender. The stack cakes are not overly sweet and in fact have a zing of tartness from the fresh raspberries.
Process fresh raspberries in a food processor then strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve removing the seeds. You can help this process along by pressing on the pulp with the back of a spoon forcing the puree through the sieve. Refrigerate the puree until needed.
This is a simple chocolate cookie dough made with cocoa and a little red food color for effect. They are not red velvet cookies which would require buttermilk and baking soda or vinegar. When rolling out the dough dust the work area with a mixture of cocoa and flour. This helps keep the white flour from discoloring your cookies.
Bake for 8-10 minutes then cool completely on a wire rack. Once the cookies are room temperature, stack them up and put them in the refrigerator until you’re ready to assemble the stack cakes.
Place a cookie on the bottom and top with a heaping teaspoon of whipped cream swirled with the raspberry puree. Repeat with another cookie and more whipped cream until you have a stack of five cookies.
You can add the raspberry puree to the whipped cream and fold it all together for a lovely pink whipped cream. Or drizzle the puree on top of the sweetened cream and swirl for the marbled effect.
Refrigerate the fully assembled stack cakes for 24 hours before serving. To freshen add a dollop of whipped cream and a whirl of raspberry puree just before serving.
Don’t forget to PIN to your favorite dessert board!
- FOR THE COOKIES:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1⅔ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup natural unsweetened cocoa
- ½ to 1 teaspoon red gel food color (optional)
- FOR THE FILLING:
- 1 cup fresh raspberries, plus more for garnish is desired
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- For the cookie dough:
- Prepare two pieces of parchment paper to fit your baking sheet.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the sugar, butter, salt and baking powder. Blend until fluffy, about 2 minutes
- Add the egg and vanilla and mix on medium until blended.
- Add the flour and cocoa and mix on low until the dry ingredients are incorporated.
- Add the food color, if using, and beat on medium until all ingredients are blended.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Lightly dust a piece of parchment paper with a mixture of cocoa powder and flour. Roll out half the dough to ⅛ inch thickness. Cut into heart shaped cookies using a 2½ inch cookie cutter.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes taking care not to burn. If you can smell chocolate, they are done. Allow the cookies to cool on a wire rack then refrigerate until ready to assemble the stack cakes.
- (May be made 1 day ahead)
- To prepare the filling:
- Process the raspberries in a food processor until smooth. Strain into a small bowl using a fine sieve pressing the pulp through the mesh using the back of a spoon. Discard the raspberry seeds. Stir in 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (more or less to taste) and refrigerate until needed.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, blend the confectioners' sugar, whipping cream and vanilla until soft peaks form. Drizzle with about ¾ of the raspberry puree and fold to create swirls.
- To assemble the stack cakes place one heaping teaspoon of the whipped cream on top of one cookie. Add another cookie on top and press slightly to compress the shipped cream to about ¼" thick. Repeat with 4 more cookies. Top each stack with a large dollop of the whipped cream and drizzle with the remaining raspberry puree. Swirl decoratively. This recipe will make 30 cookies, enough for 6 stack cakes. When assembled refrigerate the cookie stack cakes for 24 hours before serving.
- Raspberry whipped cream adapted from Martha Stewart
We had the pleasure of attending our grandson’s 3rd birthday party this past weekend. There were a bunch of kids and the house was full of young parents with babies and toddlers. The party was a “Paw Patrol” themed event, one of Isaac’s favorite shows. I made Rice Krispy treats shaped like dog bones and a pasta salad with star cut-outs made of cheese. My daughter did a great job and decorated the cake like a Paw Patrol Shield. Such fun – the kids are all adorable. Wild … but adorable.
Isaac checking out one of his many gifts – with our daughter Allie. He is a Thomas fan!
Hope you all had a good weekend. We also enjoyed 67 degree weather on Sunday. What a gorgeous day it was but I’m afraid the winter weather and cold temperatures are coming back again this week. I’m ready for spring – how about you?
Are you baking for Valentine’s day? Do you have a favorite recipe? Feel free to post links in the comments and thanks so much for stopping by!
Tricia
These have my name written all over them, they look delicious and are just TOO cute!
Thank you Diane 🙂 You make cute desserts all the time – so I am inspired!
This is my first time visiting your blog and it looks like I came on a good day – these cookie stacks look delicious.
Amalia
xo
Thanks so much for stopping by Amalia. Heading over to see you now!
I was going to make a pavlova covered in juicy strawberries but now I’m making chocolate cookie stack cakes!
Yeah Maureen! Your pavlova sounds pretty great – maybe both so he can pick! Yummmy
how cute! I have to say this tops my v-day cake I made this year. It looks so cute and so stinkin delicious!
I love your cake Jessica! It’s so adorable and perfect for your little sweeties at home!
