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Experience the delightful twist of Grilled Pound Cake, a wonderful dessert featuring buttered, grilled pound cake slices topped with grilled bananas and creamy mascarpone. Enjoy this wonderful treat made almost entirely on the grill.
Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
- Easy to make: This simple grilled dessert is quick and easy, and you don’t have to heat up your kitchen by turning on your oven to make a wonderful, indulgent dessert. It’s the perfect dessert recipe for an outdoor or indoor grill.
- A perfect single serving dessert but the ingredient amounts can also be scaled up to serve many: Grilled pound cake is one of my favorite grilled desserts to make. Using store-bought pound cake, you can serve many or use our mini pound cake recipe to make a version just for you!
- Super easy topping: The luscious mascarpone topping is quick and easy to make.
- Use different fruits: Experiment with grilling different fruits. A grilled pound cake with peaches is one of my favorite ways to enjoy fresh peaches.
Why Grill Cake?
Toasting or grilling makes the cake a bit more sturdy and perfect for supporting caramelized bananas, other fruits, or ice cream.
Do I Need A Grill?
No. Your oven does a great job of toasting pound cake. Place one or more slices of pound cake onto a cookie sheet that you’ve sprayed with cooking spray and bake for 5-6 minutes in a preheated 350°F oven.
You can also toast pound cake in a skillet. To do this, spread both sides of the cake with butter. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the pound cake to the pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes per side, or until lightly browned.
Ingredient Notes
- Pound cake: Use store-bought or use our homemade pound cake recipe.
- Butter: I use a small amount of softened butter to spread on both sides of the pound cake before grilling.
- Banana: One banana is all you need.
- Limoncello: Limoncello is a smooth, sweet lemon liquor that can be purchased in liquor stores. If you’d like to make your own, you might like to try my husband’s limoncello recipe, it’s amazing! If you don’t want to use limoncello, leave it out.
- Heavy cream, mascarpone cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract: These ingredients are used to make the rich and creamy mascarpone cream topping.
How To Grill Pound Cake
- Spread butter over both sides of two 1-inch thick pound cake slices. Grill, uncovered for 1-2 minutes on each side. Remove the cake from the grill and set it aside.
- Next, cut a banana in half lengthwise, leaving the peel on. Lightly brush with butter and place the banana cut side down on the grill. Cover and grill for 3 minutes, then turn the banana over and brush with limoncello, if using. Grill for 5 minutes longer.
To Assemble
- Place a slice of the grilled pound cake on a serving plate.
- Peel the banana and slice it – add the slices of banana to the cake.
- Top with a hefty spoonful of mascarpone cream.
With each bite of buttery pound cake, you also get a taste of the sweet limoncello glazed bananas and the creamy, vanilla-infused whipped topping.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, you don’t have to use limoncello in this recipe. You can leave the limoncello out altogether or you can skip grilling the banana and instead make a simple bananas foster and add it to the top of the grilled pound cake. This would be a delicious option!
Yes, the ingredients in this recipe can be successfully doubled or tripled.
Absolutely! You can top grilled pound cake with just about anything you’d like. You might like to consider these toppings:
* Fresh mango, pineapple, strawberries or peaches, whipped cream, freshly torn mint leaves
* Lemon curd and chopped toasted pistachios
* Fresh blueberries and honey
Expert Tips
- If your grill has wide openings between grates, place your cake on a piece of aluminum foil before grilling.
- The key to grilling bananas is to leave the banana in its protective skin. Just slice a banana in half lengthwise so the banana is in two pieces. The banana will cook, skin side down, and will result in a warm, slightly caramelized banana.
- You might also like to consider using a different fruit on the grill such as pineapples or peaches.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
Enjoy!
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Grilled Pound Cake
Equipment
- Grill
Ingredients
- 2 slices pound cake (sliced about 1-inch thick)
- 1 tablespoon salted butter , softened
FOR THE GRILLED BANANAS
- 1 medium banana , unpeeled
- 1 tablespoon limoncello (optional)
FOR THE MASCARPONE CREAM
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup mascarpone cheese
- 1 ½ tablespoons sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Heat grill to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
- Spread butter over both sides of cake slices. Grill, uncovered for 1-2 minutes on each side. Remove cake from the grill and set aside.
TO MAKE THE LIMONCELLO BANANAS
- Using a sharp knife, cut banana in half lengthwise, leaving the peel on.
- Brush the cut banana with the remaining softened butter.
- Place bananas cut side down on grill. Cover and grill for 2-3 minutes. Using tongs, turn the bananas over and brush with limoncello. Cover and grill for 5 minutes longer or until tender.
- Remove from the grill and peel.
TO MAKE THE MASCARPONE CREAM
- Place the cream, mascarpone, sugar and vanilla in a small bowl and beat with an electric mixer until cream is thickened and smooth.
TO ASSEMBLE
- Place 1-2 slices of the grilled pound cake on a serving dish.
- Top with banana slices and mascarpone cream.
Notes
- If your grill has wide openings between grates, place your cake on a piece of aluminum foil before grilling.
- The key to grilling bananas is to leave the banana in its protective skin. Just slice a banana in half lengthwise so the banana is in two pieces. The banana will cook, skin side down and will result in a warm, slightly caramelized banana.
- You might also like to consider using a different fruit on the grill such as pineapples or peaches.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
I love making s’mores on the grill! 🙂 And of course, hamburgers and hot dogs. I made some grilled vegetable kebab things one time and they were pretty good too!
This looks fabulous! We have just started grilling. I did fresh peaches last year, and we love grilled pineapple!
What a great idea! I love the thought of that flavor combo. I am entering the giveaway! 🙂
I like grilling asparagus that has been marinated in olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
I love grilled salmon and asparagus.
Our favorite foods to grill are Steak, Hot dogs & Hamburgers.
I have never used an indoor grill before, but I’m excited at the thought of it! I love to grill chicken and steaks. I’ve been afraid to try to grill fish on a traditional outdoor grill for fear it will fall apart, but I’d love to try it on an indoor grill! Oh, the possibilities!
This looks delicious. I love any fruit on the grill, and this dessert looks and sounds amazing!
I really like to grill vegetables and greens, such as baby bok choy, or whole kale leaves, or romaine (for a grilled Caesar!). That smoky flavor floats my boat!
Well now this is a new way to eat pound cake. Will be making a pound cake just so I can make this grilled treat.