Shortcake Recipe

Strawberry Shortcake

Strawberry Shortcake

Ingredients

For the strawberries and cream

• 700g strawberries

For the cake

• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 240ml double cream
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla essence
• 1 tbsp icing sugar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla essence
• 120ml whole milk
• 150g caster sugar
• 140g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 60ml unsalted butter, melted

Method

1. For the cake
2. For the cake
3. Preheat the oven to 190C/Gas 5
4. Butter an 20cm round cake pan, line it with parchment paper, butter the paper, and dust the pan lightly with flour
5. Whisk the flour with the caster sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl
6. Lightly whisk in the butter, egg, milk, and vanilla, just until smooth
7. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean, about 25 mins
8. Cool on a rack for 10 mins, then turn it out of the pan, flip upright, and cool completely on the rack
9. For the strawberries and cream: 1 Set aside 350g of the best-looking whole berries for topping the cake
10. Hull and thinly slice the rest of the berries and toss with the caster sugar
11. Set aside
12. Whip the cream with the icing sugar and vanilla to soft peaks
13. Refrigerate until ready to use
14. To assemble the cake: 1 Cut the cake in half horizontally with a serrated knife
15. Place the bottom layer cut side up on a cake stand or serving plate
16. Drizzle the juices from the sliced berries over the cut sides of both halves
17. Fold a couple tablespoons of the whipped cream into the sliced berries and spread over the bottom layer
18. Top with the other piece of cake, cut side down
19. Spread the remainingwhipped cream on the top of the cake and top the cake with the whole berries