Invite your friends to gather around for a campfire treat: these glowing logs are actually pound cakes! We transformed store-bought cakes by coating them with chocolate frosting to mimic wood and set them on a cookie crumb base resembling a fire pit. To simulate the flames, we crafted fiery shapes from melted red and yellow candiesno real kindling necessary. Keep reading for the step-by-step process.

Photographs by Levi Brown

Step 1

Using a food processor, pulse the cookies into coarse crumbs. Place all but 1 cup of the crumbs into a bowl. Pulse the remaining crumbs until fine, then add 1 cup of confectioners' sugar and pulse again. Transfer these fine crumbs to a separate bowl.

Step 2

Preheat your oven to 350F (175C). Line a rimmed baking tray with foil. Arrange red and butterscotch candies into a 7-by-10-inch rectangle on the foil, alternating colors as shown.

Step 3

Bake the candies for 10 to 15 minutes, until they have fully melted. Carefully, while still hot, use a knife to swirl the yellow candy into the red one, creating a flame-like effect. Allow the sheet to cool completely on the tray.

Step 4

While the candies cool, prepare the frosting: wipe out your food processor (rinsing unnecessary). Add butter, confectioners' sugar, melted chocolate, cocoa powder, milk, and vanilla extract, then pulse until smooth and creamy.

Step 5

Trim the top and bottom long edges of the pound cakes with a paring knife to give them a rounded shape.

Step 6

Evenly spread the frosting over the pound cakes, including the rounded undersides. Leave the ends unfrosted to resemble freshly cut log surfaces.

Step 7

Scatter the coarse cookie crumbs on a serving platter. Place one pound cake on the crumbs and use a fork to create bark-like texture on the frosting. Lean the second cake at an angle on top of the first, and repeat the bark-texturing with the fork.