Grilled Kumquat Cake and Mixed Berry Bread Pudding

It's just days before our current Seasonal Dessert Tasting Platter is retired, and I'm baking up a storm around here. Before the weekend, we should be finished with our transition to the next collection. Consisting of four little desserts perfect for two, this platter rotates every 6-8 weeks. Keep reading and you'll be privy to a sneak peek for two of these...

Perhaps the star for this next collection is a culinarily peculiar little cake that, at least in my opinion, seems to embody all flavors summer. I finished this baby yesterday just in time to see it "stuffed it down the gullet" of my good friend, confidant, and role-model Rich. Sounds a bit aggressive I know, but when one turns his back only to find the plate of cake licked clean that one just set down moments earlier... well the phrase seems to be apropos. I suppose it could have something to do with the that that Rich is gluten intolerant and as such seldom enjoys a piece of cake, but I'd like to consider the raving reviews of my Grilled White Chocolate-Kumquat Cake just as significant. Owing its structure to an obscene amount of eggs and almond flour, this cake contains no gluten at all, which is what usually keeps a cake together. As such, it's closer to a pudding than a legit cake, and is ridiculously rich and moist. And it packs a wallop, flavored with local, organic kumquat puree and vanilla bean. Best of all, after grilling it caramelizes with a crispy crunch on the surface while staying warm and wet on the inside. What's sexier than that?

On the other hand, the next goodie is perhaps as gluten-y as one can possible be. Mixed Berry Bread Pudding with Creme Anglaise is another moist delectable I'm pretty excited about. If you've been paying attention to the first five platters (one, two, three, four, five), you'll have made the connection by now that bread pudding is among my most favorite desserts. This one is a bit different, featuring blackberries, blueberries, & strawberries in a egg custard-soaked brioche crumb. It's richer than previous bread puddings which are usually made from challah. While both breads are egg fortified, brioche just happens to contain a freakish amount of butter, too. And what's wrong with that? Nothing, if you ask me. It's served warmed and finished with a chilled vanilla bean creme anglaise.

Don't they look pretty?