I love cake! My sweet tooth is larger than life! Knock on wood that I don’t develop diabetes, because the amount of sugar I consume is definitely not healthy. But sweets are sooooo good! Luckily my husband does not have a sweet tooth, which keeps my baking in check. No wonder I went to baking school 😉 Baking is a way I show my love. It makes me so happy to see my family and friend’s faces when I present them with something I’ve baked. The secret ingredient is always love! One of my favorite cakes is a strawberry shortcake. The combination of cream and strawberries is just perfect.
Starting with a moist vanilla cake base always ensures you’ll have a delectable finished product. I believe making a strawberry shortcake during the summer using fresh, juicy, sweet strawberries you’ve picked from the berry patch yourself makes it that much more special. It’s really a simple cake to make and is always guaranteed to wow at a summer BBQ. Secondly, with all the rage of naked cakes right now, you don’t even have to fuss with finishing. Just simply add your layers of whipped cream, strawberries, and cake without touching the sides. Then, simply top it off with berries and fresh flowers. Such a gorgeous cake!
The Cake
This is my go-to vanilla cake recipe. I use it to make vanilla buttercream cake, lemon curd cake, vanilla cake pops or cake sickles, and of course strawberry shortcake. I find it’s the perfect combination of fluffy and moist. Made with butter instead of oil keeps it from having an oily texture. It’s not a complicated cake to make with a billion steps, it’s simply quite forward. You don’t need to whip your egg whites separately, nor do you need to go out and purchase pastry flour. You most likely have all these ingredients in your pantry already.
The Filling
I always use fresh 35% whipping cream for the filling. Add just enough sugar once ribbons start to form as you beat it. This makes the sweet flavor of the cream pair perfectly with the strawberries. If you’re using freshly picked strawberries they will be very sweet and juicy on their own, slice them into thin slices and add a little sugar to them to create a delicious syrup that will soak up into the cake. Therefore, you will not need to make a simple syrup to moisten your cake.
Strawberry Shortcake
Ingredients
Vanilla Cake
- 2 Whole Eggs
- 4 Egg Whites
- 1 c. Whole Milk
- 2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
- 3 c. All-Purpose Flour
- 2 c. White Sugar
- 4 tsp. Baking Powder
- 1 tsp. Salt
- 3/4 c. Cold Butter
Strawberry Filling
- 2 c. Sliced Strawberries
- 2 Tbsp. White Sugar
Whipped Cream
- 3 c. 35% Whipping Cream
- 3 Tbsp. White Sugar
Instructions
Vanilla Cake
- Preheat oven to 350*F
- Grease and line with parchment paper 2 8 inch pans.
- In a bowl, combine eggs, egg whites, milk, and vanilla. Set aside.
- In a mixer bowl with the paddle attachment (you can also use a hand mixer) Add flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Combine.
- Chop up the cold butter into small pieces and add to the dry ingredients. Mix till the butter crumbles up into the flour and resembles oatmeal texture.
- Slowly add the liquid ingredients, mixing till combined. Once all the liquid is incorporated, continue to beat on medium speed for 3 minutes.
- Pour batter into prepared pans.
- Bake cake between 25-30 min, checking doneness with a toothpick or sharp knife.
- Set to cool completely.
Strawberry Filling
- Slice strawberries into thin slices and place in a bowl.
- Add white sugar, stir, and set aside.
Whipped Cream
- Pour cream into a large bowl.
- With a whisk attachment, beat the cream till ribbons start to form.
- Slowly add sugar while mixing.
- Continue to beat till stiff peaks form. Refrigerate till ready to use.
Cake Assembly
- Once the cake is completely cooled, slice each one in half. You will now have 4 slices.
- Starting with a cake layer at the bottom, add whipping cream and spread to the edges. Add some strawberry filling.
- Continue to alternate till you finish with your last layer. Add whipped cream to the top and decorate with whole strawberries and flowers.
- Enjoy!
Assembling The Cake
There’s no rule here as to how many layers you need to cut your cake into. Personally, I like cutting each cake into 2 making 4 layers in all. The same goes for the amount of cream and strawberry filling you add. It’s a personal preference, in our home, we like our strawberry shortcake with extra whipped cream and extra strawberries. This cake is best eaten the same day. If you have everything prepared ahead of time, you can assemble it just before your guests arrive.
I hope you enjoy this delicious strawberry shortcake recipe on a hot summer day. May it bring smiles to all who taste it. Thank you for stopping by today. If you love strawberries, make sure to check out these other recipes: Strawberry Lemonade, Strawberry Milkshake Popsicles, Custard and Berry Tarts, and Arugula Salad with Strawberries and Feta.
Elisa
