Strawberry Shortcake

Strawberry shortcake in the freezer

Ingredients:

for the sponge layer:
160g cake flour
5 eggs, room temperature
150g icing sugar
60g unsalted butter, melted

3 tablespoons fresh milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

for the filling:
1 pack of strawberries (about 250g)
3 pack instant whipping cream

3cups of fresh milk


Method:

To make the sponge layer:

1. Sift cake flour for 3 times, set aside. Line bottom and sides of an 18cm (7 inch) round pan with parchment paper, set aside. Pre-heat oven to 170degC. Position rack at the lower bottom of the oven.

2. With an electric mixer, whisk eggs and sugar on HIGH speed for about 5 to 7 mins, until the batter turns pale, becomes thick, double/triple in volume and is ribbon-like (the beater should leave a ribbon-like trail when the batter is lifted up). Turn to LOW speed and whisk for another 1 to 2 mins. Whisking at low speed helps to stabilise the air bubbles in the batter.

3. Sift over cake flour into the batter in 3 separate additions. With each addition, use a spatula, gently fold in the flour until well blended. Take care not to deflate the batter.

4. Add the melted butter, fold in gently with spatula until well blended

5. Add in fresh milk, vanilla extract and fold in gently with spatula until well blended.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30~35 mins, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Unmold and invert onto cooling rack, cool completely.

* For step 2 to 5, I separated the egg whites from the yolks and whisked them separately. For the whites till stiff and the yolk till pale and fluffy. After which, I’ll fold all the ingredients a little at a time with the stiff whites last.

To Assemble:

7. Dissolve caster sugar in hot boiling water, set aside to cool.

8. Reserve 10 strawberries for decorating the cake. Slice remaining strawberries into thin slices (about 4 slices per strawberry).

9. Slice sponge cake horizontally into 2 layers.

10. Whisk instant whip cream and milk with an electric mixer till stiff peak.

11. Spread on some whipped cream and arrange the strawberry slices over the surface. Spread over with some whipped cream.

12. Place 2^nd cake layer onto the cream and frost sides and top of cake with whipped cream. Decorate as desired and garnish with reserved strawberries.