Hi Tricia, these valentine cookie stacks are absolutely adorable, I’m beginning to think that you should be writing a dessert cookbook with all of your amazing treats you certainly are accomplished.
Thanks Cheri – I hope to do a cookbook one day – but it may take so long that books will no longer be printed! Maybe I should focus on an e-book!
Oh wow. What a pretty and cool idea although I bet they’re a real mess to eat, not that I wouldn’t mind trying!!
They are really not very messy – more like a tiramisu – soft and delicious! If you didn’t wait the 24 hours before eating they would slide around and be much harder to eat!
Oh my goodness Tricia, these have everything I love, chocolate, raspberries and cream. What a delicious and beautiful Valentine dessert! You make it look like a work of art.
Amen to that Chris – I love the flavor combination of raspberries and chocolate too. Thanks!
Heart shaped desserts are so much fun to make and eat! I love seeing all the heart shaped things this time of year….. all in preparation for Saturday! :0)
I love it too – they are always so sweet and pretty!
These are so cute, like mini tiramisus! I love anything that can be made in advance, too. The birthday party looks like such fun — my girls were huge Thomas fans!
Thomas is great at any age – I am enjoying him yet again! Haha – mini tiramisus sound wonderful!
Issac is getting so big! I remember those wild, crazy parties and we did it with two! Tricia, these cakes are Valentine’s Day at its finest! These would make anyone’s day!
Thanks Abbe! Hope you are doing great!
I can’t believe that Isaac is 3 already! They grow up SO quickly. I swear that my son, who turned 22 last week, was Isaac’s size yesterday! Not to be sexist, but parties with little boys always seem to be busier and louder than little girl tea parties. 🙂 If you all lived closer, Allie could use my Thomas cake pan (I still have it from parties long ago) for next year’s cake. 😉 She did a great decorating job on the Paws Patrol cake!
These cookie stacks are lovely! Your chocolate wafer cookie stacks are one of my favorite “special” desserts! The raspberry-whipped cream filling on these stacks looks so pretty and sounds delicious!
He would love a Thomas cake! I think I still have a cookie monster cake pan too – we should all share! I look at both my kids and wonder where has time gone? Little boy parties are wild – I remember when my son was small – always lots of something going on – haha. Allie wants another one so stay tuned! My son and his wife haven’t started a family yet – they are having way too much fun together. Thanks for stopping by Wendy! Heading over to see what you have been up to!
Oh. My. Word. This Valentine’s dessert is absolutely amazing Tricia. This is a special treat for anybody like me, who is so FOND of cookies— this makes a special treat for me, just perfect in everything! Photos are beautiful too!
Thank you so much – we are also fond of cookies 🙂
Beautiful Valentine’s dessert, Tricia. It is just outshone by that precious little Isaac! Hard to believe he is already three. Our grandsons LOVE Paw Patrol, too. I may have seen one or two more episodes than I would have wanted during our flu time over Christmas. Ha!
We have had beautiful weather, but it is like a roller coaster ride in East Texas… They always say, if you don’t like the weather now, wait a couple of hours. ;))
Allie did a beautiful job on Isaac’s party! Takes after her Momma. =) blessings ~ tanna
They do grow fast Tanna. I thought I would have to boycott Bubble Guppies but thank goodness Isaac moved on to Paw Patrol. Maybe we’ll have to encourage Dora or something else – anything other than Sponge Bob! Haha – thanks so much – hope you have a beautiful week.
So pretty! This would be a perfect Valentines Day dessert. 🙂 Looks like such a fun party- Your sweet grandson looks so intent on his Thomas toy. My youngest was a Thomas fan too, but that was many years ago! Sunday’s weather sure was a tease, wasn’t it? I love those spring-like days. 🙂
Thanks Betty. Isaac was very happy with his Thomas toy – and I’m sure I will get to play with it next time I visit 🙂 The weather this past weekend was amazing. I can’t wait for more! Enjoy the spitting snow this morning and stay safe!
Wow, you really know how to party!! The raspberry and chocolate cookies stacks look awesome, you are so creative, love the heart shape! Isaac looks serious about the Thomas the Friends gift! our two grandsons love Thomas the train!
For many years now I have made my wife a strawberry topped cheesecake with a brownie bottom, here is a link to my recipes;
https://michaelswoodcraft.wordpress.com/2014/02/09/strawberry-topped-cheesecake/
Happy Valentine’s Day!! 🙂
Michael
Michael – your cheesecake is gorgeous! I’m going to steal that brownie bottom idea – love it!
These cookie stacks are beautiful! What a labor of love and you clearly have the romantic spirit down, Tricia. I love how you put the stacks together on the cake stand…so lovely! And looks like an awesome birthday party! Your grandson is growing fast!!
Chocolate is always perfect for Valentine’s Day – can’t wait to see what you have cooked up! Thanks Monica 🙂