Sweets for your sweetie

Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and nothing says "I love you" more than chocolate.

Anyone can head to the store and pick up a box of chocolates, but if you're really looking to sweep your beloved off his or her feet, why not pull some lovin' from the oven?

Martha Stewart, the queen of all things delicious, has the recipes that are not only perfect for Valentine's Day, they're really pretty simple to make.

Easy Heart-Shaped Chocolate Cake

To make the heart-shape, bake two 8-inch cakes, placing part of the batter in a round pan, the rest in a square pan. Let them cool, level the tops, and cut the round cake in half. Arrange as shown, leveled sides down, then frost to finish.

One Bowl Chocolate Cake:

Makes one 8-inch, double layer-cake

Unsalted butter, softened, for pans

¾ cup unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder, plus more for pans

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ cups sugar

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

¾ teaspoon baking powder

¾ teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

¾ cup low-fat buttermilk

¾ cup warm water

3 tablespoons safflower oil

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Sift together sugar, cocoa, and salt.

Beat cream cheese and butter with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth. Reduce speed to medium-low; gradually add sugar-cocoa mixture, and beat until combined. Pour in chocolate in a slow, steady stream. Add creme fraiche; beat until combined.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans (2 inches deep); dust with cocoa. Sift cocoa, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of a mixer. Beat on low speed until just combined. Raise speed to medium, and add eggs, buttermilk, water, oil, and vanilla. Beat until smooth, about 3 minutes.

Divide batter between pans. Bake until set and a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes. Turn out from pans. Transfer, face up, to wire racks. Let cool completely.

Pink Buttercream

Yield: Makes about 5 cups

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

5 large egg whites

Pinch of salt

4 sticks unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, softened

Gel-paste food coloring, in Tulip Red

Whisk sugar, egg whites, and salt in a heatproof mixer bowl set over a pan of simmering water until sugar dissolves and syrup registers 160 F. on a candy thermometer.

Transfer bowl to mixer, and whisk sugar syrup on medium speed for 5 minutes. Raise speed to medium-high, and whisk until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 6 minutes.

Reduce speed to medium. Add butter, 1 piece at a time, whisking well after each addition. Whisk in food coloring.

Spread 2 cups frosting onto top of 1 cooled layer. Top with remaining layer; frost top and sides with remaining 2 cups frosting.

Molten Chocolate-Espresso Cakes

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Makes: 6

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for tin

1/3 cup sugar, plus more for tin

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

1/3 cup all-purpose flower

1 tablespoon instant espresso powder

¼ teaspoon coarse salt

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Ganache glaze (Optional: for recipe, go to marthastewart.com/ganache-glaze)

Preheat oven to 400 F. Brush 6 cups of a standard muffin tin with butter and dust with sugar; tap out excess. Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a pan of simmering water, stirring until smooth. Let cool.

In a bowl, whisk together flour, espresso powder, and salt. With a mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until completely incorporated. Add flour mixture; beat until combined. Beat in vanilla and chocolate.

Spoon batter until cakes no longer jiggle when tin is shaken, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack 10 minutes before turning out cakes. Spread ganache over tops and serve.