July 09, 2020

Strawberry Shortcake with Cream

Fresh and light Strawberry Shortcake is the perfect summer dessert for your family. We used to serve this crowd-pleaser at our cafe, Chocolate Lab, in San Francisco. Accompany the cake with fresh pastry cream filling and house-made whipped cream.

Yields: About 10 2 oz biscuits   Time: About 1 Hour

Shortcake Ingredients:

    • 2 cup (250g) All-purpose Flour, Stored in freezer
    • ½ tea (3g) Salt, Stored in freezer
    • ½ tea (2.5g) Baking Soda, Stored in freezer
    • 2 tea (9.0g) Baking Powder, Stored in freezer
    • 1Tbl (12.5g) Sugar, Stored in freezer
    • 4.5oz (125g) Unsalted Butter, frozen, cubed
    • 5.5oz (160g) Buttermilk
    • 4Tbl (60g) Heavy Cream; Reserve for brushing top of biscuits before baking.
    • Strawberries, de-stemmed, cut into 1/4 disks

    Pastry Cream Ingredients:

    • 1.5 cups (365g) Whole Milk
    • 4Tbl (50g) Sugar
    • 1/3 cup (85g) Yolks
    • 2Tbl (25g) Sugar to add to yolks
    • ¼ cup (32g) Cornstarch
    • Pinch of Salt
    • 1 Vanilla Bean

    Whipped Cream Ingredients:

    • 1 cup heavy cream whipped
    • 1 tsp-2 tsp confectioners’ sugar

          Make the Shortcake:

          1. Mix, flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and sugar until blended.

          2. Add frozen butter cubes, cut butter until dry mixture resembles cornmeal consistency.

          3. Add buttermilk to dry/butter mixture, just until dough forms. Don’t over mix.

          4. Turn out onto floured table, roll, and cut into square biscuits (about 3x3).

          5. Allow cut biscuits to rest for 30 minutes.

          6. Bake in 350-degree oven for 15-20 mins.

          7. While biscuits are baking, toss the cut strawberries in 1-2 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Set aside in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to allow them to macerate.

          Make the Pastry Cream Filling:

          Be sure the Shortcake biscuits are cool before topping and assembling with pastry cream and whipped cream.

          1. Using a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat milk, 4Tbl sugar and vanilla bean to a scald.

          2. While milk is heating, whisk together, yolks, 2Tbl sugar, salt, and cornstarch.

          3. When the milk reaches a scald, temper yolks with milk- then add the remaining amount of milk to eggs, let stand for 30 seconds, then whisk till thickened.

          4. Return to the burner set at medium heat, cookout custard to set starch.

          Make the Whipped Cream Filling:

          We recommend making the whipped cream right before serving.

          1. Whip cream to soft peaks with sugar and set aside in refrigerator until ready to assemble shortcakes.

          Assemble the Cakes:

          Be sure the Shortcake biscuits are cool before topping and assembling with pastry cream and whipped cream.

          1. Take 1 cooled biscuit and top with pastry cream, macerated strawberries and whipped cream.
          2. Enjoy open-faced or top with a second Shortcake biscuit to create an indulgent shortcake sandwich.