A shortcake is normally any dessert which has a crumbly texture, and is served with fruit and cream. Among the most popular shortcakes is the strawberry shortcake, which is served with whipped cream. It’s a surprisingly easy dessert to make, especially now since you have this guide to take you through the process.
Ingredients:
For the fruit and cream
- 1000 g quartered strawberries
- 50 g + 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 240 ml heavy cream
For the biscuits:
- 345 gm all-purpose flour, plus extra for hands and work surface
- 50 gm granulated sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 170 gm unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 240 ml cold buttermilk
- 30 ml heavy cream or buttermilk
- coarse sugar, for sprinkling
Directions:
- In a bowl, add the strawberries and the sugar. Mix well and place in the fridge.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F or 204°C.
- In a bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk or blend using a handheld mixer until thoroughly combined.
- Then add the butter and pulse for a few minutes, until coarse crumbs form.
- Pour the dough onto a floured workspace. Also flour your hands and bring the dough together by gently kneading it. Then use a rolling pin to roll out into a rectangle. Fold both the sides into the middle. Then turn the dough and roll it out into a rectangle again. Then fold into the middle again. In this way, keep rolling out and folding several times.
- Then use a biscuit cutter to create little circles of dough. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the tops of the circles with heavy cream and sprinkle coarse sugar on top. Bake for 20 minutes. You’ll know it's done when the biscuits are golden brown. Set aside to cool.
- In a bowl, using a handheld mixture, whip the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla. Keep pulsing until soft peaks form.
- Now you’re ready to assemble. Slice the biscuits in half. On each, add a layer of strawberries and then the whipped cream. You can even double the serving, by adding another biscuit on the whipped cream, and topping it with more strawberries and cream, essentially making a two layered treat. Serve immediately.
Notes, tips and tricks:
- Each component can be prepared ahead of time and kept ready. The biscuits can be made 3 days in advance and stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Or they can be made and frozen for 3 months. You’ll have to thaw it overnight in the fridge before using. The strawberries and whipped cream can be made a day in advance and stored in the fridge.
- If you have the time, place the flour in the freezer for 30 minutes before using. It's best to make biscuits with cold flour.
- Use chilled butter so that when it mixes with the rest, it creates a crumbly dough. If the butter is soft and melting, the resultant dough will be too runny and that’s not the consistency we want for the shortcake.
- If you don't have whole milk, you can substitute it for buttermilk. You can also use non dairy milks like almond milk, oat milk or some other variation, but this will affect the overall flavour of the strawberry shortcake.
- The whipped cream is really easy to make, requiring only three ingredients - heavy whipping cream, sugar and vanilla extract. Remember, the colder the heavy cream, the more voluminous the whipped cream will be. Also, it's better to make this than buying ready made whipped cream. By making it yourself, you’re in for something fresh and delicious. Also, you can control the amount of sugar you want to add. Homemade whipped cream is also just generally more delicious than ready made.
- If you're preparing for a party or gathering of some sort, you can create a food station where people assemble their own shortcakes. Set up the biscuits in one section, a variety of berries like strawberry, blueberry, raspberry and more in another section, and chilled whipped cream in another section. Let the guests assemble their own shortcakes depending on their personal preferences.