National Pound Cake Day: Strawberry Dessert Recipe

The pound cake I am sure most everyone has had a piece. Some times served alone but often dressed up with fruit and used in desserts. The history of pound cake dates back to the 1700s. Where exactly the first recipe came from is up for debates. Some say it was created by the English and others say it was a Norther Europe recipe. Main ingredients and where the name comes from was a lb of butter, a lb of flour, a lb of sugar and a lb of cracked open eggs. Now there are a grand variation for pound cake. The cake is normally dense and does not need leavening. The variation of the cake means that the ingredients have changed over time as well. As early as 1851 the easy to remember lb recipe was replaced with 10 eggs, lb of flour and the juice of two lemons or 3 oranges


Strawberry Pound Cake Dessert

Ingredients:
For the pound cake:
1 cup of butter
6 eggs
3 cups of white sugar
3 cups of white flour
1 pint of heavy whipping cream
2 Tbsp of vanilla
For the whipped cream:
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
For the strawberry glaze:
2 pounds (32 oz.) fresh strawberries, stems removed
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup water
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon corn starch

Directions:
For the pound cake:
Preheat your oven to 350 °F; grease and flour a loaf pan (9″ X 5″ X 3″).
With an electric mixer, cream butter, sugar and eggs until fluffy.
Add the flour one half cup at a time along with a little cream and keep on mixing until you have incorporated all of the flour. Mix in the vanilla.
Pour into your prepared loaf pan.Bake for 50 minutes or until the cake has risen, has a golden crust and when you check it with a toothpick, the pick comes out clean.
Let the cake cool standing upright in the pan for 15 minutes. Then turn the pan on its side and gently tip it to coax the cake out. Stand the cake back upright and let it cool completely.

For the whipped cream:
Whip cream until almost stiff.
Add sugar and vanilla, beating until cream holds peaks.

For the strawberry glaze:
Combine water, strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a large saucepan on high heat. Stir thoroughly while bringing it up to a boil.
After the mixture begins to boil, reduce the heat to low, and allow to cook for up to ten minutes, occasionally stirring throughout. As the strawberries soften, use a wooden spoon to break them in pieces to release the flavors from the strawberries.
Whisk the cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of water in a small bowl. Pour into the simmering pan of strawberry juice. Increase heat to high, and continue to whisk the mixture until it thickens into a glaze (approximately 3-5 minutes).
Remove glaze from heat, and pour into separate bowl to cool down. Once the glaze has reached room temperature, place in refrigerator until it is chilled.

Assembly:
Cut or tear pound cake into small pieces.  Layer 1/3 each of the cake, then strawberry glaze, and then whipped topping in bowl.  Repeat two more times.  Top with a dollop of whipped cream and garnish with fresh strawberries.