Setting up a DIY pound cake bar is an easy way to make a simple dessert special. It’s a fun activity for everyone to DIT (Do It Together) at your holiday party or any other time of year. Whether you bake it or buy it, pound cake is a popular favorite—and a pound cake bar lets each guest customize it to design their own dessert. It’s interactive, decorative, and couldn’t be easier to put together!
To set up a pound cake bar for your holiday party, slice a loaf of pound cake—or marble cake, carrot cake, or whatever you like! Set out the slices along with a variety of toppings. We chose whipped cream, caramel sauce, jam, nutella, coconut flakes, mint, strawberries, pomegranate seeds, and candied orange peels. But you could also pick ice cream, chocolate chips, nuts, candy sprinkles, or whatever’s your favorite mix-in.
Then, add a cookie cutter or two for fun. This way, everyone can get creative punching out shapes in the middle of each slice, and filling the space with whipped cream, sauce, candy, turning a slice of pound cake into an Instagram-worthy work of art!
And the pieces they punch out can be stacked in layers with jam, sauce, or cream in between; frosted into instant petit fours; or speared onto a skewer with fruit. We chose stars as our punchable-shapes, but you could pick seasonal cookie cutters, letters (the initials of the person being celebrated at a birthday party or bridal shower), or numbers to celebrate the new year or an anniversary.
Creating all types of different desserts out of a simple slice of pound cake is a fun activity for guests at a party, whether it’s a holiday cocktail party or a kid’s birthday party. (You can choose any toppings, whether they’re fun—rainbow sprinkles! Or more sophisticated—candied ginger!) If you’re doing this at a birthday party, use cutters to slice letters ahead of time and spell out the name of the person being celebrated. You can also spell “I Do” for a shower or engagement party, or JOY for a holiday gathering.
A DIY pound cake bar is a sweet way to spread cheer at the holidays and year round. Cut out hearts and pick red toppings at Valentine’s Day, or choose red, white, and blue toppings at the Fourth of July! You could even make a rainbow display, choosing colorful toppings and displaying them in the order of the colors of the rainbow—from raspberries to plums.
What You’ll Need
- Sliced pound cake (or other, similar cake)
- Cookie cutters
Toppings—we used:
- Whipped cream
- Nutella
- Jam
- Caramel sauce
- Coconut flakes
- Mint
- Strawberries
- Pomegranate seeds
- Chopped candied orange peels
How-To
Step 1 Pick your cookie cutters and toppings. Set out plates and utensils.
Step 2 Pour your sauces and place your toppings into bowls, then set out, keeping covered until just before the party starts.
Step 3 Slice your pound cake and set out. Uncover toppings and invite guests to design their dessert.
