Some days I have less inspiration than others, today was one of those days. I opened my eyes to see a grey sky, which instantly set the tone for my mood. It took me much longer to peel myself from my sheets and even longer to tackle my morning chores. The absence of sunshine brought a noticeable absence of joy to my home. Once cleaning up the house and showering I had two options: sit around and wait for something to change my mood, or do something proactive that I knew would make me happy. Baking is very therapeutic for me; I love the steps and rhythms that leave me with a beautiful result and I always feel accomplished and fulfilled. I scanned through my fridge to see if I even had anything to make, noticing a carton of heavy whipping cream and a box of strawberries - that's it strawberry, shortcake it is, I decided! Strawberry shortcake is traditionally a Summer treat but it was exactly what I needed to pull me out of this foggy funk and remind me of sunnier Summer days! I recommend it!
Total Time: 1 hr 15 min
Cake Ingredients:
12 tablespoons butter (1 1/2 sticks), at room temp
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temp
3/4 cups sour cream, room temp
2 tablespoons coconut cream (optional but highly recommended!)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
Whipped Cream:
1 cup heavy cream chilled
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pint fresh strawberries
1. Preheat the oven to 350˚ degrees.
2. Butter and flour two 8-inch cake pans and line them with parchment paper. This is seriously my least favorite part about baking and often deters me from making things that require this step. :(
3. Cream the butter and sugar on high in an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Lower the speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time. Once eggs are combined add the sour cream, coconut cream and vanilla. Turn off the mixer. In a separate bowl stir together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda. Now, at a low speed add this dry mixture to the sugar mixture only until smooth. Do not over mix!
4. Evenly distribute the batter between cake pans. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Let the cakes cool!
5. Whip the cream, sugar, and vanilla with a whisk attachment on an electric mixer. Whisk until firm.
6. Use half the whipped cream in the center then cover with sliced strawberries. Use the remaining whipped cream on the top layer covering with remaining strawberries!
