Nothing is more delicious than a light as air cake topped with sweet strawberries and whipped cream. And this Strawberry Shortcake recipe is no exception. Fresh, sweet and almost too pretty to eat, but eat them anyway 'cause they're so good!
No....not the doll (although I loved her growing up - almost as much as I love this shortcake :-).
Today is National Strawberry Shortcake Day so I'm celebrating with one of my top 3 desserts of all time! It's a simple classic that can be served for any occasion.
The best time to make this is when strawberries are in season - they are the reddest, juiciest berries that need no extra sugar and the sweetness is at it's peak. Right now we are enjoying all the benefits of living in Florida and being able to stop by Plant City and pick them right in the fields. Oh yum! I wonder how many people eat as many as they pick? (no names here - :-))
There are so many delicious ways to use them besides this yummy dessert. There is a healthy Spinach Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad, Strawberry & Mint Spa Water (a delicious way to elevate your water intake), kicked up Strawberry Lemonade (for adults only) and Banana Strawberry Muffins, just to name a few.
And they're so good for you too! Strawberries are low in calories, sodium, sugar and are fat free. They are also high in antioxidants, Vitamin C, folate and fiber.
Now you're probably asking what that means for you. Well, strawberries boost immunity, fight bad cholesterol, aid in keeping wrinkles at bay, regulates blood pressure, reduces inflammation and helps with weight management by slowing the absorption of sugar. Now I'd say that's some super berry so go ahead and eat up!
By the way, you can make this recipe even simpler by using a boxed angel food cake mix and canned whipped cream. It will still come out delicious and make a fantastic presentation at the end of any dinner.
STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE
Ingredients
- 1 cup cake flour
- 1 ½ cups + 2 Tablespoons super fine sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 12 egg whites, room temperature
- ⅓ cup water
- 1 ½ teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- Whipped Cream
- 1.5 quarts fresh or frozen strawberries, sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Very lightly grease mini-bundt pans or place paper liners in cupcake pans.
- In a medium bowl, sift together cake flour, ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons sugar and salt.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites, water and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Slowly add in remaining sugar. Add extracts.
- Slowly fold in flour-sugar mixture into creamed mixture.
- Spoon into prepared mini-bundt or cupcake pans.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown and top cracks feel dry. Cool on wire rack.
- To serve: Pop out mini bundt cakes or remove paper liner from cupcakes and place on plate.
- Split each horizontally and fill with whipped cream and strawberries. Replace top back on and garnish with more strawberries and whipped cream.
- Serve immediately.
