Classic Strawberry Shortcake with Whipped Cream Baked Until the Center Springs Back

Classic Strawberry Shortcake with Whipped Cream Baked Until the Center Springs Back keeps the shopping list focused on all-purpose flour, baking powder, and kosher salt. It serves 8 people.

Count on 15 minutes of prep, 15 minutes of cooking, about 30 minutes from the first measurement to the plate.

Ingredients Method

What goes in the bowl

For the Shortcake

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter softened, for the shortcake dough
• ½ cup milk approximate
• 1 quart strawberries
• ½ cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter for dotting

For the Lemon Whipped Cream

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• ¼ cup powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons lemon rind

How the cooking goes

Make the shortcakes

1. Warm the oven to 400°F (not convection).
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add butter, working it thoroughly into the flour mixture with hands by rubbing it between your fingers or using a pastry blender. The butter should be no longer visible and should look like wet sand.
3. Using a fork, lightly mix in the milk – just enough to make a soft dough. Start with 1/4 cup then then add more as you go. The dough should not be crumbly but it shouldn't be sticky either. You want to add milk just to the point where it all holds together when lifted. Just like with pie crust, you want to do this step as quickly as possible to ensure a light, flavorful shortcake.
4. Divide dough in half and pat each portion on the bottom of an 8-inch cake pan. The dough is cohesive enough that you can press it into two square pans or rimmed sheet pans – whichever you have on hand is fine. The dough will not reach the edges but press it until it is a little fatter than 1/4 inch thick.
5. Bake in preheated 400°F oven for about 15 minutes or until golden.

Prepare the macerated strawberries

1. While the shortcakes bake, wash and hull the berries. Divide the strawberries between two bowls. Crush half of the berries in one bowl and add ¼ cup of granulated sugar. Leave the remaining berries whole and sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup sugar. This makes a perfectly sweet strawberry sauce. If you want it less sweet and more healthy, then you think you could safely cut this back to ¼ cup for the full recipe (⅛ cup for each half of strawberries).
2. Cover the berries and allow to sit at ambient temperature to release their juices.

Make the lemon whipped cream

1. Tip whipping cream into your mixing bowl or the bowl of a electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Sift powdered sugar directly over the whipping cream.
2. Add the lemon zest. You can taste it at this point to see if you would like to add more zest.
3. Whisk briskly to combine. If whisking in a electric mixer, it is best to whip on medium-low speed. This will give you a dense, rich whipped cream that is akin to having whipped it by hand.
4. Beat vigorously until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes. Continue whisking if you want stiffer peaks or if you want to pipe the whipped cream.

Assemble

1. Take shortcakes from the oven and, while still hot, dot surfaces with butter.
2. Strain crushed berries in a colander (save the juice) and spoon the strained berries on one layer of shortcake. Place the second shortcake on top. Return to oven for about 5 minutes, then pour fresh strawberry juice over the top and serve warm with whipped cream and whole macerated strawberries.

After it comes off the heat

Chill it for the time the method names before serving. Keep leftovers covered in the refrigerator.

If you want another plate from Cakes, open Carrot Cake with a Soft Crumb and Pumpkin Dump Cake Baked Until the Center Springs Back.