Serves a Crowd

Spirited Strawberry Shortcake

by:
June  3, 2010
5
2 Ratings
Spirited Strawberry Shortcake
  • Serves 8
Author Notes

It can't be summer unless there's strawberry shortcake. This recipe combines a dense, just-sweetened biscuit, oozing berries mashed with creme de cassis, and luscious cream. Just one caveat: once the cake is assembled it won't keep; it must be eaten in one sitting. - Margy@hidethecheese —Margy@hidethecheese

Test Kitchen Notes

The cake is nice and biscuity, a little crumbly and not too sweet, which makes it a nice, subtle platform for the berries and cream. It was a little finicky to slice the whole thing in half and remove the top without destroying it, but it was very fun to serve one big shortcake. The sour cream-whipped cream combination was divine! The subtle tang was great against the almost jammy sweetness of the berries. Next time I might actually omit the creme de cassis. It played well with the berries, but when they're perfectly in season it's nice to just have strawberry flavor shining through. - fiveandspice
—The Editors

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • For the Shortcake
  • 2 cups unbleached white flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 5 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
  • 2/3 cup whole milk
  • For the Strawberries and Cream
  • 6 cups strawberries, rinsed, trimmed, and cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 4 tablespoons crème de cassis
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 1/3 cup sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and butter and flour an 8-inch round cake pan.
  2. To make the shortcake, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Mix in the butter with your fingers, until it ranges in size from small pebbles to large grains of sand. Slowly stir in the milk a bit at a time using just enough to get the mixture to hold together.
  3. Turn the dough onto a counter and knead it for about a minute. Press it into the cake pan, pushing it gently to the sides of the pan. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the cake is lightly golden.
  4. Let the cake cool in the pan for a few minutes before turning it onto a cooling rack. When it is still warm, but cool enough to handle, split it horizontally with a large knife. Carefully remove the top with the knife and a spatula.
  5. About an hour before you are ready to serve the cake, gently mash the strawberries with the sugar and crème de cassis. The strawberries should be mashed enough to release some of their juices, but still maintain their shape. Set the mixture aside until you are ready to assemble the cake.
  6. Prepare the cream mixture, by whipping the the heavy cream, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla together until it is the consistency of whipped cream.
  7. To assemble the cake, place the bottom of the shortcake on a platter. Spoon the strawberry mixture on top, and then layer on the whipped cream. Gently place the cake top on top of the whipped cream. Slice with a sharp knife and serve immediately.
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  • belen
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  • lapadia
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10 Reviews

belen
belen July 16, 2011
OK. This was hands down the best strawberry shortcake I've ever had. It was like a giant biscuit sliced in half. The sour cream addition in the whipped cream was genius. It added a little tartness that made it stand out to me. Great recipe!!
 
Margy@hidethecheese
Margy@hidethecheese July 18, 2011
belen -- so glad you enjoyed it. I agree about the sour cream. I made it the other night without it (none in the fridge, no time to run to the store), and it just wasn't the same.
 
ichibanbrianne
ichibanbrianne January 27, 2011
Used the shortcake recipe as a base and modified it with half whole wheat flour and a bit of granola. I used just under the the 2/3 cup of milk. The result was fluffy, elegant, perfect.
 
fiveandspice
fiveandspice June 13, 2010
I'm making this tonight, and I have a quick question! How much of the sugar goes with the berries, and how much in the cream? Thanks!
 
Margy@hidethecheese
Margy@hidethecheese June 13, 2010
Just got this and it's probably too late to help you for tonight, but I goofed when typing in the recipe. There should be an additional 2 tablespoons of sugar in the cream (and the entire 1/4 cup with the strawberries). Sorry about that!
 
lapadia
lapadia June 4, 2010
You could put candles on this - A Strawberry Shortcake Birthday!
 
Margy@hidethecheese
Margy@hidethecheese June 4, 2010
Lapadia -- what a great idea. Now I just have to find someone with a June birthday. And thanks for the kind words, monkeymom.
 
monkeymom
monkeymom June 3, 2010
Looks beautiful and delicious!
 
MrsWheelbarrow
MrsWheelbarrow June 3, 2010
Ok. Must be eaten in one sitting. Must I share? Looks fantastic.
 
Margy@hidethecheese
Margy@hidethecheese June 3, 2010
I won't tell if you don't.