Strawberry shortcake on skewers

Ingredients:

• 16 pieces pound cake, 2-1/2 inches long (about three-quarters of an 8-inch cake)
• 16 medium strawberries, leaves removed, cores left (large berries cut in half)
• 1.5 cups + 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 0.5 tsp vanilla extract
• Vegetable oil to grease the grill grate
• Special equipment: 4 skewers, 30 cm long.

Preparation:

1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
2. In a large bowl, combine pound cake, strawberries, and 1.5 cups sugar until evenly coated (the sugar may clump and coat the berries and pound cake unevenly). Thread a pound cake slice and strawberry onto a skewer; repeat 3 times per skewer. Repeat with the remaining skewers and ingredients. Place the skewers on a rimmed baking sheet.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the cream, the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat with a mixer until soft peaks form. Cover the whipped cream and refrigerate.
4. Lightly oil the grill grate. Place the skewers on the grate and cook, covered, until grill marks appear, about 1 minute. Using a spatula, carefully loosen the skewers from the grate and turn them over with tongs. Continue cooking, covered, until the cake and strawberries are grill marks and the sugar begins to bubble and caramelize, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve with whipped cream.