Grilling this pound cake may sound odd, but it’s definitely worth it—the cake gets a toasty texture that contrasts nicely with the
soft whipped cream and bold cherry sauce. (You can also use a grill pan, broiler, or toaster oven.) Serves 8
FOR THE CAKE
4¼ oz. (8½ Tbs.) unsalted butter, softened
3 8 oz. (¾ cup) unbleached all-purpose flour
½ cup finely ground cornmeal
1¼ tsp. baking powder
18 tsp. table salt
1 cup granulated sugar
3 whole eggs, at room temperature
3 egg yolks, at room temperature
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
FOR THE CHERRY SAUCE
6 cups fresh sweet or sour cherries
(about 2 lb.), pitted and halved
3 to 5 Tbs. granulated sugar;
more to taste
3 Tbs. cassis
¼ tsp. fresh lemon juice
¼ tsp. freshly ground coarse
black pepper (optional)
FOR SERVING
1 cup heavy cream
2 tsp. confectioners’ sugar;
more for dusting
2 Tbs. melted butter
MAKE THE CAKE
Position a rack in the center of the oven and
heat the oven to 325°F. Grease an 8½x4½-
inch loaf pan with ½ Tbs. of the butter.
Sift the flour, cornmeal, baking powder,
and salt through a medium-mesh sieve. In
a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attach-
ment, cream the remaining 8 Tbs. butter and
the sugar on medium-high speed until light
and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Scrape down the
sides of the bowl. In a separate bowl, lightly
beat the eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla. With the
mixer running on medium speed, very slowly
add the egg mixture to the butter a little at a
time, until the eggs are completely incorpo-
rated. With a spatula, very gently fold in the
dry ingredients until just incorporated (don’t
overmix).
Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf
pan, smooth the surface, and bake until a
skewer inserted in the center comes out
clean, about 40 minutes. Cool on a rack for15 minutes. Run a table knife around the
edges, remove the cake from the pan, and
cool completely.
MAKE THE SAUCE
Put 4 cups of the cherries in a medium bowl
and set aside. In a blender or food processor,
purée the remaining 2 cups cherries, sugar
(3 Tbs. for sweet cherries; 5 Tbs. for sour),
and cassis until smooth. Strain through a fine
sieve. Add the lemon juice and pepper (if
using), and then toss the cherry sauce with
the reserved cherries. Add more sugar
to taste.
SERVE THE CAKE
In a bowl, whip the cream until it forms soft
peaks. Add the 2 tsp. confectioners’ sugar and
mix just to combine. Don’t overwhip.
Prepare a medium charcoal or gas grill fire.
Cut the pound cake into ¾-inch slices. Brush
each side with the butter. Grill the pound cake
until golden, 1 to 2 minutes per side.
Put one piece of pound cake on each
plate. Top with the cherry sauce and a
dollop of the cream and dust
with more confectioners’
sugar. Serve imme-
diately.grilled polenta cake with cherry-cassis sauce
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