This is the second confection in the Year of Cake that I can’t claim to have made. My family took a fantastic vacation to a resort that takes July 4th seriously: The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island in Michigan. The food and service were as wonderful as the scenery.

To prove the point, this is one of the many desserts served up to revelers. The dessert table was already partially ravished when I thought to snap a picture with my phone, but you get the idea. I added to the destruction of the beautiful cake with the…um…two or three pieces I took.

This cake was two layers of chocolate with a hint of coconut in the icing between them. Buttercream on top garnished and decorated with fresh fruit–who could ask for any better celebration?