As a kid, my all-time favorite dessert was vanilla pound cake. Most kids want cupcakes or cakes or candy…not me. I wanted vanilla pound cake. In fact, I’m pretty sure I requested a pound cake for my birthday in July one year. And yes, I also requested birthday candles in it. As I’ve grown older, I definitely enjoy other all desserts…but pound cake still holds a special place in my heart! So of course, March 4th is one of favorite days of the year because it gives me an excuse to make a pound cake. Happy National Pound Cake Day!!
This recipe yields an amazing pound cake packed full of flavor. It’s moist enough to be eaten by itself, but also dry enough to soak up melted ice cream or every last drop of whatever topping you choose to serve it with. I decided to partner this pound cake with another one of my favorites–grilled pineapple. If you’ve never tried grilling pineapple, then you need to try it. Today. It’s amazing! The natural sugars in the pineapple caramelize and produce an incredible flavor. Since it’s still not quite grill season in upstate New York, I simply seared this pineapple indoors on a grill pan. A fry pan would also work if you don’t happen to have a grill pan.
Ingredients
- 3 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups sugar
- 5 eggs, room temperature
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- In a countertop mixer with the paddle attached, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy and light in color (about 3-4 minutes).
- Add the eggs and continue mixing until well combined.
- Add the flour, salt, milk, vanilla and beat for about 5 more minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl after 3 minutes.
- Pour into a greased bundt pan and bake at 350 for 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
Ingredients
- 1 pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into rings
- 1-2 Tbsp honey
- 1-2 Tbsp light brown sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat a grill pan (or fry pan) until hot.
- Add the pineapple rings and cook for about 5-6 minutes. Do not move the rings or the grill marks will not be clear.
- If desired, you can sprinkle a small amount of brown sugar on the top of each ring.
- Carefully flip the rings over and repeat step 2.
- Place approximately half of the pineapple rings in a bowl and add honey. Use an immersion blender to puree pineapple into a smooth sauce.
For a little twist, I took several of the grilled pineapple rings, added about 1 tablespoon of honey, and then used an immersion blender to create a sauce. Then I simply spooned some sauce on each plate before adding slices of pound cake and grilled pineapple.
Tip: If your pineapple isn’t very sweet, then just sprinkle a small amount of brown sugar on the top of each ring as you sear it. The extra sugar will caramelize and give your pineapple an extra punch.
Oh wow, this looks amazing!
Thanks, Heather! It tastes amazing, too!