Chocolate-cherry heart-shaped cakes at Maltby Street.

I messed up. Big time. I was totally planning on going to Violet Cakes this morning to buy Claire Ptak’s delectable heart-shaped treats for this fine Valentine’s Day. I had spied chocolate-cherry heart-shaped cakes at Maltby Street on Saturday. Then at Broadway Market, I saw a heart-shaped variation on her famous whoopie pies. I had big plans of becoming the most romantical sweet-bearing Valentine ever. But Violet is closed Mondays. At least I called ahead.

Why, you ask, didn’t I just buy the sweets on Saturday? Well, if you’ve every had anything from Violet, you already know the answer to that. For those who haven’t, I’ll explain: last week I bought a box of marshmallow-devil’s food cupcakes and scones with strawberry jam and clotted cream and ate them til they were gone. Within about an hour of their purchase. And I did so in public and it was quite an offensive scene to everyone who witnessed it. Not a good look. And they were intended to make it til dinnertime. I knew that any Saturday morning purchase wouldn’t make it to noon, and hence the rain check, which has resulted in a tremendous Valentine’s Day FAIL.

And it gets worse. Violet is closed tomorrow, so I’ll miss out on their wonderfully delectable cakes, whoopie pies and cupcakes until my next trip to London on a date that has yet to be determined yet feels very far away. Won’t you visit Violet Cakes for me? It’s on Wilton Way in Hackney and there are two market stalls (Maltby Street and Broadway, Saturdays). Or buy Claire Ptak’s newly released The Whoopie Pie Book and substitute your own creations until you can get the real thing.