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Fresh strawberries, sweetened cream are sandwiched between crumbly shortcake for this blissfully sweet strawberry shortcake.
Summer is quickly coming to an end, but it’s not quite over yet. I’m holding out for a few more days in the sun and light summery desserts like these. Desserts that come together effortlessly, are bright and full of flavor. This strawberry shortcake fits the bill and I am guilty of making it more times than I would care to admit.
My husband and I have very different pallets when it comes to dessert. I have a deep affinity for ice cream, especially when it is drizzled with hot fudge. If given the option, I always choose anything with chocolate and peanut butter. Dense desserts, rich desserts…if I’m having dessert it should feel indulgent. My husband? Not so much. The simpler the better; a chocolate chip cookie, a slice of apple pie, or a shortbread cookie. But the one thing we can both unequivocally agree on is our obsession with this strawberry shortcake.
One of our wedding gifts was a cookbook from William Sonoma called Bake Good Things. Life changing I tell you, life changing! The strawberry shortcake recipe in it is perfection. I stay true to the recipe in the book, however, I take liberties with the strawberry filling and whipped cream. Also, I love to throw vanilla ice cream into the mix because it adds another layer of good into the mix. Sadly we were out of ice cream when I shot this recipe. It would appear I’m just going to make this one again…oh darn!
Tips for Strawberry Shortcake:
- These shortcakes are essentially sweetened drop biscuits and therefore the same rules apply. You will want to keep the butter, egg, and cream as cold as you can. This is key to the crumbly texture.
- The recipe from William Sonoma yields roughly 8 shortcakes. I use a large soup spoon and always end up with 6.
- We’re macerating strawberries! It may sound intimidating but rest assure, the word is far more complex than the process. Essentially, we’re going to coat the strawberries in sugar, which will help the berry release it’s juices. As a result, we end up with strawberries that are softer and a sauce that sweet. That sauce is going to soak into the shortcake and when it does, it’s perfection!
- The shortcakes have a topping of turbinado sugar that provide an excellent crunchy texture, however, you can skip this step if you don’t have any on hand.
- Traditionally, you split the shortcake in half, and full the middle. Maybe I’m weird, but I love crumbling the shortcake into big pieces in a bowl, topping it with all the strawberries, whipped cream, and ice cream. Presentation wise, it’s super messy, but my how it’s good!
When it comes to fresh summer desserts, it’s hard to beat a sweet strawberry shortcake. The beauty is in it’s simplicity, letting the strawberry shine. I hope that you love this recipe as much as we do. Let me know what you think. Enjoy! 🙂
Strawberry Shortcake
Ingredients
For the Shortcake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup cold, unsalted butter cubed
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup heavy cream plus more as needed
- 2 tbsp turbinado sugar
For the Strawberry Filling
- 2 pints fresh strawberries hulled and sliced
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp strawberry jam
For the Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Additional Ingredients
- 4 cups vanilla ice cream
Instructions
For the Shortcakes
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and the ⅓ cup of cream until blended.
- In a bowl, stir together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the cubed butter. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in the butter until the mixture forms a large crumbs the size of small peas. Pour the egg mixture over the flour mixture and mix with a rubber spatula until combined. Add additional cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed to form a soft dough that us wet enough to be dropped from a spoon.
- Using a large spoon, drop the dough onto a prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Each shortcake should be about 3 inches wide and spaced 1 inch apart. Sprinkle each shortcake with the tubinado sugar. Bake until the shortcakes are firm to the touch and golden-brown, 12-15 minutes.
For the Strawberry Filling
- Place the sliced strawberries into a large bowl with the sugar and strawberry jam. Stir well until the strawberries are evenly coated.
- Place the strawberries in the refrigerator and allow the strawberries to soak while the shortcakes bake. This will help develop a sweet syrupy sauce from the strawberries.
For the Whipped Cream
- Place the heavy cream, vanilla extract and powdered sugar in a large chilled bowl. Using a whisk or hand mixer, whisk the heavy cream until soft peaks form.
Assemble the Strawberry Shortcakes
- Once the shortcakes have cooled slightly, split them down the middle using a serrated knife, creating a top and bottom half. Place a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a generous helping of the strawberry filling and whipped cream on the bottom half of the shortcake. Cover with the top half and enjoy immediately.