Rhubarb Conserve and Pound Cake with Whipped Cream

Ingredients

• 1 pound rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 vanilla bean, cut lengthwise in half
• 2 cups fresh strawberries, halved, or 1 10-ounce bag frozen berries, thawed
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
• 1 10-ounce frozen pound cake, thawed and cut into 8 slices

Preparation

1. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the rhubarb, granulated sugar, and vanilla bean and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until the rhubarb is barely tender, about 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the strawberries, remove from heat, and let cool. Remove the vanilla bean.
2. Whip the cream with the confectioners' sugar until soft peaks form. To serve, top each slice of cake with some warm conserve and a few dollops of whipped cream.