Happy Fourth of July! With the additional time I had off last week I wanted to make sure I could properly honor the men and women who fight for our country. I wanted to make a couple simple cakes to help anyone who wants to just make a nice recipe without much fuss, as well as putting a twist on a favorite of mine for that Independence Day flair.
My first recipe was inspired by Baking Bites, who made an excellent cookies and cream pound cake. As a fellow avid lover of pound cakes, I wanted to see if this could be as delectable as my previous favorite (White Chocolate Almond Pound Cake). The verdict? Well… I don’t think it’ll replace my favorite recipe yet, but it’s MUCH simpler to make and still quite tasty!
Cookies and Cream Pound Cake
I chose my next cake in response to a friend who asked if there were less intimidating recipes out there for people who just want to make a delicious cake even if they don’t have much experience…. and of course there is, just use the pre-made cake mixes in the store! There’s really no shame in that, I’ve heard that many cake decorators tend to just use stock cake mix when they’re more focused on making their creation as pretty as possible. And with some tinkering, you can make the cake mix creations customizable to your own needs! Want a moist cake? Add some sour cream or pudding mix! Want a crunchy sweet exterior? Cover the cake in syrup! These little touches are fun and simple, and with a cake mix you don’t have to waste your sweat and tears on the “boring” stuff 
So in light of all that, I made a Irish Cream (Bailey’s) Bundt Cake for our 4th of July picnic.
Finally, I made the same cheesecake from Richard’s wedding (Creamy Cheesecake with White Chocolate Buttercream frosting) and then decorated the top with raspberries and blueberries in the shape of the Star Spangled Banner 
P.S. Many thanks to my wonderful sous chef Tina for helping me with all these cakes!
4th of July desserts
Continue reading ‘Independence Day Cakes! (Cookies ‘n’ Cream, Irish Cream, etc)’
I didn’t spot nearly as many bakeries or patisseries in Korea as I have in other Asian countries (especially Taiwan, where there’s a bakery on every corner), but at least I did get to snag a bite of Beard Papa’s before I left 
