2000s Recipes + Menus
Strawberry Shortcakes with Vanilla-Orange Syrup
Serves4
- Active time:1 hr
- Start to finish:2 1/2 hr
Strawberries marinated in a vanilla-orange syrup add a new twist to these sponge-cake shortcakes.
June 2001
For Cake
- 4 large egg yolks and 2 large egg whites
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For strawberries in syrup
- 1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons finely grated fresh orange zest (from 2 oranges)
- 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
- 1 pint strawberries (3/4 lb), trimmed and quartered
For cream
- 1/4 cup chilled heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
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Special Equipment:
a 3- to 3 1/4-inch round cookie cutter
Make cake:
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Preheat oven to 350°F and butter an 8- by 2-inch square metal baking pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment or wax paper, then butter paper. Dust with flour, knocking out excess.
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Whisk together yolks, 1/2 cup sugar, milk, and vanilla in a large bowl until combined well. Whisk in flour and salt (batter will be thick).
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Beat whites with an electric mixer until they hold soft peaks. Gradually beat in remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until whites hold stiff, glossy peaks.
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Stir about one third of whites into batter to lighten, then fold in remaining whites in 2 more batches, gently but thoroughly.
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Transfer batter to baking pan, spreading evenly, and bake in middle of oven until pale golden and a tester comes out clean, 14 to 16 minutes. Cool cake completely in pan on a rack (cake will shrink from sides of pan). When cool, run a sharp knife around side of cake if necessary and invert onto rack, then remove paper.
Make strawberries in syrup:
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Scrape seeds from vanilla bean with tip of sharp knife into a small saucepan, then add pod. Add sugar, water, zest, and juice. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved, and boil 1 minute.
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Transfer to a bowl and chill 30 minutes. Pour syrup through a fine sieve into another bowl and discard solids. Gently stir in strawberries and let stand 15 minutes.
Make cream:
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Beat together cream, sugar, and sour cream until mixture just holds stiff peaks.
Assemble shortcakes:
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Cut 4 rounds from cake with cookie cutter.
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Generously brush both sides of each round with syrup from strawberry mixture and arrange, darker sides up, on plates. Spoon strawberries onto rounds and let stand 5 minutes to allow more syrup to soak into cake. Top rounds with dollops of cream and drizzle with remaining syrup.
Cooks’ note: Cake may be baked 1 day ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Keywords
- summer,
- strawberry,
- cake,
- dessert