Classic Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

Classic Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

Ingredients:

2 pounds strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced

2 tablespoons brown sugar, or to taste

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided

5 tablespoons very cold unsalted butter

1 egg

2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk, divided

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, preferably freshly grated

1 cup whipping cream

2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar, or to taste

2 tablespoons softened butter

Instructions:
Arrange an oven rack on the top position, preheat oven to 450 degrees and butter a 9-inch round cake pan. Combine the strawberries with the brown sugar, reserving a few whole berries for decoration, correct for sweetness and let the berries macerate.

Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and 1/4 cup sugar. With your fingertips, rub the cold butter into the flour mixture until it clumps and resembles cornmeal. Make a well in the flour mixture, add the egg and 2/3 cup milk and mix the liquids together. Mix in the flour mixture to form a thick batter. Do not overmix.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, brush the top with 1 tablespoon milk and pat the cake out flat to fill the pan. Combine the nutmeg and 2 tablespoons sugar, then sprinkle it over the batter. Bake the shortcake on the top rack for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

In the meantime, whip the cream with the confectioners’ sugar until soft peaks form. When the cake is ready, split it in half, butter both halves with the soft butter, and place the bottom half on a serving plate. Pour the strawberries and their juice over the bottom half, place the top half of the cake over the strawberries, cut into wedges and serve immediately with the whipped cream and the whole strawberries as garnish.