An Old-Fashioned Shortcake

Strawberry Shortcake is my absolute favorite cake, so when my mother asked me to make her a birthday shortcake with strawberries, blueberries, and peaches I was thrilled.  This is a towering, fancy-looking cake that is quite simple to make.  It's also quite special to me because the basic cake recipe is my great-grandmother's.  Isn't that neat?

Here is a copy of the recipe in my mother's hand.  As you can see, it has been well-loved through the years.

I love strawberries with cream, and this is a beautiful, fluffy cake version of just that with peaches and blueberries to add a little pop.  To make a shortcake you need three basic things: two 9-inch cakes, whipped cream, and fresh fruit.  Before we look at any of those things, let's take a moment to examine pan preparation.  You'll need two 9-inch cake pans for this recipe.

Many people grease and flour their pans to keep the baked cake from sticking, but I prefer to line my pans  with wax paper.  I don't always do this when I bake, but I always do so when I bake this cake.  Here's my favorite way to create the perfect wax paper liner.

1. Flip the cake pan over so the bottom is facing up.  Place a sheet of wax paper on top of the pan.

2. Run the blunt side of a butter knife around the rim of the pan, creating an impression on the wax paper.

3.  Remove the wax paper and cut out the circle impression left behind.  Place the cut-out in the pan.  Voila!  

You can purchase pre-cut liners at gourmet shops and baking-supply stores, but it's much more cost-efficient to do it yourself.  At this point you can flour the cut-out for extra assurance if you like.  I generally leave them as they are, and it works for me.  Now that the pans are ready, it's cake-baking time.

Mama Holley's Basic Cake

ingredients:

2 1/4 cups self-rising flour

1 cup milk

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup shortening

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

Mix all ingredients thoroughly.  Bake at 325 degrees F until brown.

That's the original recipe in its entirety.  Isn't it beautiful?  I like how simple and old-fashioned the recipe is, but there are a few little tricks that will help when baking this cake.  Most important is the order in which the ingredients are combined.  I begin by mixing the flour and sugar, then working in the shortening with my hands. This will help ensure even distribution of the ingredients.  In a separate bowl mix the milk, vanilla extract and eggs, then add to the dry ingredients.  

Another helpful piece of information that's missing from the recipe is the bake time.  My great-grandmother would probably have recommended baking it "just until it looks about right" if pressed for a time. I'll try to be a little more specific.  :)  At 325 degrees F in 9-inch pans this cake takes approximately 30 minutes to bake.  It may take a little more or less time depending on your oven.  It should be golden on top, and a toothpick should come out clean when inserted in the center.

After the cake has cooled a little, gingerly peel off the wax paper.  Take care not to be too rough or you risk tearing the top of the cake.

Lovely, isn't it?  This cake has a coarse crumb that I adore.

Using a long bread knife, split each cake horizontally so you have two layers per cake.  

Now your cakes are ready, and you'll need some fresh whipped cream.  Whatever you do, don't reach for the Cool Whip!   Try this instead.

Fresh Whipped Cream (a guide, not a recipe)

1 pint (16 oz) heavy whipping cream

approximately 1 Tablespoon confectioners' sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Using a stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer, beat cream until light and fluffy.  Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract.  Beat until fully incorporated.

Spread a covering of whipped cream on the first layer of cake.  Top with sliced fresh fruit of your choice.  Place the second layer on top and repeat.  You should have a total of four layers.  

That's it for a shortcake!  As I mentioned, my favorite shortcake has only strawberries and cream.  I love the simplicity and the intensity of the strawberries in summer.   The addition of peaches and blueberries was nice, and it certainly made a bright, festive birthday cake.  Check out the damage!

The best way to eat this cake is very early in the morning, on a back porch with a cup of black coffee.  It's the best breakfast imaginable.  

Kugelhopf pan

The cake I just baked called for either a kugelhopf or a bundt pan. I wasn't sure what a kugelhopf pan looked liked, so I looked it up and found these photos. I thought I would share my findings!

It's basically a really pretty bundt pan. It would certainly make a simple cake look a little fancier!

Cardamom Vanilla Pound Cake

I am addicted to food magazines. I currently subscribe to Bon Appetite and Martha Stewart Living, and I regularly purchase Gourmet, Food and Wine, and Saveur. It's absolutely ridiculous how much time and money I spend on this magazines, but I just love perusing the recipes! Every now and then I feel a little guilty about this indulgence, and I make a point to cook several things from a recent publication. This week I decided to try out the Cardamom Vanilla Pound Cake featured in the March 2009 edition of Gourmet. Here's the recipe with photos and some commentary along the way.

Cardamom Vanilla Pound Cake
*Use a 12-cup kugelhopf or bundt pan

ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 whole vanilla beans, halved lengthwise
4 large eggs
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup whole milk
1 1/2 cups heavy cream, chilled
2 1/2 Tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract



1. Preheat oven to 350 F with rack in middle. Generously butter pan and dust with flour, knocking out excess.

2. Whisk together flour, cardamom, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat together butter and granulated sugar in mixer at medium speed, scraping side of bowl occasionally, until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean with tip of paring knife into butter mixture, reserving pods for another use, and beat until combined well, about 1 minute.


A split vanilla bean -- gorgeous!

Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in lemon juice until combined well. At low speed, add flour mixture and milk alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture, mixing until just combined.

3. Spoon batter into pan, smoothing top. Gently rap pan on counter to eliminate air bubbles.


I love the flecks of vanilla bean in the batter.



4. Bake until a wooden skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool in pan 1 hour, then invert onto a rack and cool completely, about 1 hour more.


It puffed up a lot after baking, but after resting for about an hour it became more dense.


5. For whipping cream: Beat cream with confectioners sugar and vanilla extract using whisk attachment of mixer until it just holds stiff peaks. Serve cake with whipped vanilla cream.



I found the cake to be very subtle and satisfying. It was very moist, and the flavors intensified the longer it sat. The fresh vanilla bean really made all the difference between this cake and one flavored with vanilla extract. [I was quite shocked by the price of the cardamom ($8.99 for a small bottle) and the 2 vanilla beans ($9.99) at Publix. Because of that, I think this will have to be a special occassion cake from now on!]
The whipped cream was a perfect accompaniment. A fruity ice cream would also be delicious served alongside the cake.
This is definitely a cake I will make again. It filled the house with such a wonderful smell as it baked, and a small slice with a little cream was incredibly satisfying.