Valentine's Day, Cake Love & Chocolate Ganache with Michelle Heston

Valentine's Day, Cake Love & Chocolate Ganache with Michelle Heston

From Taste Buds With Deb by Jewish Journal

February 11, 2026 · 23 min · Season 1 · Episode 142

About this episode

Debra Eckerling interviews cake artist Michelle Weissman Heston about her passion for cake design and tips for creating stunning desserts.

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Michelle Weissman Heston of Heston Cakes. A cake artist with a passion for designing, building, and presenting showstopping desserts, Heston says, "Ultimately, all cake … in my mind should be chocolate." From hyper-realistic cakes shaped like sneakers, Big Macs, and lox and bagels to simple but dramatic Valentine's Day chocolate cakes, Michelle offers tips for adapting any recipe (yes, even box cake), mastering chocolate ganache, and decorating with intention. She also shares easy ideas for Valentine's flair — including candy-heart surprises baked right into the cake. "It is my great passion to design, build, and present cakes," she says. "I love talking about cake, I like thinking about cake, and I really like eating cake." Michelle Heston talks about how food has always been a common thread in her family, why dessert gets the spotlight, and why a truly special cake should tell a story — whether through flavor, filling, or over-the-top décor. She also shares her recipe for chocolate ganache, which you can find at JewishJournal.com/podcasts. For more cake inspiration, follow @HestonCakes on Instagram. For…

People in this episode

Host: Debra Eckerling

Guest: Michelle Weissman Heston

Topics covered

  • Valentine's Day
  • cake design
  • chocolate ganache
  • desserts
  • family traditions

Keywords

  • Valentine's Day
  • chocolate ganache
  • cake design
  • desserts
  • Heston Cakes

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Heston Cakes, Jewish Journal, Instagram

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