This vanilla bean strawberry shortcake is my take on the New England style strawberry shortcake that my mother makes. This shortcake has a dense biscuit-like consistency and lots of vanilla flavor. The biscuit is cut in half, the juice from the strawberries is drizzled over, then a large dollop of vanilla whipped cream goes on top, and then the berries, and finally the second half of the biscuit gets placed on top. This dessert is perfect for summer, especially now that strawberry are in season. I love how this dense cake soaks up the juice from the berries.
It wasn’t until college that I learned that Strawberry Shortcake is something very different in other parts of the country. In New York, and other parts of the United States, strawberry shortcake refers to a light sponge cake, with fresh sliced strawberries, and a whipped frosting. I can see why some people love this version of strawberry shortcake, but – true to my New England roots, I love the classic dense biscuit style strawberry shortcake.
I baked in shortcake in mini loaf pans, making a dessert for two. Instead, you could bake the shortcake in a cake pan, and then cut it into six slices.
Total time: 1 hour
Serves: 6
You will need:
2 cups Flour
2 tablespoons Sugar
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
3/4 teaspoons Salt
2 Eggs
1 3/4 cups Heavy Whipping Cream
1 Vanilla Bean
Step 1:
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease your pan.
Step 2:
Place all ingredients except the vanilla bean in a large mixing bowl.
Step 3:
Slice the vanilla bean down the middle. Open it up and scrap out the inside. Then add 3/4 of it to the other ingredients, and set aside the rest.
Step 4:
Use a mixer to combine the ingredients for the shortcake.
Step 5:
Pour the batter into the pan (or pans). Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees, and then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and cook for 8-12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
For the Strawberries:
1 quart Strawberries (I used Driscolls)
1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
3 tablespoons Sugar
Hull and slice the strawberries. Combine the strawberries, lemon juice, and sugar in a bowl. Let sit for at least 30 minutes.
For the Whipped Cream:
2 cups Heavy Whipping Cream
3 tablespoons Sugar
Vanilla Bean (the amount you set aside)
Combine all the ingredients. Use an electric mixer to beat the whipped cream until it forms soft peaks.
Assembly:
Slice the shortcake in half. Spoon some juice from the strawberries over. Add a generous amount of whipped cream. Top with a scoop of strawberries, and then the second half of the biscuit.
This post was sponsored by Driscolls.