When was the last time you had an ice cream cake? The answer, I’m sure, is not recently enough. On Eater last week, Amy McCarthy argued that there’s absolutely no need to wait around for a special occasion to buy yourself an ice cream cake. They are, she writes, a way to make your own joy: “We can plop down $12 on an ice cream cake and celebrate the fact that we made it through a Wednesday without cussing anybody out, or that we finally finished the mountain of laundry that’s lurked in the corner of the bedroom for a month. Making our own joy can also be for literally no reason — simply because you enjoy eating a slice of ice cream cake and because you fucking deserve it.”

And although it’s not totally in the spirit of that argument, I’d also like to point out that now is an especially good time to buy yourself (or someone) an ice cream cake because there is an occasion on the horizon that has made for some particularly cute ice cream cakes. Carvel is the obvious choice for a heart-shaped ice cream cake. While that combination of ice cream, chocolate crunchies, and marshmallow ice cream is undoubtedly perfection, if you’d like to go fancier, Life Raft Treats has a trio of ice cream cakes shaped like hearts and a bubble-lettered “LOVE.” Morgenstern’s had a celebratory petite ice cream cake with a strawberry jam heart inside; it sold out, but the brand’s strawberry vanilla ice cream cake looks almost as festive. And since we’re merely a week away, here, some more Valentine’s Day gift ideas for yourself or anyone else.

A jar of Madre Mezcal salt, a pink and amber glass goblet, a bar of chocolate and a heart-shaped ice cream cake

Yardy World x Madre Mezcal salt, a Serena Confalonieri goblet, a Casa Bosques chocolate bar, and a Life Raft Treats ice cream cake.

For the person who appreciates opulence: Elazar Sontag wrote about the elaborate glass goblets, both vintage and not, that are more art objects than drinking vessels — and potentially worth the splurge for the right person. Rosemary Home sells vintage Venetian blown-glass goblets individually, or you can get a similar look with these sets of two designed by Milan-based Serena Confalonieri and available at Mociun.
For the salt fiend: Madre Mezcal has teamed up with DeVonn Francis’s Yardy World on a trio of salts designed to pair well with the mezcal but just as good on food.
For the spice lover: Boonville Barn Collective specializes in growing Basque Espelette chile peppers in California, and sells them dried whole or in jars of Piment d’Ville, the farm’s local take on the AOC-designated Basque Piment d’Espelette.
For the natural wine fan: A T-shirt from Love & Victory that declares their allegiance to the genre. The brand can also print custom messages on tees.
For the cultural anthropologist: Whetstone’s first-ever product launch includes a suite of items from Oaxaca. These copitas would make a great gift, especially when paired with a subscription to the magazine.
For the person who appreciates art as much as they do chocolate: Chocolate company Casa Bosques partnered with textile artist Megumi Shauna Arai on a chocolate bar meant expressly for gifting — the $38 bar, flavored with beetroot-stained dried apples, saffron, and tarragon, is wrapped in a beet-pink Arai textile.
For the baker: A heart-shaped baking tool will likely only make it out of the cupboard a few times a year, so instead opt for this springform pan. It’s red, so they’ll still know it’s for Valentine’s Day.

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