The Elegant Way Jacques Pépin Upgrades Pound Cake

Being an at-home chef is fun and sometimes challenging. When life gets hectic, buying premade items can be a great solution, like turning store-bought cookies into a gourmet snack. French chef Jacques Pépin, renowned for his cooking expertise, has a fantastic pound cake upgrade for a delicious home dessert.

Inspired by his granddaughter's wish to make something special for her mom, Pépin starts by trimming a premade pound cake, saving the discarded pieces to make cake crumbs in a food processor. Pépin uses wooden sticks as a guide to slice three even layers, but you also cut your cake with the cake dental floss technique. Just gently glide unflavored (waxed or unwaxed — it doesn't matter) floss through the cake to get even, easy layers.

Using seedless raspberry jam, Pépin coats each layer and the outside of the cake. If you have some extra fruit on hand, make your own ruby red jam with cherries, strawberries, and currants. Then, use an offset spatula and a cake stand to evenly spread said jam onto the cake. When fully iced, Pépin covers the outside of the cake with the leftover cake crumbs. What was once a plain, undressed pound cake is now a beautiful show-stopper with minimal effort.

Pound cake on its own is a great base to build off of. Dress it up with any combination of toppings or jam, as we saw Jacques Pépin do. Give it a tangy twist with lemon curd and chopped pistachios, or simply drizzle some citrusy glaze on top and add a few slices of candied lemon and fresh herbs for an easy but bright dessert. You can also layer it with your favorite berries, whipped cream, and jam to make a tasty trifle.

During the warmer months, taking this treat outdoors is a fun activity. Place a few slices on the grill to bring out the flavor. You can make fruit kebabs, dicing up the grilled cake and alternating it with roasted peaches, basil, and yogurt. Another option is to cube the grilled cake and serve it with sliced bananas and vanilla pudding, creating a no-fuss banana pudding.

Another simple way to dress up pound cake is by making some chocolate fondue. Melt some bittersweet chocolate and add any flavoring, like peppermint for a wintery feel or orange zest for a bit of zip. Dip cubed pound cake in for a fun treat that's sure to be a hit on date night or for a party. Add fruit and make pound cake fruit skewers that can be dipped or drizzled with the melted chocolate.