Easy Strawberry Shortcake Cake Recipe

7 Secrets to a Perfect Easy Strawberry Shortcake Cake Recipe

The dance of sweetness and light begins with the first glimpse of ruby red strawberries nestled against cloud like cream, a visual symphony that promises transcendent delight. This easy strawberry shortcake cake recipe isn’t merely a dessert it’s an invitation to experience summer’s essence captured between layers of tender cake. The journey from ingredients to masterpiece requires no advanced culinary training, merely the willingness to follow a path where simplicity and magnificence converge.

I stumbled upon this revelation during a midsummer gathering where my grandmother’s traditional strawberry shortcake had transformed into something both familiar and revolutionary a single magnificent cake that preserved all the beloved flavors while eliminating the fuss of individual biscuits. The transformation was nothing short of alchemical.

What distinguishes this creation is its elegant simplicity a celebration of fresh strawberries and cream that comes together in under an hour yet creates memories that linger far longer. Families particularly treasure this recipe for its accessibility and the way it brings everyone to the table with expressions of pure joy.

Much like our wildly popular No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake, this recipe honors the perfect marriage of berries and cream, though with a textural adventure all its own. The magic awaits in your kitchen shall we begin the delicious transformation?

What is easy strawberry shortcake cake recipe?

Have you ever wondered what happens when the beloved individual strawberry shortcakes decide to unite into one magnificent celebration? This easy strawberry shortcake cake recipe is that glorious union the democratic revolution of desserts where every bite delivers the perfect ratio of cake, cream, and berries without the architectural challenges of the traditional version.

Why call it a “shortcake” when it stands tall and proud, you ask? The name whispers of its ancestry that buttery, slightly crumbly texture that distinguishes shortcake from its spongier cousins. As my grandmother would say with a knowing wink, “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, but the path becomes considerably shorter when strawberry shortcake awaits at the destination.” Ready your forks and prepare for dessert enlightenment this cake won’t just satisfy your sweet tooth; it might just revolutionize your understanding of culinary possibility!

Why You’ll Love This easy strawberry shortcake cake recipe:

This transcendent creation captivates first through its visual poetry layers of golden cake embracing crimson strawberries and billowing cream, a chromatic celebration that promises sensory delight before the first taste even graces your palate. The economic wisdom of this homemade marvel reveals itself in comparison to its costly bakery counterparts; while premium strawberry shortcake cakes command upwards of $40 at specialty shops, this domestic masterpiece requires merely $15 of ingredients while yielding identical (perhaps even superior) results.

The true enchantment, however, lies in the interplay of textures and flavors the butter rich cake foundation providing structural integrity yet yielding tenderly to the fork, while fresh strawberries contribute both bright acidity and succulence, their natural sugars intensified through a brief maceration. Unlike our Strawberry Cream Cheese Trifle which celebrates layers in a different configuration, this cake presents a more cohesive architectural experience that transforms each slice into a perfect microcosm of the whole.

Haven’t you waited long enough to create this symphony of summer flavors in your own kitchen? The journey from ingredients to masterpiece awaits and your family will proclaim you the dessert virtuoso you’ve always known yourself to be.

How to Make easy strawberry shortcake cake recipe:

Quick Overview

This culinary revelation bridges the divide between impressive presentation and achievable technique, requiring no specialized equipment beyond standard kitchen tools and a willing spirit. The buttery cake foundation emerges golden and aromatic after just 30 minutes in the oven, while the strawberry preparation and assembly demand mere moments of attention. From first measure to final garnish, expect to invest approximately 45 minutes of active time a modest commitment that yields transcendent returns in the form of 12 generous slices of bliss.

Preparing the Strawberries:

1. Begin berry transformation: Hull and slice most of the strawberries, reserving a few perfect specimens for decorative garnish.
   
2. Awaken the juices: In a large bowl, combine sliced strawberries with sugar and lemon juice, gently tossing to coat. Allow this mixture to rest for at least 30 minutes, during which time the berries will release their ruby essence to form a natural syrup.

Creating the Whipped Cream:

Assembling the Masterpiece:

1. Create the foundation: Place one cake layer on your serving plate, flat side up.
   
2. Apply the first transformation: Spread a generous layer of whipped cream over the cake, creating a pillowy foundation approximately 1/2 inch thick.
   
