In need of a quick but really delicious patriotic dessert? Grilled Pound Cake with Berries and Cream is the answer! It takes minutes to make, and it’s the perfect ending to a summer meal.
What’s that? You don’t have time to line up strawberries and blueberries on top of a homemade cake to resemble a flag? Me neither.
While those flag cakes are adorable, today I’m going with something much more simple and easy. Grilled Pound Cake with Berries and Cream is a to-die-for patriotic dessert that had us “mmming” and “ahhing” while eating it up.
Patriotic Dessert: the Ingredients
It all starts with pound cake from the grocery store. My grocery store makes a really good one—buttery and dense, yet still soft with a hint of vanilla. You could definitely make your own pound cake here (this is a good recipe), but I’ve found that the grocery store version works great.
Place the pound cake directly on the grill, and leave it there for 1–2 minutes per side. You do not need to brush it with butter or oil. There’s enough butter in the cake already! 🙂
It’ll get beautiful grill marks (thanks to the sugar in the cake) and even start to toast a bit. The light toasting deepens the flavor of the cake and makes it really delicious!
Next is the fruit. I used a mixture of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries.
I tossed the fruit (3 cups) with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and 2 tablespoons of water. After it sits for 10 minutes or so, the fruit starts to release its juices and even glisten a bit.
This trick works especially well with fruit that’s not quite in season yet, or isn’t very sweet.
Next is the homemade whipped cream. I find that homemade really is best in this case, when whipped cream is one of just a few ingredients.
I used my stand mixer to whip one cup of heavy cream with 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar and ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Patriotic Dessert: the Assembly
Finally—the assembly. Place one or two pieces of pound cake on a small plate, then top with the berries and whipped cream. A sprig of fresh mint is optional but I love how it looks!
A scoop of vanilla ice cream would make a delicious stand-in for the whipped cream.
Alternatively, you could place each of the ingredients on a platter or in a bowl, and your guests can assemble their own desserts.
Apparently I had much more time last year, because I lined up berries and cherries into a flag for this Patriotic Pavlova. It’s definitely a more time-intensive option compared to the pound cake with berries and cream, but delicious nonetheless. 🙂
PrintPatriotic Dessert: Grilled Pound Cake with Berries and Cream
Grilled Pound Cake with Berries and Cream is an easy summer dessert that your guests will love. Start with store-bought pound cake to make it even simpler!
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 4
- Total Time: 19 minutes
- Yield: 4–8 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 store-bought pound cake
- 3 cups assorted fresh berries (I used blackberries, raspberries, sliced strawberries, and blueberries)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- For garnish: fresh mint sprigs
Instructions
- Preheat a grill to medium heat.
- Place the fresh berries in a large bowl with the granulated sugar and 2 tablespoons of water. Toss gently to combine and let sit while you finish the rest of the dessert.
- Slice the pound cake into ¾ inch thick slices. I got 8 slices out of my cake.
- Place the pound cake slices on the grill. Grill until the cake is lightly toasted and grill marks appear, about 1–2 minutes per side. Watch carefully as the cake may burn easily. Your grill may have hot spots, like mine did, so some pieces will end up more toasted than others.
- Place the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on high until soft peaks form.
- To assemble, place 1–2 pieces of pound cake on a dessert plate. Top with a few spoonfuls of berries and a dollop of whipped cream. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Garnish with fresh mint and serve immediately.
Notes
The recipe serves 4 people if you place 2 slices of pound cake on each plate, or 8 people if you place 1 slice of pound cake on each plate.
Keywords: patriotic dessert, 4th of july, pound cake
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