Roses are red, doughnuts are, too: Six love-soaked desserts to try this Valentine’s Day

The best and worst part about Valentine’s Day is the expectation for ostentatious expressions of love. Grand gestures of affection, like elaborate dinners or expensive jewelry, can take materialist consumption to stomach-churning heights. And this year, American shoppers are expected to spend a record-breaking $29.1 billion on significant others, friends, even pets. 

Then again, whose heart wouldn’t flutter if on Feb. 14 they were bestowed, for example, with a bouquet of red and pink conchas from a local bakery? You could also argue that, deep into winter and crushed by national news, by the time the middle of February rolls around, we all need a hug and a little treat. 

Santa Cruz-area bakeries and dessert specialists heard that need and created maximalist Valentine’s Day confections — the sugary equivalents of a dozen long-stemmed roses. These splashy, sprinkle-dusted treats, from marshmallow fluff-layered ice cream sundaes and red velvet churros to Italian chocolate-inspired doughnuts and, yes, a collection of Mexican pastries, are playful and as determined to crack a smile as they are a sweet tooth. 

It’s Valentine’s Day, but you don’t have to share. All the love-inspired holiday treats on this list can be enjoyed by yourself, with a sweetie, or with someone else deserving a little sugar in their life. Many are available all month long, and prices range from under $7 to $45, because a heart-felt gesture doesn’t have to break the bank. 

Santa Cruz ice cream institution Marianne’s special sundae for the month of February celebrates Valentine’s Day with chocolate, cherries and marshmallow fluff. In the Cupid’s Arrow Sundae ($12.95), scoops of raspberry truffle ice cream and strawberries ‘n’ cream ice cream are layered with marshmallow sauce and raspberry sauce, topped with a swirl of whipped cream and finished with heart-shaped sprinkles, a heart-shaped wafer and a cherry on top. It’s sweet all the way to the bottom of the cup, whether there are one or two spoons digging in. 

Forget flowers; give your date what they really want – a bouquet of conchas. For Valentine’s Day, Rebeca’s Bakery in Watsonville is offering a cluster of nine heart-shaped Mexican brioche pastries ($45) in red and pink, wrapped in tissue paper and ribbon. There’s chocolate, and then there’s showing up with a bundle of conchas, plus your sweetie’s favorite coffee order to dunk them into. I think you know which one sounds like real love. 

The classic domed princess cake has been enjoying a national “it girl” moment for the past year. One of Sweden’s most recognizable pastries, the princess is a typical sponge cake layered with vanilla custard and jam, and covered in a flawless green sheet of marzipan and a marzipan rose. Gayle’s Bakery in Capitola is wrapping its Valentine’s princess cakes in pink and crowning each one with a real red rose. They’re romantic, pretty, and kind of look like a boob — an ideal dessert for this love-soaked day. 5-inch cakes are $36; 7-inch cakes are $62; 9-inch cakes are $82.

Doughnut visionary Kevin Sam of Dunlap’s Donuts in Pleasure Point never ceases to amaze with the over-the-top confectionery interpretations he creates for major holidays. For Valentine’s Day, Sam is offering three distinct flavors, including a new Ferrero Rocher doughnut ($6) inspired by the classic gold foil-wrapped Italian chocolates. There’s also a teddy bear-shaped chocolate doughnut ($5), conversation hearts ($5) that can be filled with cream, jelly or chocolate to order, and an impressive heart-shaped doughnut ($5) exploding with whipped cream and strawberries. 

It doesn’t matter whether you’re avoiding gluten or on an all-bread diet: The cakes made by gluten-free Switch Bakery are some of the most plush and decadent desserts in the county. For Valentine’s Day, husband-and-wife team Joshua Bradley and Amanda Frazier are offering several holiday treats. There’s a double-layer vanilla cake with buttercream, raspberry coulis and fresh berries crowned with toasted marshmallow fluff. And a citrusy blood orange cake topped with house-made dulce de leche meringue and a blood orange thyme sauce. Both cakes are available as a 4-inch whole cake for $25, 8-inch for $65 or by the slice ($9) at the new bistro in downtown Santa Cruz. Everything at Switch Bakery is celiac-safe and made without soy, corn or gluten. 

The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is a classic first date spot for all ages, not least because there’s a great lineup of grub at the beachside attraction. Churros & Floats, owned by longtime Boardwalk concessionaire Whiting’s Foods, offers freshly fried churros stuffed with fillings like chocolate and caramel all year long in a booth across from the Speed Bumps bumper car ride. But this February, it’s serving a red velvet cake-inspired churro ($6.29) topped with strawberry sugar, cream cheese frosting and red velvet crumbles and sprinkles. 

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