4th of July Strawberry-Blueberry Shortcake
suggestions
Serves 8
Cake:
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Grated rind of 1/2 lemon
Filling and topping
1 1/2 cups heavy cream, chilled
2 tablespoons confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
12 strawberries, depending on size
15-20 blueberries
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Preheat oven to 350F.
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Cream butter and sugar until creamy. Add eggs and beat well. Add vanilla and lemon rind to milk. Add 1/2 milk mixture to eggs. Mix well. Mix baking powder and flour. Add 1/2 to batter and mix. Add rest of milk mixture, stir well and then add rest of flour mixture. Stir until smooth.
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Bake in two greased 8” layer pans for about 20 minutes. Check several times as layers are thin and will cook quickly.
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Cool on racks.
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Pour chilled heavy cream into a medium size mixing bowl. Add confectioners sugar and vanilla. Beat with a mixer or by hand until cream peaks and holds its shape. You may refrigerate overnight or use immediately.
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Place one cake layer on a plate. With a spatula, gently spread cream onto cake to about a 1/2 “ thickness. Place sliced strawberries in one layer on top of cream. Place second cake layer on top. With the spatula, gently spread the cream on the top and on sides. Place sliced strawberries on top is an attractive design (I did 13 in a circle to remind us of the 13 original stars on the first US flag). Place blueberries in a row or two inside the circle and next to the bottom of each strawberry or in a design you prefer. Serve immediately or refrigerate until needed.
Reduce the sugar: In the cake, use 1/2 cup Stevia in place of sugar. In heavy cream, use 1 tablespoon stevia in place of confectioners sugar.
Dairy Free: In the cake, use dairy-free margarine in place of butter and use a seed nut milk in place of milk. Use a non-dairy whipped cream.
Flags of a different country: Celebrating independence in/of a different country? Use different fruit! Try just strawberries on top for Canada, strawberries and kiwi for Mexico, just blueberries for Israel and so on. Have fun!