Grilled Pound Cake; Mexican Chocolate Sauce & Tropical Fruit

Total Time: 45 mins Preparation Time: 35 mins Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
• 1 tablespoon dark rum
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon pure dried ancho chile powder
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 large mango (peeled and cut into 1/3-inch wedges)
• 1 medium papaya, halved (seeded, peeled and cut into 1/3-inch wedges)
• 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 6 slices homemade butter pound cake (1 1/4-inch) or 6 slices fresh bakery butter pound cake (1 1/4-inch)
• 3 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds (to garnish) or 3 tablespoons toasted macadamia nuts, chopped (to garnish)

Recipe

• 1 make the whipped cream:
• 2 in a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, softly whip the heavy cream.
• 3 add the confectioners' sugar, rum and vanilla and whip the cream until firm peaks form.
• 4 refrigerate the whipped cream.
• 5 make the chocolate sauce:
• 6 in a medium saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a simmer over moderately high heat with the cinnamon and chile powder.
• 7 add the chocolate chips and vanilla.
• 8 remove from the heat and let stand for 1 minute, then whisk to blend; keep warm.
• 9 make the fruit salad:
• 10 in a medium bowl, toss the mango and papaya with the basil and vanilla.
• 11 prepare the pound cake:
• 12 light a grill or preheat a grill pan.
• 13 butter both sides of the pound cake slices.
• 14 grill the pound cake over moderate heat, turning once, until golden, about 2 minutes per side.
• 15 set a slice of grilled pound cake on each of 6 plates and top each one with 3 tablespoons of the warm chocolate sauce and the fruit salad.
• 16 top each serving with a dollop of the rum whipped cream and sprinkle with the toasted almonds.
• 17 pass the remaining chocolate sauce at the table.
• 18 **make ahead the whipped cream and fruit salad can be refrigerated for up to 4 hours; whip the cream gently before serving. the chocolate sauce can be refrigerated for up to 2 days; rewarm before serving.