Strawberry Shortcake

Recipe from Bon Appétit  | May 2008

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Our friends, Janet and Nathan, invited us to a strawberry party where we feasted on the last of the strawberries from their garden.  First, we had strawberry daiquiris, then a delicious salad of their spring lettuces and strawberries with a strawberry vinaigrette.  Afterwards, we enjoyed their strawberries over two shortcakes that I made.  I made two different types of shortcake for us to taste test.  It turns out that both types were great, but it was like comparing apples to oranges because they were totally different in texture and flavor.  This recipe made a fabulously moist, rich cake that would taste wonderful all by itself.  We all agreed that this cake would be best with fruits (peaches and plums come to mind) and berries (blueberries!) that don’t create a lot of juice since the juice of the crushed strawberries turned the cake into a kind of mush (delicious mush though.)  I will definitely make this cake again when the other summer fruits are bountiful!  The other shortcake (Strawberry Shortcake Biscuits) was more biscuit-like and tasted best with the crushed strawberry juice soaked in.  

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

1 1/2 cups cake flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup whole milk

2 large eggs

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract


Preheat oven to 350°. Spray 9-inch diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides with nonstick spray. Sprinkle bottom and sides of pan with sugar; tap out any excess sugar. Whisk flour and baking powder in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat 1 cup sugar, cream cheese, and butter in large bowl to blend. Beat milk, eggs, and vanilla in another medium bowl to blend. Beat milk mixture into cream cheese mixture. Add dry ingredients; beat until smooth. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Sprinkle remaining 1 tablespoon sugar over top of batter.

Bake cake until golden brown on top and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool in pan on rack.

Notes: 

•   Serve plain or with fresh berries or fruit along with sweetened whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, sweetened mascarpone cheese or sweetened Greek yogurt. 

•   This cake can be doubled easily. 

•   Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.