Pound cake is a wonderfully adaptable dessert that works equally well for breakfast or after-dinner treats. Enjoy it plain, with fresh fruit or ice cream, or try toasting it. Toasting amplifies the cake’s buttery flavor and creates a pleasant, slightly crisp exterior while keeping the interior tender. Because pound cake is dense, it holds up well to slicing and toasting, and even slightly stale slices are revived and transformed by a quick turn in the toaster.
Rather than letting the last slices of a loaf go stale, pop them in the toaster to give them a renewed texture and flavor. This works with freshly baked loaf slices, pieces pulled from the freezer, or slightly dried rounds that need a refresh. I use toasted pound cake for breakfast topped with jam, and for dessert paired with ice cream or a quick berry compote. The compote below combines blackberries and raspberry preserves and comes together in the microwave in about a minute, making it an ideal fast topping.
One simple tip for toasting pound cake: stand the slices vertically in the toaster with the short side up. Many toasters are too deep to accommodate a slice laid flat, and placing the cake vertically avoids the risk of getting a stuck piece that requires poking or prodding. Start with a light toasting and aim for a pale golden brown so the cake remains moist inside while developing a little crunch on the surface.
If you have choices, a vanilla bean pound cake is an excellent option for toasting because its subtle flavor plays nicely with fruit toppings. Lemon buttermilk pound cake also pairs beautifully with berry compote, offering a bright contrast to the sweet-tart topping. Chocolate pound cake can be toasted as well; it pairs especially well with both compote and a scoop of ice cream for a richer dessert.
Toasted Pound Cake with Quick Berry Compote
2 slices pound cake, about 3/4-inch thick
1/2 cup fresh or frozen blackberries
1/2 cup raspberry preserves
Place the pound cake slices vertically in the toaster and toast until they are a light golden brown.
In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine the blackberries and raspberry preserves. Microwave on high for 1 minute, or 90 seconds if using frozen berries, until the mixture is bubbling and the berries have softened slightly. Stir gently to combine.
Place each toasted pound cake slice on a plate and spoon half of the warm berry compote over each slice.
Serves 2.