During the height of summer, nothing really says dessert more than Strawberry Shortcake. Tho recipe uses the freshest strawberries along with strawberry jam and whipped cream and are layered between a classic sponge cake. This miniature version is super cute for individual servings.
Servings:10 mini cakes
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 60 minutes
Ingredients:
- 4 eggs at room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2-3 dashes lemon oil, or 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup strawberry jam
- 5-6 small strawberries, for garnish
Whipped Cream
- 1/2 cup whipping cream, cold
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13 x 8 x 1 inch sheet pan with parchment paper and lightly grease the top of the parchment with a bit of vegetable oil. Set aside.
Use an electric mixer to beat eggs on high for 3 minutes until they turn a pale yellow in color and have doubled in volume. Continue to beat the eggs and add in the sugar 1/4 cup at a time, incorporating the sugar thoroughly after each addition. Once all the sugar has been incorporated, add the oil, milk, cider vinegar, and vanilla. Continue to beat the mixture for a minute until everything is combined.
Place a fine mesh sifter over the egg mixture and add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Sift the ingredients over the egg mixture and combine using the mixer for 15 seconds or so. Finish incorporating the ingredients by folding the batter with a rubber spatula until you do not see any streaks of flour in the batter. It should still be light and airy.
Carefully pour batter into the pan and use a spatula to spread the batter evenly.
Place the cake in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until it springs back when touched. The cake should be slightly golden brown in colour on top. Set the cake aside and let it cool completely.
Meanwhile, make the whipped cream. In a medium-sized bowl, add the whipping cream and sugar. Use an electric mixer to whip the cream and sugar together until stiff peaks form. Transfer the whipped cream to a piping bag and place in the fridge to keep cool until you are ready to decorate the cakes.
Once the cake has cooled, use a 1-inch round cookie cutter to cut rounds out of the cake. Try and cut out as many rounds as you can do that you don’t waste the cake. Once cut out, remove the scraps and we will begin to decorate.
Each mini cake will have three layers of cake. Take one round and place it in front of you. Pipe the whipped cream around the circumference of the circle leaving a space open in the middle. I like to do little dots around the circle, but you can do whatever pattern you like. Scoop 1/4 teaspoon of strawberry jam in the centre of the cake round and place another cake round on top, pressing down gently. Repeat the process for the second layer.
Add the third layer to the cake and pipe dots around the circumference of the circle. Add a small dollop if whipped cream in the centre of the cake and top with a strawberry (while or sliced depending on the size).
Place the finished cake on a parchment lined tray and repeat for the remaining rounds. Once the cakes are all assembled, wrap them in plastic wrap and place in the fridge to cool for 30 minutes before serving.
These cakes can be made a day ahead and stored in the fridge wrapped in plastic wrap.
Enjoy!