3. Introduce the fruit: Arrange a layer of macerated strawberry slices over the cream, allowing some of their ruby juices to soak into both cream and cake.
   
4. Complete the architecture: Gently place the second cake layer on top, flat side down.
   
5. Adorn the creation: Spread the remaining whipped cream over the top and sides of the cake, creating a canvas of cloud like texture.
   
6. Final artistic touches: Decorate with reserved fresh strawberries whole berries, halves, or artistic arrangements according to your aesthetic vision.
   
7. The crucial pause: Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving, allowing flavors to meld and textures to harmonize.

What to Serve easy strawberry shortcake cake recipe With:

This summery masterpiece stands in magnificent isolation, requiring no accompaniment to achieve culinary completeness. However, certain pairings elevate the experience to new dimensions of delight. Consider serving alongside a demitasse of espresso, its bitter complexity creating counterpoint to the cake’s sweet nature. For celebratory occasions, a glass of Prosecco introduces effervescence that lightens and brightens each bite, while the classic pairing with Earl Grey tea allows bergamot notes to enhance the cake’s vanilla undertones.

For those seeking a more substantial complement, consider a small scoop of vanilla bean ice cream alongside each slice, creating a temperature contrast that awakens the palate. On particularly warm days, a pitcher of lavender lemonade provides refreshing acidity that cleanses the palate between indulgent bites, ensuring each taste remains as revelatory as the first.

Additional Recipes for the Transcendent Dessert Journey:

Within the constellation of sweet creations that orbit this strawberry revelation, several companion recipes emerge as worthy of exploration each a distinct universe of flavor yet harmoniously aligned with our primary creation. The Oreo Truffles offer a dialectical counterpoint through their chiaroscuro aesthetic and concentrated intensity, dark chocolate shells concealing a cosmic denseness of cookie cream philosophy rendered in spherical form. Moving toward the metaphysical lightness of being, the Peanut Butter Pie Recipes No Bake present an ontological question about the nature of dessert itself can profundity exist without thermal transformation? while their silken texture creates a phenomenological experience that transcends mere consumption to become a meditation on the essence of creaminess itself. Completing this triumvirate of possibility, the Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake emerges as a seasonal narrative where bitter darkness embraces earthy sweetness, autumnal spices mapping a journey through time rather than mere space, the chrysalis of pumpkin transformed through alchemical precision into a creation that illuminates the interconnectedness of garden, history, and human desire—each fork-transported bite a microcosm of culinary possibility.

Top Tips for Perfecting easy strawberry shortcake cake recipe:

1. The Berry Selection Ritual: Choose strawberries with discernment, seeking specimens that glow with vibrant red from stem to tip. Berries whose color fades to white near the stem often lack the intensity of flavor your cake deserves. Smaller berries frequently offer more concentrated flavor than their showier counterparts.
   
2. The Temperature Prophecy: Ensure all refrigerated ingredients butter, eggs, milk reach room temperature before beginning. Cold ingredients resist proper incorporation, creating a less harmonious final texture. Should you forget this step, place eggs in warm (not hot) water for 5 minutes and cut butter into small pieces to hasten their temperature transformation.
   
3. The Whipping Wisdom: For whipped cream that maintains structural integrity for days rather than hours, add 1 tablespoon of unflavored gelatin bloomed in 2 tablespoons of cold water and dissolved over low heat until liquid. Cool slightly before adding to cream mixture during whipping. This stabilization proves particularly valuable for cakes prepared in advance of serving.
   
4. The Flour Measurement Truth: Measuring flour by weight (225g) rather than volume ensures consistent results. If using measuring cups, fluff the flour, spoon it gently into the cup, and level with a straight edge rather than scooping directly from the container a technique that can compress flour and lead to dry, dense cake.
   
5. The Maceration Miracle: Allow sliced strawberries to commune with sugar for the full 30 minutes rushing this step diminishes the development of natural syrup that provides moisture and intense flavor to the final creation.
   
6. The Assembly Insight: A rotating cake stand transforms the frosting process from mechanical task to flowing meditation, allowing smooth, even application of whipped cream. No such tool? A lazy Susan covered with a non slip mat offers a reasonable alternative.
   
