Diary Of A Comfort Foodie: Grilled Pound Cake And Ice Cream

Friday, May 25, 2012 - by Kent Whitaker
Grilled pound cake
Grilled pound cake
- photo by Kent Whitaker

Here’s an easy dessert that you can make this Memorial Day weekend. Summer is officially kicking off this weekend so chances are you’ll have some ice cream and some fresh fruit such as strawberries in the fridge. Now all you need is a nice pound cake. The great thing about living in the South is that a pound cake is either already in the kitchen or available at your grandmother or mom’s house or at any grocery store.   

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Sure, you can make your own pound cake and ice cream from scratch or you can save some time and pick some up at the store. If you ask your grandmother to whip up a nice pound cake for you then be sure to stick around and help while you take notes and learn how to prepare the family recipe. She’ll love it and you’ve preserved a bit of family culinary history. It does not have to be your grandmother. You can ask your mom, dad, aunt, uncle, sister, neighbor or whomever is the keeper of the pound cake in your family.

Once you have the pound cake you can now add a grill to the mix. Grilled pound cake is my signature dessert. It’s a perfect match for my style of cooking which is heavy on grilling and barbecue.  The great thing about this recipe is that you can replace ingredients as needed? No strawberries? Use pineapple, peaches or mandarin oranges. Try using flavored pound cake and your favorite choice of ice cream. Some people may not like strawberry, no problem. And don’t forget the toppings. These will help you make this dish one of your own.

I almost hate bringing this up. You can also trim calories by using low fat, sugar free items and dropping the butter and brown sugar. That's really up to you as are the choices of toppings and ice cream. Regardless, I think you'll enjoy this dish which only takes a few minutes but is amazing on plate appeal and wow power.

Kent's Grilled Strawberry Pound Cake

Ingredients
Non-stick spray
Pound cake slices
Spray Butter
Brown sugar (optional)
Strawberry Ice Cream
Sliced strawberries
Strawberry syrup
Toasted sliced almonds

Directions
If you fear placing slices of pound cake directly on a grill try using a grilling basket or use a sheet of heavy duty foil to make a griddle like surface. Use the non stick spray to lightly coat the grill or foil as it heats up. Use pray butter or melted butter to lightly coat each slice of pound cake. Grill until edges are browned and the slice is heated evenly. If desired, sprinkle the slices lightly with brown sugar before removing from the grill. Place a slice on a plate, top with ice cream, sliced strawberries, drizzle with strawberry syrup and top with almonds.


Kent Whitaker is a cookbook author and culinary writer with 10 published books. He is also member and AUXCHEF for the United States Coast Guard Aux. Kent and his wife Ally live in East Tennessee with their son Macee and two spoiled dogs. Kent's books are available, or can be ordered at, any book store or online at www.thedeckchef.com . Look for Kent on twitter at www.twitter.com/thekentwhitaker .


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