Strawberry Lemon Shortcake

EVENT: SUNDAY FUNDAY

THEME: SHORTCAKE

RECIPE: STRAWBERRY LEMON SHORTCAKE

Strawberry Lemon Shortcake is a perfect spring summer time dessert with homemade shortcake or biscuit, whipped fresh cream and juicy strawberries. A decadent and filling dessert, the shortcake comes together within an hour.

 

WHAT IS SHORTCAKE?

Well, when Sue suggested the theme, I had to give this new bake a try. But what is shortcake I had to ask myself. It is such an American term, something that I had not paid much attention till this theme came up. As my research began, got more and more interesting.  Shortcake has nothing to do with the height of the cake. It apparently is derived from an old English cooking definition of short which referred to something made crisp with the addition of fat.

In US it is also known as a biscuit. Not the biscuit that most Anglophone countries would associate with.. the flat crispy crunchy bake.  In US shortcake or biscuit is what UK knows as scone.

Addition of a generous amount of fat, in this case butter makes the shortcake crispy on top and soft  crumbly cake like in the middle.

SPRING/ SUMMER POPULAR DESSERT

I believe that Strawberry Shortcake is quite popular in US with the onset of spring and strawberry season. As I love strawberries, was quite intrigued by this dessert. Went on the internet and did a research and there are so many variations of the basic scone or biscuit recipe. At the end, I found that the recipe from bon appétit and Natasha’s Kitchen the most helpful.

SHAPING THE SHORTCAKE DOUGH:

• Pat the dough into a rectangle, about 1″ in thickness. Take a cookie cutter. Dip in some flour and cut rounds. Gather up the remaining dough. Pat it again and cut.
• Pat the dough into a rectangle. Cut it into half lengthwise and then into squares. This way there is no leftover dough.
• Divide the dough into two. Pat each part into a big circle about 1″ thick. Bake them. Use the circles as the base and top. Then you cut the strawberry shortcake into slices and serve, much like a normal cake.
• Using a small cookie cutter, cut small circles. Bake. Use the small ones to make strawberry shortcake parfait.

SUNDAY FUNDAY

By the way, Sunday Funday is a group of Food Bloggers. Every Sunday we  share some fun, traditional, hearty or easy recipes to make Sunday Family Meals a bit more exciting. To join this fun group, visit the Sunday Funday Facebook Page. Request to join in.

THEME: SHORTCAKE

Sue who blogs at Palatable Pastimes suggested the following: “Create a recipe for shortcake- traditional, creative, however you like.
Can be for just the cake or the entire dessert”.

I decided to go the traditional way, baking the shortcake and adding whipped fresh cream and macerated strawberries. And don’t regret trying out the recipe for the first time. What a delicious, yummy, filling dessert. Be warned, the dessert can be quite heavy.

As much as I was eager to try out a new recipe, I was at the same time hesitant to switch on the oven. Suddenly from low winter temperatures we have jumped to 30ºC. Where did Spring go? Even at around 8pm. the temperatures hover between 27-30ºC! And also suddenly strawberries disappeared! Last week they were on offer and the packet we bought, we ate them up!

Went to two supermarkets but no signs of strawberries. Then on Friday hubby went to buy some milk. He saw strawberries in the organic section and bought them as he too was eagerly waiting for a dessert. I told he shouldn’t have as they are pretty expensive compared to the normal ones. But his reply ” dear you are passionate about one thing and that is cooking, so I have to get you your ingredients, even if it means going to the ends of the earth”. Not sure should I believe that or his craving for a dessert!

 

• Buttermilk Shortcakes with Macerated Berries from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Chocolate Strawberry Shortcakes from Palatable Pastime
• Eggless Jam Shortcake Swirls from Sneha’s Recipe
• Leftover Lemon Loaf Mixed Berry Shortcake from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Mini Strawberry Shortcake Parfaits from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Strawberry Lemon Shortcake from Mayuri’s Jikoni
• Strawberry Shortcake with Sweet Biscuits from Amy’s Cooking Adventures

SOME STRAWBERRY RECIPES YOU MAY LIKE:

 

INGREDIENTS REQUIRED FOR STRAWBERRY LEMON SHORTCAKE

FOR THE SHORTCAKE:

• Plain Flour – All purpose flour
• Cold Butter – unsalted or salted. I have used salted. Cut in tiny pieces or grate the cold butter. Warm butter will not work well for this recipe. I cut the butter into small pieces as grating was not an option, it is just too hot for Spring Time.
• Lemon Zest – I added lemon zest to make the shortcake more flavourful.
• Double Cream – or whipping cream, cold. Can replace it with sour cream.
• Cold Milk – must be cold and not at room temperature. Can use buttermilk instead.
• Baking Powder
• Baking Soda – Soda Bicarbonate.
• Sugar – add according to your taste.
• Black Poppy Seeds – I added some as I have them. Totally optional.
• Salt – I have used normal iodized salt.

FOR THE CREAM LAYER:

• Whipping Cream
• Powdered Sugar – can use icing or confectioners’ sugar.
• Vanilla Extract
• Lemon Zest
• Salt – just need a pinch. Brings out the flavours.

FOR THE STRAWBERRY LAYER:

• Fresh Strawberries – hulled and cut into quarters or slices
• Sugar
• Lemon Juice

PIN FOR LATER:

 

A little request:

If you do try this recipe then please either
add a comment below,
send a picture to my email mayuri.ajay.patel62@gmail.com
tag me as #mayuri_jikoni on Instagram
or tag me on Twitter as #Mayuri1962