The perfect summer treat would have to be strawberry shortcake. Crisp, cool, delicious, and filling in the best way – there is a reason that shortcake desserts are always a major hit at whatever function you bring them too. Quite easy to make and even easier to enjoy, shortcake is always going to be a go-to for those bringing food to a social occasion.
Certainly, shortcake is good for at home as well as you are able to control the portion size and eat as little (or as much) as you want without spending a large chunk of money on baked goods. Another reason people enjoy shortcake so much is because while its sweet and decadent, it doesn’t have that sickly-sweet taste that most people associate with artificial desserts.
Pairing your shortcake with strawberries gives it the extra something it needs to be amazing and you also get a dose of your daily fruit and vegetables allotment! So without further ado, let’s take a look at how to much an easy individual sized shortcake (because we know our mouths are watering for it now).
Can You Use Frozen Strawberries in Baking?
When it comes to baking, some people claim that fresh is always better but if all you have on hand (or they aren’t in season) are frozen strawberries – you can use these in your strawberry shortcake. This recipe actually calls for frozen strawberries!
The important thing to remember when it comes to using frozen berries in your desserts is that they will have more water content than fresh strawberries and can cause a more watery batter, especially in recipes that require a mixture or batter as the base. One hint to counter this result is to use additional thickener, such as flour, to balance out the extra water content.
Another tip? To prevent the color of the frozen strawberries from bleeding through the batter of your dessert – try rinsing them first in room temperature water to remove all the ice from the centre of the berry. The room temperature water will force the ice through the skin of the berry, allowing the extra water to escape and drain.
What is Shortcake?
We know we love it, we know we enjoy it whether it’s topped with strawberries or blueberries or blackberries or even caramel sauce and walnuts. We know we smile whenever we indulge in it. But what exactly is shortcake? What makes it different than regular cake? Where did it come from?
Shortcake, or rather the term shortcake, is derived from an olden English cooking definition which referred to something made crisp with the addition of a fat source. This fat source could have been pork fat, butter, lard, and other additives.
Whereas regulars cake batters are made from flour, eggs, sugar and will have a denser consistency and texture (as well as a richer taste) – shortcake is a crumbly, lighter pastry that is made from flour, sugar, butter, milk, eggs, and thickened with baking powder or baking soda. This lighter pastry is why it pairs so well with lighter toppings, such as strawberries. If you paired shortcake with heavy icing? Then it weighs down the dessert and the shortcake is indistinguishable.
Ingredients you’ll need for Strawberry Shortcake:
- Poundcake
- Frozen, sliced, and sweetened strawberries in natural juice
- Whipped cream
How to prepare the Strawberry Shortcake:
Step 1: Prep cake
Assemble all your ingredients and measure them out as per the instructions listed above. Using a sharp, flat bladed knife – cut 1 slice of pound cake into 8 equal sized cubes. You want to have them shaped as a square or rectangle for the best results when adding the strawberries and whipped cream later in the recipe.
Step 2: set aside
Place the cubes of pound cake to one side. It is your preference if you want to remove the edges or crust portions, but this will cut down on the size of the pound cake.
Step 3: assemble
In a small dessert cup or mug, place four cubes of the pound cake. You can add approximately a tablespoon of strawberries in the bottom beforehand if you choose but it is not necessary.
Step 4: add berries
Spoon strawberries over the cubes of pound cake until they are completely covered with both juice and berries.
Don’t pour the strawberries directly from the measuring cup into the dessert cup as the force could cause the pound cake to break apart. Also, the berries could get smashed as well, leaving the overall texture mushy – which is definitely not what you are going for!
Step 5: add cream
Cover the strawberries and pound cake with whipped cream. This is the topping for the dessert unless you are in the mood to go bigger! If you are? Then read the next step.
Step 6: repeat
Continue to grow and improve your individual strawberry shortcake dessert by repeating the process with the pound cake and the strawberries, finishing with the whipped cream.
Using the remaining four cubes of pound cake, place them on top of the whipped cream currently in the dessert cup. Spoon strawberries and juice into the cup until the pound cake is completely covered. Top with whipped cream, then chow down!!
Step 7: Finish!
Serve chilled or room temperature and enjoy! Then make a second one if you choose.
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