Strawberry Shortcake
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks butter, at room temperature
1 ½ plus ¼ cups sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup milk
3 to 4 cups quartered strawberries
1 cup chilled heavy cream beaten with 2 Tablespoons sugar
powdered sugar for dusting
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease and flour a baking pan – preferably a Mary Ann Cake Pan. If you use a 9x13 inch pan - after baking cut out a rectangular well in the top to set the whipped cream and berries into.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Beat the butter on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes, until smooth and creamy.
- Add 1 ½ cups sugar gradually while on low speed.
- Increase the speed to medium high and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Make sure to stop occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Beat in the vanilla.
- Reduce the speed to low and add the flour, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean – about 30 - 40 minutes.
- Transfer pan to a wire rack and cool for 15 minutes.
- Carefully turn the cake out and cool completely, at least 1 hour.
- Meanwhile in a nonreactive bowl, combine the berries and ¼ cup of the sugar.
- Cover and refrigerate until the berries have released their juices, 1 to 2 hours.
- Just before serving pour the berries through a sieve reserving the juices. Brush the well of the cake with the juices.
- Reserve ¼ cup of the whipped cream and spoon the remaining whipped cream into the well, spreading it to the edges.
- Arrange the berries on top of the whipped cream and then top with the reserved whipped cream.
