This Strawberry shortcake recipe may be one my favourite summer cakes. This strawberry shortcake is moist with a tender crumb, soaked in macerated berry juices, and topped with a cloud of mascarpone whip and sweet juicy strawberries. I love to serve this one as soon as it’s assembled so all the elements of this cake are super fresh and delicious. Meet the summer cake of your dreams!
Traditionally, strawberry shortcakes are made on a biscuit/scone like base. They’re sliced, layered with berries and whip, sandwiched, and the topped with more. They sure are delicious, but dare I say, I prefer this cake version better. This strawberry shortcake starts off with a beautifully baked vanilla bean cake layer. While it cools, we work on the macerated berries and whipped cream. Once the cake has fully cooled, the caramelization is trimmed off the top so we can soak the cake. As the berries macerate in sugar, they release their natural juices, which becomes the perfect syrup to soak our cake layer in. Before serving, soak the layer in the strawberry juices, top with a lot of mascarpone whipped cream, and pile it high with the strawberries.
Baking the layer – Always ensure your pan is properly buttered or sprayed. I like to go the extra mile and pop in a parchment round and strip in my pan – this will guarantee a perfect release everytime.
Converting pan size – If you’d rather make a smaller stacked cake, you can bake this batter in two 5” or 6” pans. Decrease the baking temperature by 5-10 minutes.
Assembly and serving – This is a no-fuss cake and comes together effortlessly. You want to assemble this cake fairly close to when you’ll be serving it – prepping it 2-3 hours in advance is great, but you definitely don’t want to assemble this one overnight. It is best eaten the day of, and while I am guilty of saving myself a piece of this one to enjoy even a few days later, it will lose freshness.
This vanilla bean cake comes together in one bowl and it truly is the most effortless of my cake recipes. All the ingredients should be at room temperature before starting. While baking this layer, keep the oven door closed until you hit atleast the 40 minute mark. The result is a beautifully caramelized vanilla bean layer that makes the perfect base for this strawberry shortcake.
This whip is stable and lush. It’s based in mascarpone which adds a delicate flavour that compliments the berries and cake so well. You can sub the mascarpone for cream cheese here if you like, but I do highly recommend keeping it as is.
The macerated strawberries really make this cake for me. Strawberries have a 92% water content, so tossing them in sugar draws out all those gorgeous juices. The berries get extra juicy this way, and also create the most perfect syrup that soaks into the cake layer. Do not skip this step!
Cake flour – Cake flour will give your cake layer the most tender and melt-in-your-mouth crumb. This type of flour has a lower gluten content (7-9%) vs. all-purpose flour (8-11%), which is why it results in a soft crumb.
Vanilla bean + Vanilla extract – The addition of vanilla bean caviar and vanilla extract are what elevates this cake and gives a simple yellow cake it’s depth. It pairs very nicely with the sweet and slightly tart berries. Do not skimp out here.
Sour cream – The sour cream in this cake results in a moist and tender cake. The addition of sour cream adds moisture and richness that is sometimes missing in vanilla cakes.
Melted butter – There is a time and place for oil in a cake, but the addition of butter is supreme in my opinion. It adds richness and flavour that really shines through, while also giving your cake a slightly densev but still moist crumb.
Whole milk – Whole milk is my favourite liquid to thin out cake batter. It’s addition doesn’t compromise the moisture in a cake and always leads to a rich cake.
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