Forget about those yellow round pound cake cups that you get at the store. This vanilla cake is light, tender and perfect for holding freshly whipped cream and sliced strawberries. This is a cake, NOT a biscuit. It is SO easy to make, I've made this recipe several times with rave reviews from all my family members.
Here are some great time saving tips for this recipe.
Quick Slicing: Here's a great time saving tip! Use your egg slicer to quickly and evenly slice your strawberries! I use this tip for cutting mushrooms, too.
Macerate the strawberries: Adding a couple of tablespoons of granulated sugar to the sliced strawberries softens the berries and releases some of its flavor, making a light sauce that soaks into the cake...
Make a Foil Sling: This helps you remove and cut the cake easily for a great presentation.
In under an hour, you will have a fresh, classic dessert that will be enjoyed by everyone. I know you will enjoy this recipe as much as we did and make it again and again.
Old Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake
Yield: 9 servings
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
This soft, tender not-too-sweet vanilla cake is the perfect compliment for fresh strawberries with whipped cream. You can substitute the shortening with butter, but it will change the cake's texture, becoming more dense.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup shortening (can use softened butter)
- 2/3 cup (4.6 oz/132g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature* (see Tips, below)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups (6.4 oz/180g) all purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 cup whole milk* (if you only have low fat milk, see TIP below)
- Whipped Cream
- 8 oz heavy cream
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 quarts of fresh strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
Instructions:
Old Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake
- In a medium mixing bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar.
- Add egg and vanilla, mixing well.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking powder.
- Alternate milk & flour to shortening mixture, until *almost* all the flour is mixed in. Over-mixing will cause the cake to be dense. Use a spoon or silicone spatula to hand mix in the rest of the remaining flour.
- Prepare a foil sling for your 9"x9" pan by folding two pieces of aluminum foil as described in the TIPS below. Grease foil lightly.
- Pour cake batter into prepared foil sling, spreading it evenly into the pan.
- Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes clean or with very few crumbs. Cool on wire rack.
- Wash, hull and slice the strawberries, putting them into a small container. Sprinkle 2 Tablespoons of sugar onto cut strawberries and stir till coated. Cover and set in the fridge for 45 minutes. Sugar will pull out some of the juices for a light sauce.
- Make the whipped topping: Pour heavy cream into a bowl. Using beaters or electric stand mixer with whisk attachment, whip heavy cream until soft peaks form. While mixing, sprinkle 1/4 cup granulated sugar into mixture until stiff peaks form. Add vanilla extract.
- Using the foil sling, remove cooled cake from pan. Cut into 9 equal squares. Cut each square horizontally in half. Remove the top of the cake, adding a dollop of whipped cream, strawberries, replacing the top of the cake, add more whipped cream and strawberries on top.
Whole Milk: If you only have low fat milk, add 2 Tablespoons of melted/cooled butter to your milk.
Egg slicer: Use to quickly slice washed & hulled strawberries.
Foil Sling: Fold two pieces of aluminum foil and place shiny side up into your 9x9 pan. Foil should extend up the sides and about 1" over the top of the pan. Lightly grease the pan with shortening or oil spray.
Foil Sling: Fold two pieces of aluminum foil and place shiny side up into your 9x9 pan. Foil should extend up the sides and about 1" over the top of the pan. Lightly grease the pan with shortening or oil spray.
The fresh strawberries are the best
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