This year Lag B’omer won’t be celebrated in large gatherings, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have an amazing and intimate Lag B’omer celebration with your immediate family. Some popular ways of celebrating will be to cook dinner on the grill or to sit around a fire pit in the backyard.

Another fun way of celebrating with fire? Cake! I’ll show you how to make 2 Lag B’omer inspired dessert projects that the whole family can get in on.

They are both fun to make and delicious to eat. Now that’s our kind of celebration.

Bonfire Cupcakes

You will need:

– Cupcake liners (preferably brown)

– Your favorite chocolate cupcake recipe

– Orange, red and yellow buttercream, each in separate bowls (amounts should be based on the amount of cupcakes you’ll be making)

– Pretzel sticks dipped in melted chocolate (and completely dried)

– Sparklers (optional)

Directions:

1. Bake your favorite cupcake recipe, using brown cupcake liners. Allow to cool completely.

2. To decorate, fit a pastry bag with a star tip. Take a spoonful of each colored buttercream, alternating colors, to fill the bag. Fill your pastry bag 1/2-3/4 full. Twist the top of your bag to close.

3. To pipe, start from the outside and pipe in a clockwise circle. You can go around once, twice, or even three times to resemble fire.

4. Next, place pretzels standing up on a slant around the buttercream to resemble logs.

5. Top each cupcake with a sparkler, if desired.

*If you don’t have a pastry bag or piping tip, you can use a large Ziplock bag and snip an opening in one of the corners to pipe.

Bonfire Cake

You will need:

– Your favorite chocolate or vanilla cake recipe

– Chocolate buttercream (enough for middle layer and cake exterior)

– Pretzel rods dipped in melted chocolate (and completely dried)

– Orange, red and yellow buttercream, each in separate bowls

– Candy rocks

– Marshmallows on small kebob skewers

Directions:

1. Bake your favorite cake recipe, dividing the batter between 2 round pans. Allow to cool completely.

2. Place one round cake on plate or serving board of your choice. Spread a thick layer of buttercream evenly on top of cake. Next, place your second cake on top of buttercream layer, upside down, so the top is level.

3. Frost the entire outside of the cake as smoothly as you can. Then, with a toothpick carve vertical lines up the sides of the cake to resemble wood.

4. Place the pretzel rods in the center of the cake to resemble logs.

5. To make the fire, fit a pastry bag with a star tip. Take a spoonful of each colored buttercream, alternating colors, to fill the bag. Fill your pastry bag 1/2-3/4 full. Twist the top of your bag to close. Pipe the colorful buttercream on top of the “logs” to resemble fire.

6. To finish, place rock candies around the bottom perimeter of the cake and top with marshmallow skewers.

*If you don’t have a pastry bag or piping tip, you can use a large Ziplock bag and snip an opening in one of the corners to pipe.

Photos are from Shutterstock.