This Hamburger Cake is The Perfect Memorial Day Dessert

By Emily Tylman, foodandwine.com

The only thing better than a cheeseburger and fries for dinner is a cheeseburger and fries for dessert.

Memorial Day, the unofficial kick-off to summer, is best celebrated with a cook-out. There's nothing quite like dining al fresco while eating a burger right off the grill. (With fries, of course.) But sometimes even that is not enough. If, like me, you are a sugar addict, you might also want to make a burger cake.

Here's how to do it. Fries included.

You will need:

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Two 8-inch round yellow cakes, chilled
One 8-inch round yellow cake, trimmed to a 7-inch-round, chilled
2 cups chocolate (or light brown) frosting
Pearled sugar, optional
½ cup green frosting
One 8-inch round brownie
1 large homemade mango fruit leather, or 1 storebought orange fruit roll-up (See below video for instructions on making one at home)
½ cup red frosting
½ cup yellow frosting
2 kiwis, peeled and cut into coins with a crinkle cutter
1 pound cake

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1. Make the bun: Place one 8-inch round cake on a cake plate or platter. Using an offset spatula, frost the sides and top of the cake with ½ cup of the chocolate frosting.
2. On an inverted baking sheet lined with parchment paper, place the remaining 8-inch round cake. Using an offset spatula, spread ¼ cup of the chocolate frosting on the top of the cake. Place the 7-inch cake directly on top. Using a serrated knife, round off the sides of the cakes to shape them into a rounded dome (see video). Chill the cake for 30 minutes.
3. Frost the dome with the remaining chocolate frosting. Sprinkle the top of the dome with pearled sugar—these will be your "sesame seeds."
4. Add the condiments: To make the "lettuce," use a piping bag filled with the green frosting and fitted with a petal tip. Decoratively pipe the frosting around the edge of the 8-inch cake on the cake stand. Carefully, place the brownie on top of the green frosting so that the frosting is visible from the sides.

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1. Add the "cheese": Place the mango leather on top of the brownie.
2. Squirt the "ketchup" and "mustard" (red and yellow frosting) on top of the "cheese." Then top with the kiwi "pickles."
3. Carefully transfer the top bun from the baking sheet to top off the cake.
4. Make the fries: Using a crinkle cutter, cut the pound cake on all sides and then into 3-inch sized pieces. Transfer them to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in a 325 oven until golden brown, about 10 minutes, flipping the "fries" halfway through. Serve with extra "ketchup."