Make Store-Bought Pound Cake Look And Taste Homemade With 2 Simple Ingredients And A Layering Trick

We've all been there. You've made promises to host guests, hoping to impress them with creative and delicious food, but when the time comes for preparation you just can't be bothered to make dessert from scratch. Thankfully, there are endless ways to upgrade a store-bought cake, some of which involve more work than others, like stacking several cakes on top of one another or even deep-frying slices. Our favorite method for upgrading pound cake, however, requires little more than a few tools and a simple layering technique. With just whipped cream and fresh berries nestled between each layer, your store-bought pound cake can live an entirely glamorous existence — until you decide to eat it, that is. 

No matter which brand of store-bought pound cake you bring home to fancify, the first thing you should do is decide how to cut it into layers, based on its shape. Most pound cakes from the store come in loaf form, so the most logical choice is to slice the cake into three long layers. The easiest way to do this is to turn the cake onto its side and use a serrated knife to carefully divide it into three even layers. Otherwise, keep the pound cake upright and slice through it horizontally, like you would with a round layer cake. Once you have the cake layers cut, it's time to prep your berries by washing and drying them, and removing any stems if needed. Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries all work phenomenally here, but make sure to slice any that are particularly large.

After the berries have been prepped, the last thing to do is whip some heavy cream in a large bowl, adding a bit of sugar to sweeten if you like, along with some vanilla extract. Since fresh whipped cream doesn't have a long shelf life, prepare it just before you're ready to assemble and serve the cake. Starting with the bottom layer on a serving platter, spread about a third of the whipped cream onto the first layer, followed by a third of the berries. Repeat this two more times, using the best-looking berries for the top layer.

If you have a bit of time before you need to make your dessert, consider macerating the berries with lemon and sugar for a little while to make them softer and sweeter and add a slight tanginess. Alternatively, you could always roast some strawberries and use those in combination with fresh fruit. Strawberries have a lot of water to expel during the baking process, which leaves the finished product with a much more concentrated and intense fruitiness. Another way to add flavor is to brush a bit of lemon simple syrup on the exposed cake layers as you assemble, or even a sweet liqueur. If you find yourself with the time and desire to make your own homemade pound cake, but prefer the assistance of a boxed mix rather than baking a cake 100% from scratch, follow our tips to make bakery-style pound cake from a box.