Strawberry Balsamic Flatbread

This flatbread has everything that I like, such as strawberries, cheese, the tangy taste of balsamic vinegar, and flour. Have I mentioned that I have an obsession with dough? It's probably not a healthy obsession to have, but it's just soooo good!

This flatbread was so easy to make and the taste is different than a lot of breads I'm used to. I like how the strawberries are on top of the bread instead of being crushed inside. It was also my first time to use orange zest. I guess you can tell I'm still pretty new to the culinary world.

Summertime Strawberry Cake with White Chocolate Chantilly

I am so glad I made this cake! I was absolutely delighted with how well it turned out. This is a good cake to make when you will have others around to enjoy it with you. It is too beautiful to enjoy alone. The cake was spongy with a hint of lemon flavor and decadent strawberry syrup soaked into the cake. This would be best made the day before serving so the juices really have time to soak into the cake to make it nice and moist. The icing could probably be held off until just before serving, but really - make the cake ahead of time and pour the simple strawberry syrup over it and stick it in the fridge for at LEAST a few hours. It makes all the difference! The white chocolate chantilly that topped this cake was so creamy and delicious. I mean really, who doesn't love melted and then stiffened white chocolate? You will want to lick the bowl after you've applied all that you can to the cake - trust me.

I actually made this cake for someone. Can you believe it? This was my very first culinary item to actually have someone pay for! I really think making it layered is key. I guess a sheet pan might work, but it just would not be as aesthetically pleasing as the layered cake would be. Of course, if you look at the side of this cake it isn't all that pretty. Hopefully you're better at icing the side of a cake than I am. I'll learn one day.