PrintPotluck Strawberry Shortcake
No one should eat strawberry shortcake alone. That’s why we love this crowd-pleaser version that’s just as pretty as it is easy to serve. A 9×13 cast iron baking dish does the heavy lifting to create those craveable buttery edges while Hiland Dairy creates a tender crumb and a cloud-like whipped topping that makes fresh strawberries sing.
Ingredients
For the shortcake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
⅓ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon table salt
⅔ cup Hiland Dairy heavy cream, plus extra for brushing
¼ cup Hiland Dairy sour cream
6 tablespoons Hiland Dairy unsalted butter, cold
¾ teaspoon of vanilla extract
Turbinado or other coarse sugar, for sprinkling
For the buttermilk whip:
2 cups Hiland Dairy heavy cream
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Pinch of table salt
½ cup Hiland Dairy Old-Recipe Bavarian buttermilk
For the strawberry topping:
1-½ pounds fresh strawberries
½ cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Make the whip: Use a mixer, either a hand mixer or a stand mixer, beat heavy cream, gradually adding sugar and salt, until medium peaks form, 4-5 minutes. Do not overbeat. Add buttermilk. Beat until soft peaks form and mixture is cloud-like, about 1 minute. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Make the strawberry sauce: Hull the strawberries and dice them into ½-inch pieces. In a medium saucepan, combine the strawberries, sugar, 2 tablespoons water, and lemon juice. Place over medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a simmer while stirring frequently. Cook until the strawberries are nearly submerged in their juices, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Whisk together 2 teaspoons of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of cold water. Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the strawberry mixture. Cook for 3 to 5 more minutes, until the sauce has thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Transfer to a bowl and let cool to room temperature.
Make the shortcake: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a 9-by-12” baking dish with parchment and coat lightly with non-stick spray.
Fluff flour in the bag and then spooning it into your measuring cup, then sweeping off the excess. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Grate butter directly into the dry mixture, stirring every few passes over the grates to ensure butter pieces are coated with flour and don’t clump together.
Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients. To the well, add the cream, the sour cream, and vanilla. Briefly stir the liquid ingredients together in the well, then stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until a soft, shaggy dough begins to form and only a few dry bits remain.
Transfer the dough to the prepared pan, patting the dough into a level slab using floured fingers.
Drizzle the top of the dough with heavy cream, starting with 1 tablespoon and adding more to completely coat the top of the dough. Sprinkle a mix of granulated sugar and coarse sugar evenly over the top.
Bake the shortcake for 24 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. The shortcake is done when the top is golden, cracked, and firm to the touch.
Remove the shortcake from the oven and let it cool in the pan just until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.
Assemble the shortcake: Just before you’re ready to serve, add shortcake to a serving surface, such as a grazing board. Spoon a layer of strawberry sauce over the shortcake. Add the buttermilk whipped cream, using a spoon or a spatula to create waves. Spoon remaining strawberry sauce over the top. Slice and serve.