Pan-seared pound cake becomes easy Easter dessert

ALISON LADMAN

How do you make pound cake even more buttery and delicious? Easy! Pan-sear slices of it with butter and sugar.

If you know how to make a grilled cheese, you can make this dessert, which is a perfect ending to an Easter — or any springtime — dinner. Pan-seared pound cake is decadent and rich, so we've paired it with a fresh, minty fruit salad for balance. Looking for even more indulgence? Top the whole thing with whipped cream spiked with powdered sugar and orange liqueur.

Looking for a little less indulgence? Opt for banana bread instead of pound cake and top the fruit salad with a dollop of nonfat Greek yogurt.

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PAN-SEARED POUND CAKE WITH MINTY FRUIT SALAD

Start to finish: 30 minutes

Servings: 8

2 tablespoons sugar, divided

3 navel oranges, peeled and segmented

1 cup blueberries

1 cup raspberries

1 cup quartered strawberries

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

8 thick slices purchased or homemade pound cake

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

In a medium bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of the sugar with the orange segments, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, lemon juice and mint. Stir gently, then set aside.

Spread both sides of each slice of the pound cake with a bit of the butter, lightly coating the surface. Use the remaining tablespoon of sugar to sprinkle over both sides of each slice.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium. Working in batches, toast the cake slices for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until golden and caramelized. Serve warm and topped with the fruit salad.

Nutrition information per serving: 340 calories; 150 calories from fat (44 percent of total calories); 17 g fat (10 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 165 mg cholesterol; 46 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 8 g sugar; 5 g protein; 280 mg sodium.

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EDITOR'S NOTE: Alison Ladman is a recipe developer for the AP. Follow her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/CrustAndCrumbCo