I'm not a big fan of Valentine's Day as a holiday, but I do enjoy all the sweets that go along with it. Indeed, I often use Valentine's Day as an excuse to make all sorts of decadent delights. And, usually, it is possible for my son (and sometimes my husband) to help out.

Cherry Cake
This is actually a fun breakfast for Valentine's Day -- something special your family can do every year.

For the cake:
3 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast (active)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
21-ounce can of cherry pie filling

For the glaze:
1/2 cup confectioner's (powdered) sugar
2 - 4 teaspoons of milk

Before you begin, make sure have the ingredients on hand. Also, make sure that everyone is in clothing suitable for baking. We like to do our Valentine's Day morning baking in pajamas. This way we can just put them in the wash when we're done.

Mix 1/2 cups of the flour with the sugar, salt and yeast. Heat 1/2 cup of the milk along with the butter and the water. Add to the flour combination and then add the eggs. Use a mixer to beat at a low speed, getting all of the ingredients moist. Then beat for three minutes at medium speed, stirring in the rest of the flour gradually, forming a batter. Cover and let rise until the size doubles (about 45 to 60 minutes).

Grease a 13 x 9 pan. Save out 1/4 of the batter and pour the rest into the pan, spooning the cherry filling on top. Add the rest of the batter over the cherry filling. Let rise for another 30 minutes. Heat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 30-35 minutes.

Make the glaze by mixing the powdered sugar and the milk until the glaze is at a desired consistency. When the cake is done, drizzle the glaze on top. You can use apple or blueberry pie filling in this recipe, too.