Better than Strawberry Shortcake!

With the warm weather coming, so comes the grilling season. I’m sure you all have your favorite delight to enjoy from the grill, but how about a sensual grilled dessert to top off those BBQ parties. The best thing about this dessert is that it just so happens to be gluten-free. But no one will even be the wiser because it tastes so darn good.

Grilled pound cake with strawberry and kiwi with ginger cream is a super fun and very impressive dessert to make. You can actually have the pound cake, fruit and whipped cream made ahead of time and just grill the pound cake just before you serve it. Yes, you can throw those sexy slices of pound cake on the grill and make magnificent food look super easy and oh so glamorous. Yes, by the end of the BBQ you’ll have your friends wowed, salivating and hopefully enjoying a Foodgasm or two.

Grilled pound cake with strawberry and kiwi with ginger cream

FOR POUND CAKE:

1 ¼ c rice flour

¾ c chestnut flour

¼ c tapioca flour

1 ½ tsp xanthan gum
1 ¼ tsp kosher salt
1 tsp baking powder
¾ cup light olive oil
1 ½ cups sugar
1 teaspoon orange juice 

1 teaspoon lemon extract,

1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs
2/3 cup full-fat coconut milk (dairy milk or another non-dairy milk can also be used)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine flours, xanthan gum, salt, and baking powder in a bowl and set aside.

Pour olive oil into mixing bowl with the paddle attachment and slowly mix in sugar, orange juice, and vanilla extract.

Add the eggs one at a time, making sure to stir well after each addition.

Add the coconut milk. Mix 2 minutes. Gradually add dry ingredients into wet ingredients, mixing well.

Pour batter into two well-greased loaf pans.

Bake for 50 – 55 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes and remove from pan. Cool on drying rack for 30 minutes.

FOR FRUIT MIXTURE:

1 pint strawberries

4 kiwis

1 T lemon zest

½ cup sugar

Chop strawberries and kiwis (peeled) into small bite size pieces and put into a bowl. Add lemon zest and sugar and mix till fully distributed into the fruit. Cover bowl and put into the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes, till the fruit is juicy and the sugar is dissolved.

FOR WHIPPED CREAM:

1 ½ cup heavy cream

¼ cup sugar

½ teaspoon ginger powder

In a stand mixer, or with a hand mixer in a chilled bowl whisk the heavy cream on medium high till it starts to rise. Slowly add the sugar and ginger powder. Mix on high till soft peaks form.  Put into refrigerator till ready to use.

OPTIONAL GARNISH:

3-4 teaspoons chopped crystallized ginger

TO GRILL AND ASSEMBLE:

Fire up the grill. Slice pound cake into 1 inch slices. Make sure the grill grates are clean and well oiled (vegetable oil or any neutral oil is fine). Grill the slices on each side just till a nice grill mark appears, about 1 minute each side. The time will differ depending on the heat of your grill.

Put a slice of grilled pound cake down on the plate. Put on some of the fruit mixture and top with the ginger whipped cream. (Optional) Top it with the crystallized ginger. Serve and enjoy!