Strawberry Shortcake

Method

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1. Toss the strawberries with the caster sugar and lemon juice and leave at room temperature for 30 minutes, stirring once. They will slump and give up a deep red syrup.

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2. Heat the oven to 220°C / 425°F and line a tray.

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3. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt, then rub in the cold butter with your fingertips until it is in flattened pieces from pea to almond size. Leave it uneven — those pieces become layers.

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4. Beat the 280 ml of cream with the egg and pour it in, then bring the dough together with a few strokes of a spatula. It should look shaggy and barely combined.

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5. Tip onto a floured surface, pat into a 3 cm slab, fold it in half, and pat out again. Do this twice — no more.

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6. Cut into 8 squares with a sharp knife, or stamp rounds without twisting the cutter, and space them on the tray.

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7. Brush the tops with cream and scatter with demerara.

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8. Bake 16 to 18 minutes until risen and deep golden. Cool 10 minutes — warm, not hot.

   Mark done Start 16 min timer

9. Whip the 400 ml of cream with the icing sugar and vanilla to soft peaks that slump when the whisk is lifted.

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10. Split each shortcake, spoon strawberries and plenty of syrup over the base, add a heap of cream, and set the lid on at an angle.

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Chef’s Tips

• Do not twist the cutter. It seals the layered edge and the shortcakes rise lopsided.
• Soft peaks for the cream, always. Stiff cream tastes of nothing and sits on the fruit like a hat.
• Assemble at the table. Built ahead, the shortcakes go soggy within twenty minutes.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• Double cream won't whip if you swap it, but for the cooking itself, full-fat crème fraîche or a lower-fat single cream works in its place.

Pairing Suggestions

• A glass of cold Moscato
• Black coffee
• More strawberries

Storage & Reheating

The shortcakes keep 2 days in a tin and refresh in 5 minutes at 180°C. Macerated fruit keeps 3 days refrigerated. Assemble to order.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.