#pound-cake

#pound-cake

Like substituting club soda for baking powder in baked goods or adding brew to make beer bread, fizzy lemon-lime pops' air bubbles create pockets of carbon dioxide in the cake batter and ultimately help the cake rise sans other leavening agents. While some traditional pound cakes use baking powder, Drummond's rendition uses only the flavored soda to achieve its tender crumb and buttery, citrus taste.

The reason cheddar cheese works in desserts is that it provides contrast. Ultra-sweet foods can be tamed using creamy and savory ingredients, which create a dynamic mouthfeel layered with complexity. Aged cheddar offers umami, which is just about the opposite of sweet, and produces duality. Sweet and salty are a famous pairing, and because cheddar cheese is so rich, fatty, and decadent, it is just screaming to be added to your dessert.

The pound cake element in this sundae is the classic cream cheese Bundt we've had on Bon Appétit for over 20 years, halved to fit in a standard loaf pan.