Fresh Fruit Parfaits

With so many high-calorie treats at our Mother's Day brunch, I wanted to have some lighter fare available. Spring is here, and some of my favorite fruits are coming into season. I had planned a simple fruit salad, but came across Pound Cake and Fruit Parfaits on AllYou.com — fruit is still healthy when served with cake and smothered with whipped cream, right? (Humor me.) They are so easy and inexpensive to make, and the presentation is beautiful. 

The best part is that you can use whatever fruits are available. The original recipe called for peaches and raspberries, but I added blackberries as well. The season for peaches and berries doesn't peak until summer, so I can't wait to make these parfaits again, when the fruit is even more flavorful. 

Another option is to macerate the fruit in a fruit-flavored liqueur such as Grand Marnier. The fruit will break down and mix with the liqueur to create a sauce that will soak into the pound cake. 

It's worth the effort to make the whipped cream rather than buy it in a can. It is lighter and tastes fresher. You can also adjust the sweetness to your taste. If you make the whipped cream a day in advance, it may start to "weep" (revert to liquid cream). Just rewhip and it's good to go. 

Fresh Fruit and Pound Cake Parfaits
Slightly adapted from AllYou.com
Makes 6 parfaits

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups heavy whipped cream, chilled
• 3 tbsp sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• One 12-ounce loaf pound cake
• 3 ripe peaches, halved, pitted and diced
• 1 pint raspberries
• 1 pint blackberries

Directions

1. Chill a metal bowl for about fifteen minutes. 
2. Pour heavy cream into bowl with sugar and vanilla. Whip until soft peaks form. Chill in refrigerator. 
3. Slice the pound cake into 1-inch cubes. Divide cubes into two bowls. Divide cubes from one bowl into six parfait or wine glasses. 
4. Toss fruit to combine, then divide into serving glasses. 
5. Divide remaining cake cubes among serving glasses. 
6. Top with whipped cream.