I drove back to New York to spend the 4th with my parents, and like any other trip home, it involves a lot of cooking, baking, grilling and cocktails. We picked sour cherries and strawberries from a local fruit farm, and made a lovely pie, and this deliciously easy strawberry shortcake.
I found this shortcake recipe on Delish, when they featured my Sky-High Strawberry Shortcake in a strawberry shortcake roundup. This Amish Shortcake recipe from Tastes of Lizzy T’s has basic ingredients almost everyone keeps on hand, is super quick to whip together, and there’s no biscuit cutting for mess free prep.
Going back home is always relaxing. My parents have several vegetable and flower gardens scattered around their yard; I always stock up on fresh veggies and hand pick a bouquet of flowers to take back to PA. This year my spoils included snow peas, escarole and wildflowers.
Even Aida loves going to NY. Aida enjoys any sort of car ride, but rides to Grandma and Grandpa’s house are her absolute favorite; there’s a whole yard filled with birds and squirrels to bother, and she can run around unrestricted and bask in the sunshine as long as she wants.
This shortcake comes together much like my favorite Any-Fruit Coffee Cake, and would be delicious with a lot of different summer fruits. Strawberries are obviously awesome, but any combination of peaches, nectarines, blueberries, raspberries or blackberries would be delicious with softly whipped cream.
Any-Fruit Shortcake
Adapted from Tastes of Lizzy T’s Makes 9 servings You can make this with any fresh seasonal fruit you would like. We served this with strawberries, but peaches and blueberries would also be delicious. The cake makes 9 servings – if you won’t be using the full cake for shortcakes, adjust the amount of fruit accordingly. Plan on needing 3/4 cup of cleaned and prepared fruit per shortcake serving.Shortcake
2 cups (240 grams) flour4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1/3 cup (76 grams) butter
2/3 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
Crumb Topping
1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar1/2 cup (60 grams) flour
3 tablespoons (43 grams) butter
Fruit & Whipped Cream
2 quarts strawberries, rinsed, hulled and quartered or other seasonal fruit*2 to 4 tablespoons sugar, to taste
2 cups of heavy cream
3 tablespoons confectionary sugar, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pre-heat oven to 350-degrees; if you’re using a glass baking dish lower to 330-degrees. Butter 8 x 8-inch cake pan or baking dish and set aside.
Make crumbs with the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and butter. Add milk and beaten egg, mixing until just combined. Spread the mixture into a prepared cake pan and set aside.
Make the crumb topping by mixing the flour, sugar and butter together until crumbly. Sprinkle it on top of the batter in the cake pan. Bake the cake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cake cool on a wire rack while preparing fruit.
Prepare fruit tossing it with desired amount of sugar and let sit at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes to macerate and create a delicious syrup while cake cools.
When ready to serve whip cream with confectionary sugar and vanilla extract. Cut cake into squares and then slice in half. Fill with fresh fruit and whipped cream.
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