We put a twist on old-fashioned strawberry shortcake and added in fresh mint. Juicy macerated strawberries provide the ideal contrast to thick whipped cream and a dense, buttery biscuit.
DID YOU KNOW?
In the 1850s, Americans threw strawberry shortcake parties to celebrate the summer fruit harvest. The popular biscuit-and-fruit dessert was served hot with butter and sweetened cream. Leave it to the French to amp up the decadence: In 1910, pastry chefs replaced the topping with whipped heavy cream. Ooh la la.
Back in the day all recipes were done by hand, so it’s fine if you don’t have an electric mixer. It will take a bit more time, but you get a nice arm workout!
If you aren’t serving all the shortcakes at once, save extra whipped cream and berry-mint mixture in separate containers. Shortcakes get soggy if assembled too far in advance.
STEP 1
Wow, you’ve got some beautiful ingredients! Once you’ve unpacked your Red Velvet kit, preheat oven to 400°F. Wash and dry strawberries and mint. Cut off stems and cut each berry into quarters. Finely chop mint into thin strips.
STEP 2
In a small bowl, mix berries and mint with granulated sugar (for topping). Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes so that juices can develop.
STEP 3
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar (for cakes), and salt. Add heavy cream (for cakes) and mix with a large spoon until just combined. Place mixture in an ungreased 8-inch round (or square) pan and sprinkle with large-grain sugar. Bake until golden, 18 to 20 minutes.
STEP 4
Remove shortcake from pan and place on a wire rack to cool slightly. Cut into 6 equal pieces using a serrated knife. When cool, cut each piece in half horizontally to make a shortcake “sandwich.”
STEP 5
In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the heavy cream and sugar (for whipped cream) until soft peaks form, about 1 to 2 minutes.
STEP 6
When ready to serve, spoon 1 or 2 large dollops of whipped cream onto each shortcake bottom. Add strawberry-mint mixture. Place shortcake top to close the “sandwich.” Spoon more whipped cream, berries, and juice on top, and serve.