There’s More than One Way to Celebrate Pound Cake Day

Today is National Pound Cake Day. Have you ever wondered why this loaf cake is called a pound cake in the first place? The name is derived from the recipe; calling for a pound of flour, butter, sugar and eggs. Oh my!

While that sounds like a lot, when broken down it’s about 3-1/2 cups of cake flour, 4 sticks of butter, 2 cups of sugar and 9 eggs. The recipe will actually create two or three loaf cakes, depending upon the size of your pans. The only ingredient that isn’t a pound is the vanilla or almond extract for flavor. Can you imagine a pound of vanilla extract? Oh no!

Confession time – I have never mastered Pound Cake. Mine are so heavy, you can hardly eat them. I’ve tried from scratch and from a box mix only to be unhappy with both. Pound cake is just too dense for me. That is unless you use it to create a dessert trifle. Then the heavy cake stands up beautifully. So if you must celebrate Pound Cake Day, do so with plenty of pudding, berries and whipped topping!

Pound Cake Berry Trifle
3 cups sliced Strawberries
2 (3.4 oz) boxes Instant Chocolate Pudding Mix
4 cups Milk
2 (16 oz) store-bought Pound Cakes
8 oz tub Whipped Topping such as Cool-Whip

Clean, hull and slice the strawberries, place in a measuring cup. Once 3 cups have been sliced, set sliced berries aside. Reserve a few whole berries for garnish.

In a cold glass bowl, whisk pudding mixture with very cold milk until set. Cover and place in the refrigerator to fully set.

Slice pound cake into squares. Place one layer of pound cake into the bottom of a glass trifle or dessert bowl. Spread 2 cups of pudding evenly over the first layer of pound cake. Spread a layer of whipped topping evenly over the pudding.

Scatter sliced berries over the whipped topping. Place remaining pound cake over berries, spread with remaining chocolate pudding. Top with whipped topping, garnish with whole berries.

Chill until ready to serve.