Grilled Pound Cake
This July 4th, surprise your guests with a dessert that's as unique as it is delicious. Forget the usual ice cream and pie – we're taking dessert to the grill! This dessert features moist buttery pound cake, grilled for a subtle smoky char, then topped with a vibrant red, white, and blue berry compote. It's the perfect refreshing and unexpected treat for any backyard barbecue.
Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10-15 minutes
Special Equipment: grill
Ingredients
1 pre-made pound cake, store-bought or homemade, preferably unfrosted
Butter or cooking spray, for grilling
2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
1 cup fresh blueberries
¼ cup granulated sugar, adjust to taste
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Whipped cream or powdered sugar, for garnish
Directions
Make the Berry Compote: Overnight, or a couple hours before grilling, combine the quartered strawberries, blueberries, granulated sugar, and lemon juice in a small mixing bowl. Place the bowl in the refrigerator and allow the sugar and the fruit to make a syrup. Before you are ready to serve, use a masher and smash some of the fruit for a contrasting texture as well as to thicken the syrup that is formed. You want some berries to remain whole for texture. Stir in the vanilla extract.
Prepare the Pound Cake: If using a charcoal grill, prepare your coals for medium-high heat. For a griddle, preheat to medium-high. Slice the pound cake into 1-inch thick slices. You should get about 8-10 slices depending on the size of your cake. Lightly brush one side of each pound cake slice with melted butter or spray with cooking spray.
Grill the Pound Cake: Carefully place the buttered side of the pound cake slices directly onto the preheated grill grates or griddle. Grill for 1-2 minutes per side, or until beautiful grill marks appear and the cake is lightly toasted and slightly crisp. Be watchful as pound cake can burn quickly due to its sugar content. Remove the grilled pound cake slices from the grill and set aside.
Assemble and Serve: Place a warm or room-temperature grilled pound cake slice on each serving plate. Spoon a generous amount of the strawberry and blueberry compote over the grilled pound cake. The vibrant colors will immediately stand out!
Check out Kunchi’s full blog post with this recipe on his website cookinwidkunchi.com
