About This Recipe
Strawberry Shortcake is a classic Southern recipe made of biscuits that are topped with strawberries and sweetened whipped cream. I have never liked this recipe, since I grew up with a much easier and better version – My Mom’s Strawberry Shortcake.
This recipe is so simple and so good. We had it every year for the Fourth of July, along with grilled ribeye steaks, My Mom’s Potato Salad, Root Beer Floats, and some kind of fruit salad that everybody basically ignored.
I mean, what could be better than pound cake with strawberries and cream? You could make your own pound cake, of course, but let’s face it, nobody wants to bake in the middle of summer. And Sara Lee’s Pound Cake is absolutely perfect. The texture is smooth and dense and velvety, and the flavor superb. I really just don’t make pound cake anymore – I just buy that delicious frozen version.
So the most “difficult” part of this recipe is making the whipped cream. I always add powdered sugar to my whipped cream for two reasons. One, I think that unflavored plain whipped cream tastes kind of … burnt, or “off” somehow. I have no idea why. Second, powdered sugar contains just a bit of cornstarch, which helps stabilize the cream.
So now all you need are perfect strawberries. Which is why I only make this recipe in the summer, when perfect strawberries are achievable. Mash some and leave some whole.
Put them all together and dig in.
Tips for making perfect My Mom’s Strawberry Shortcake
- Don’t assemble this dessert ahead of time. You have to make it just before serving. I don’t like cake that is soaked with fruit juice (another reason why I don’t like trifles), but a tiny bit of soaking is fine.
- You can make the whipped cream ahead of time, but, again, it’s so simple, make it just before serving.
Why this recipe works
- The combination of strawberries and cream is classic for a reason: the tart flavor of the strawberries brings out the sweetness of the cream. Add the dense and sweet pound cake for a fabulous dessert.
Steps
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1
Done
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Thaw the pound cake according to package directions. |
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2
Done
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Remove the stems and slice all of the strawberries in half. Remove 1/2 cup and mash. Stir the cut and mashed strawberries together in a bowl. |
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3
Done
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In a small bowl, combine the cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat until soft peaks form. |
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4
Done
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To serve, cut the pound cake into 6 or 8 slices. Put on plates, spoon some of the strawberries over, and top with the whipped cream. Serve immediately. |
