our valentines house....

we are ready.
we had our valentines on saturday night.
we ate cake.
we played with balloons.

i love to decorate with all the red and all the hearts.
love it.

martha's easy chocolate cake.

3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for pan
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream
chocolate glaze (recipe following)

1} pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. butter an 8-inch round cake pan {or heart shaped like us}; line bottom with wax/parchment paper. butter paper; dust with cocoa, tapping out excess. set aside.
2} in a medium bowl, sift together cocoa, all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. in a mixing bowl cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy; about 2 to 3 minutes. beat in eggs, one at a time, until incorporated - scrape down the sides as you go - then beat in vanilla. add the flour mix alternating with the sour cream, starting and ending with the flour mix.
3} spread batter into prepared pan. tap pan firmly on the countertop several times to release air bubbles. bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean - about 30 to 35 minutes. remove from oven. cool 10 minutes in pan, then out of pan to cool completely. set rack over a rimmed baking sheet and pour glaze over top; gently spread to coat completely. let stand until set.

chocolate glaze
4 ounces coarsely chopped semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 cup heavy cream

1} place chocolate in a medium bowl. in a small saucepan bring cream to a boil. pour over chocolate; whisk until smooth. let cool until thick yet pourable, about 5 minutes.