If you have a pound cake on hand, you have the basic ingredient for easy, scrumptious desserts that can be ready in a matter of minutes. Why, you can even offer several dessert choices to your dinner party guests -- a sure fire way to impress even the most discriminating diner.
First make your cake using your favorite pound cake recipe. There are many tried and true combinations, but most recipes consist of pretty basic ingredients. If you are not a baker, you can always purchase one ready made, but homemade is always best.
Desserts
Once you have baked and cooled your cake, you are now ready to serve up a variety of sweet temptations.
Pound Cake - Ten Easy, Quick, Scrumptious Desserts Made With This Dessert Staple
- For the chocolate lover, drizzle a slice of pound cake with your favorite chocolate syrup, pop in the microwave and heat about 30 seconds, or until the syrup is hot enough to melt ice cream. Remove from the oven, top with your preferred ice cream and enjoy. Nuts may be added if you wish.
- In this variation, an old, time-tested dessert is reinvented with pound cake. For a quick pineapple upside down treat, generously spread a slice of pound cake with softened butter. Top with a tablespoon (more or less) of dark brown sugar and sliced or crushed pineapple and a cherry. With the prepared cake in an oven proof container, place under the broiler of a conventional or toaster oven and heat until the sugar is bubbly and the pineapple slightly golden. Be sure to keep a diligent eye on the heating process to prevent burning. Remove from the heat and immediately top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
- If you prefer a fruit-based dessert, try these cobbler type variations. Purchase your favorite fruit pie filling (blueberry, apple, cherry). In a saucepan or microwave, heat the pie filling to a very warm temperature. Top a slice of pound cake with the warm filling and finish with whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream. Nuts or crushed crispy cereals may be added for extra flavor and texture.
- One of the easiest pound cake-based desserts is strawberry shortcake, although there is nothing "short" about this cake! Top a slice of pound cake with fresh, sweetened strawberries or sweetened whole frozen strawberries. Add extra strawberry syrup to soak into the cake for a more lucious result. Top the strawberries with Cool Whip, whipped cream, or ice cream.
- If you love the taste of Snickers bars, try this. Over the pound cake slice, pour caramel topping, add chocolate chips and chopped salted peanuts. Heat in the microwave until warm. Chocolate chips should be soft, but not completely melted. Serve with or without an ice cream or whipped cream topping.
- Everyone loves peanut butter and jelly. Mix together your favorite jelly and peanut butter. Spread to desired thickness on cake slice. Warm in the microwave and top with ice cream or whipped cream.
- For another peanut butter treat, try the Reeses spin on pound cake. Combine your favorite peanut butter with chocolate chips and follow the directions above for the Snickers treat.
- Coconut lovers will love this one. Mix equal amounts of Eagle Brand milk with cream of coconut. Warm pound cake in microwave. Pour 1-2 tablespoons of Eagle brand milk and cream of coconut over warmed cake slice. Let cool. Cover with Cool Whip and shredded coconut and refrigerate. Best if made a day ahead.
- An elegant chocolate trifle always adds a crowning touch to a meal. For this dessert, prepare two 3-ounce boxes of chocolate instant pudding according to package directions. In a trifle bowl, layer medium chunks of pound cake, pudding, crumbled Heath or Butterfinger candy bars, and Cool Whip until all pudding is used (about 3 layers). Finish with Cool Whip and chocolate curls (if desired). Refrigerate until time to serve.
- And lastly, try the easiest one of all. Serve a slice of pound cake with purchased or homemade ice cream...always a crowd pleaser!