Grilled Pound Cake

Store-bought pound cake makes this smoke-kissed dessert a cinch. Randazzo and Blau

I’ve always been fond of toasted pound cake, and the grill’s a natural for toasting. Smoke and sugar often work in mysterious and complementary ways—think of barbecue sauce and grilled chicken or crème brûlée. Here, they work their magic on whipped cream. If you think regular pound cake is good, just wait until you taste it hot off the grill.

There are two ways to make whipped cream smoke-scented. The first is to flavor the cream with a smoky single-malt scotch, such as Laphroaig (which owes its pungent smoke flavor to the peat fires that are used to roast the barley). Laphroaig isn’t cheap, but the stuff is so spectacular that everyone—grill jockey or not—should own a bottle. The other option is to flavor the whipped cream with a more commonplace whiskey, optionally adding a drop or two of liquid smoke for flavor. Be sparing with the liquid smoke—a little goes a long way.

Serves 8

• 4 cups mixed berries, such as blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries
• 2 to 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cups heavy (whipping) cream, well chilled
• 3 to 4 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar, plus more for garnish
• 1 tablespoon Laphroaig or other smoky single-malt scotch
• 1 to 2 drops liquid smoke (optional)
• 8 slices pound cake (about 3/4 inch thick each)

Rinse the berries, removing any stems or leaves. If using strawberries, cap them and cut any large berries in half or in quarters. Place the berries in a nonreactive bowl with the sugar and lemon juice. Not more than 15 minutes before serving, gently toss the berries with the sugar and lemon juice to mix.

Prepare the whipped cream: Chill the bowl of an electric mixer or a metal bowl in the freezer. When cold, add the cream and, using an electric mixer, beat until soft peaks form, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the confectioners’ sugar and scotch (or liquid smoke, if using) and continue beating the whipped cream until stiff peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes more. Don’t overbeat or you’ll get whiskey-flavored butter. Keep the whipped cream chilled until you are ready to serve.

Set up the grill for direct grilling and heat to medium-high.

When ready to cook, brush or scrape the grill grate clean and oil it well. Grill the pound cake slices until toasted on both sides, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer the toasted pound cake to plates and top with the sweetened berries and dollops of smoky whipped cream. Lightly dust with more confectioners’ sugar, if using, and serve at once.

Recipe excerpted with permission from “Beer-Can Chicken: Foolproof Recipes for the Crispiest, Crackliest, Smokiest, Most Succulent Birds You’ve Ever Tasted (Revised)“ by Steven Raichlen, photos by Randazzo and Blau. Workman Publishing copyright 2024.