Strawberry Shortcakes
Taking a ride down memory lane with this cake today. And it feels so good! Today we're making strawberry shortcakes because it's that season. And strawberry shortcake is tha best!So, this cake is near and dear to my heart. I'm not a huge cake person, but I LOVE this cake! My grandma used to make this for us sometimes for after dinner and we'd eat it by itself (it's that good) or with some strawberries and creme on it.
I've talked about it before, but I've always had a sweet tooth. I like to have something sweet after or with pretty much every meal. And that's something I'm ok with. Paul's gotten the hang of things and brings out the Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate after dinner each night. Good man! So I mentioned that my grandma used to make this cake. Well, I was on the phone with her the other day (we talk every week and I love it!) and we were reminiscing and I was like, "remember that cake you used to make that was so good and so simple?" She called it her simple yellow cake :) I asked for the recipe because I wanted to make it for an event I'm hosting (see below for details) and she replied, "but it doesn't have healthy ingredients." I was like..."I know :) " You see, you don't have to only bake something because it's "healthy". I remember trying to exchange ingredients with healthy ones all the time, and though some things turned out ok...others DID NOT! But really, I'm not a fan of vegan cashew cheesecake. There's some things you just don't use healthy substitutions with. Especially when the recipe says "vegan" and "cheese"...because we all know that's a contradiction.
But know this. You can eat whole grain rice and pasta and sprouted bread and coconut yogurt and almond milk and greek yogurt and whatever other healthy foods that make you feel well and strong most of the time. But there's room for plain ole white flour and refined sugar and whole fat whipped cream. And it's ok to be satisfied by that...actually, you're more likely to be satisfied by real ingredients (yes that includes real sugar and real milk) than "healthy" alternatives most of the time. And part of being a human being enjoying life can mean eating less healthy foods and recipes. And that's ok. Just know that it's ok.So, this cake is as easy as it gets. All you have to do is pretty much dump everything into the mixer, mix for 3 minutes and then bake. It comes out perfect every time...which is what I like! Isn't it the worst when you put so much time and effort in making something and it flops! Yeah, don't have time for that.
I hope you enjoy!
And like I said I made this recipe for an event I'm working on. I've mentioned on Instagram recently that I'm hosting a local event in collaboration with some friends that own a coffee shop/cafe in the area and they were kind enough to hand over the reigns to me with creating a dessert for the evening. Basically, the event is called "Healthy Balanced You" and it's a girls only dinner party and healthy eating workshop...doesn't get much more fun than that! LOL. So, on the menu is going to be their house salad, a rockin avocado toast, and finishing with this strawberry shortcake recipe. If you're in Westchester County NY or even NYC, I'd love for you to join me!
Strawberry Shortcakes
Serves 9 Prep & Cook Time 1 hr
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 cup white sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
16 oz heavy whipping cream
2 Tbs white sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
sliced strawberries
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a mixer or medium sized bowl. Stir/mix until combined. Add in milk, butter, egg, and vanilla and beat on medium- high speed for 3 minutes. Spray or grease a 9x9 glass pan and pour in mixture. Bake for 35-40 minutes until toothpick comes out clean from center. Allow to cool.
While cake is cooling, prepare whipped cream. Combine heavy whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla in mixer and mix with whisk attachment until peaks form and cream is thick. Wash and slice strawberries, then layer your cakes. Cut cooled cake into 9 squares. Slice each square to have 2 halves. Layer on sliced strawberries, top with whipped cream, then other half of cake and finish with a last dollop of whipped cream and strawberry for garnish. Enjoy!