Blair Cannon's Pound Cake With Fresh Fruit & Garnishes - WBTV 3 News, Weather, Sports, and Traffic for Charlotte, NC

Aromatic Cinnamon-Almond Pound Cake with Fresh Macerated Strawberries and Georgia Peaches, topped with a Lavender Chantilly and Toasted Almonds

Presented by Blair R. Cannon, CC
Hospitality Teaching & VP of IFSEA ~ Johnson & Wales University

Cinnamon-Almond Pound Cake

Yield: 2 pound cakes

2 (9in X 3in approx metal baking pan) Greased with butter

Ingredients:

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, plus more for pan

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

3.25 cups sugar

5 eggs

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup milk

1.5 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tsp almond extract

1 tbs +1 tsp Cinnamon, ground

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. With a mixer attached with a paddle, cream butter and shortening together.
3. Add sugar, and cream until fluffy.
4. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition and scrapping bowl.
5. Add extracts and cinnamon.
6. Stir dry ingredients together in a bowl and add to mixer alternately with milk, starting with the flour and ending with the flour. 
7. Pour into greased pans and bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
8. Cool on wire rack until room temperature.

Fresh Strawberry and Peach Sauce

Yield: 6 cups

Ingredients:

2 quarts           Fresh Strawberries or 1 pound frozen strawberries, quartered, saving 1   cup of quartered berries for garnish

3 cups              Fresh Peaches or frozen peaches, quartered

1 ea                  lemon, zested, and juiced

1.5 cups           sugar, granulated

1 cup               white wine (chardonnay or Riesling)

1. Add all ingredients, except top two fruits, to sauce pot and bring to simmer in order to dissolve sugar, infuse lemon zest, and cook off alcohol (if desired)
2. Add fruit and place heat on low for 10-15 minutes until fruit is soft, but still holds up some texture
3. Once finished, cool to room temperature

Lavender Chantilly

Yield: 1.5 quarts

1 quart             heavy whipping cream

1.25 cups         sugar granulated

1.5 tsp             dried Lavender

½ tsp               vanilla extract or ½ vanilla bean scrapped or seeds

1. In sauce pot bring all ingredients to a low barely simmering heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly in order to infuse lavender.
2. Strain through fine mesh strainer, and cool to below 40 degrees.(COLD)
3. Once chilled, add all ingredients to a mixer attached with a whip
4. Whip to medium to heavy peaks for spooning the Chantilly
5. Place in refrigerator

Plating:

1. In a martini, wine glass, or bowl, cube the pound cake into 1 inch cubes
2. Spoon some of fruit sauce over cake
3. Place a couple of fresh quartered strawberries on top
4. Quenelle or Pipe Chantilly to the side of center radius of glassware
5. Garnish with a fresh sprig of mint or an edible orchid