7. The Seasonal Secret: While this recipe reaches its apotheosis with summer strawberries, don’t hesitate to adapt to seasonal rhythms. In winter months, frozen strawberries (thawed and well drained) can substitute, though their texture becomes more suitable for the filling than for garnish.

Easy Strawberry Shortcake Cake Recipe

Recipe by Cristina NovaakCourse: DessertCuisine: Neo-Classical AmericanDifficulty: Accessible Profundity

Servings

12

servings

Prep time

40

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Calories

387

kcal

Ingredients

• For the Cake:

• 2 cups all purpose flour (the architectural foundation of our creation)

• 2 teaspoons baking powder (for structural elevation)

• 1/2 teaspoon salt (the counterpoint that enhances sweetness)

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (the contributor of richness and tender crumb)

• 1 cup granulated sugar (for sweetness balanced against the tart berries)

• 1 cup granulated sugar (for sweetness balanced against the tart berries)

• 2 large eggs, room temperature (binding agents and contributors to cake’s golden hue)

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (the aromatic essence that elevates all other flavors)

• 1/2 cup whole milk (providing moisture and tenderness)

• For the Strawberry Filling:

• 2 pounds fresh strawberries (approximately 2 quarts)

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar (to draw forth the berries’ natural juices)

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (the bright acidic note that intensifies berry flavor)

• For the Whipped Cream:

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream (the cloud like counterpoint to berries and cake)

• 1/3 cup powdered sugar (for stable sweetness)

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (the aromatic bridge between components)

Step by Step Instructions:

• Initiate the transformation: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C), creating the perfect alchemical environment. Grease and flour two 8 inch round cake pans, or line with parchment paper for seamless release.
• Harmonize the dry elements: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt creating the structural foundation for your creation.
• Begin the emulsion: In a separate large bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy approximately 3 4 minutes of mixer time. This crucial aeration creates the cake’s tender crumb.
• Introduce the binding agents: Add eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. This patient approach prevents curdling and ensures uniform texture.
• Add aromatic depth: Gently stir in the vanilla extract, allowing its complexity to permeate the mixture.
• Complete the batter: Alternately add the flour mixture and milk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour (three additions of flour, two of milk). Mix just until incorporated after each addition overmixing awakens gluten and toughens the final texture.
• Prepare for transformation: Divide the batter evenly between prepared pans, smoothing the surfaces with a spatula.
• Catalyze the change: Bake for 25 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center emerges with just a few moist crumbs. The cakes will appear golden and will have begun to pull away from the sides of the pans.
• Initial cooling: Allow cakes to rest in pans for 10 minutes a crucial settling period before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Nutrition Facts

• Calories: 385 kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 21g Saturated |Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 210mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 32g | Calcium: 98mg | Iron: 1mg | Potassium: 220mg

Storing and Reheating Tips:

This ephemeral creation reaches its zenith within the first 24 hours of existence, when textures maintain their distinct integrity while flavors have begun their harmonious mingling. Store any temporarily uneaten portions in the refrigerator, covered loosely with plastic wrap or placed under a cake dome tight sealing compresses the delicate whipped cream architecture.

The cake maintains worthy quality for up to three days refrigerated, though the whipped cream may slowly weep and the cake gradually absorbs moisture from the berries a transformation some connoisseurs actually prefer. Beyond three days, quality diminishes notably, making this a dessert best planned for occasions where appreciation will be immediate and thorough.

Freezing is not recommended for the assembled cake, as the thawing process irrevocably alters the texture of both cream and berries. However, the cake layers alone may be frozen (wrapped tightly in plastic, then foil) for up to one month, allowing partial preparation well in advance of need. Thaw frozen layers in their wrapping at room temperature for about two hours before proceeding with assembly.

This creation requires no reheating indeed, heat would prove its undoing. However, for optimal flavor appreciation, remove refrigerated cake from cold storage approximately 20 minutes before serving, allowing it to temper slightly. This brief warming awakens the dormant flavors, particularly the vanilla notes in both cake and cream, creating a more complete sensory experience.

The journey from ingredients to masterpiece may seem simple methodical even yet the result transcends the sum of its parts. In this easy strawberry shortcake cake recipe, we find not merely sustenance but celebration, not just flavor but memory incarnate. May your creation bring the same joy to your table that it has to countless others who have followed this path to sweet perfection.