Darius King, sous chef at the Garden & Gun Club in Atlanta, discovered his future in pastry serendipitously. The Charlestonian was attending Trident Technical College for graphic design when one of his classes was held in the pastry arts building. “I was walking by and thought, ‘Wow, this looks cool,’” King says. At the time, his job at a local grocery store required that he help out with cake decoration, and King realized he had a natural knack for handling sweets. So, like so many undergrads, he switched programs and today finds himself assisting the Club’s chef, Ann Kim, on dishes both sweet and savory. One standout menu creation is his Honey Pound Cake.
King says the inspiration for this nectar-rich dessert was the arrival of spring. “We were coming out of winter, so I thought it was time to move away from winter spices,” King says. Bye bye cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg—and hello honey. Using a locally sourced wildflower honey, King updated a traditional pound cake recipe to subtly elevate the flavor.
“It’s sweet but not too sweet,” King says. And it’s a nice alternative to the traditional bundt that you can make at home, especially if you borrow King’s secret technique—a dusting of sugar in the greased pan to add a caramelized crunch.
