Balsamic Drunken Strawberries (over Pound Cake with Fresh Whipped Cream)

Aside from baking the pound cake (which is a simple cake to make), this dessert is the perfect summer treat and a great one to serve when you've got a few people to entertain in your backyard.


The pound cake is one of the most basic yet satisfying kind of cake to make and is named such because it used to be made with a pound of butter, sugar, eggs and flour. A more modern version of the recipe has modified these measurements, but the cake is still as wonderful as it once was. You could also use my recipe for hot milk cake as the base to this dish.


I got some wonderful strawberries at the Waverly Farmer's Market and just had to use them for this perfect warm weather dessert. A dear friend bought me a really tasty Raspberry Balsamic Vinegar last year for one of my birthday gifts, and I have only used it with salads or reductions. I thought this would be the perfect dessert to use the already fruit infused vinegar.



For the topping:
To get those strawberries drunk, core and halve them and place in a bowl. Place about 1-3 c of balsamic vinegar over the strawberries. To the mixture, add 3 tbsp sugar and stir well. Let the mixture sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.


For the pound cake:
Preheat oven to 350*F ( I used a heavily greased bundt cake pan)
1 3/4 cups (230 grams) cake flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Zest of 1 lemon


In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. In another bowl with your hand mixer or with your electric mixer cream together the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating another 2 minutes. Add the zest of lemon, the flour and mix until incorporated. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.


For the whipped cream:
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp sugar

Whisk together the cream and sugar until stiff peaks form.


Slice the pound cake, top with the strawberries and whipped cream and prepare yourself for true decadence!