Best Summer Shortcake Recipes

SUMMER BERRY STACKED SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Trace an 8-inch circle onto two pieces of parchment paper. Line two baking sheets with the paper, writing-side down.
• Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together buttermilk, cream and egg in a liquid measuring cup.
• Use a pastry cutter or your fingers to cut the butter into the flour mixture until it is the size of small peas. Make a well in the center and pour in the liquid. Stir the mixture together until just combined, then use your hands to knead it a few times until the dough comes together. It will be the texture of thick cookie dough.
• Divide the dough into two equal pieces, place each onto one of the prepared baking sheets and use lightly damp hands to press it into a circle just inside the traced line. (Do your best to pat the tops flat while keeping the edges perpendicular to the pan.) Chill the dough on the baking sheets in the refrigerator until firm, about 15 minutes (dough can be chilled up to 4 hours). Just before baking, sprinkle each round with 1 teaspoon turbinado sugar.
• Bake the shortcakes until golden and cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the pans from front to back and top to bottom halfway through the baking time. Cool completely.
• While the shortcakes are cooling, macerate the berries and make the cream: Add berries, sugar, lemon and vanilla to a large bowl. Use a fork to gently mash up to 1/4 cup of the berries. (This doesn't have to be exact, but you want to create a little bit of liquid if your berries aren't naturally super juicy.) Stir gently to combine and let sit for about 30 minutes.
• For the cream, add the yogurt, sugar, vanilla and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix on medium speed until combined. Add the heavy cream, and whip until very firm peaks form. (You can complete the shortcakes, cream and berries up to 4 hours in advance, refrigerating the cream and berries until ready to serve.)
• To serve, place one of the cooled shortcakes on a serving plate. Top with half of the cream followed by half the berries. (Don't spread the cream quite to the edges, as it will spread when you add the other shortcake.) Repeat with the remaining shortcake, cream and berries. If there is a lot of extra berry juice left in the bowl, serve it alongside the cake.
• Slice the cake with a long serrated knife and serve. The shortcake can be layered up to about 1 hour in advance and stored in the fridge. It will soften as it sits.

SUMMER-FRUIT SHORTCAKE WITH MASCARPONE

Steps:

• Make cake:
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 425°F. Whisk buttermilk, egg and vanilla extract in medium bowl to blend; transfer 1 tablespoon mixture to small bowl and reserve for glaze. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into large bowl; add butter. Using electric mixer, beat until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 3 minutes. Add buttermilk mixture and blend just until soft moist dough forms. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Using floured hands, gather dough into ball and knead gently for 6 turns. Transfer dough to ungreased baking sheet. Shape dough into 8-inch round. Brush top with reserved 1 tablespoon buttermilk mixture. Bake cake until top is golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer cake to rack and cool completely.
• Make filling:
• Toss plums, peaches, raspberries and 1/3 cup sugar in large bowl to blend. Let stand 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, beat mascarpone, whipping cream, 1/4 cup powdered sugar and vanilla in large bowl until firm peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Cut off top 1/3 of cake. Using small knife and leaving 1/2-inch border at edge, cut out enough of cake bottom to form 1/2-inch-deep indentation. Spread half of mascarpone cream in indentation. Using slotted spoon, remove fruit from bowl; mound onto cream. Reserve fruit juices in bowl. Spread remaining mascarpone cream over fruit. Cover with top of cake. Refrigerate cake and reserved juices separately, at least 3 hours and up to 6 hours.
• Let cake stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving. Dust with powdered sugar. Cut into wedges. Drizzle with reserved fruit juices and serve.

SUMMER STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE SOUP

Steps:

• Place strawberries in a blender; cover and process until pureed. Add juices and confectioners' sugar; cover and process until smooth. Transfer to a bowl; whisk in wine and sour cream. Refrigerate, covered, until chilled, 1-2 hours. Stir., Serve with sponge cakes, whipped cream and additional strawberries.

SUMMER SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• Make the biscuits: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a food processor, pulse flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until combined. Add butter, and pulse until largest pieces are the size of peas. Add cream cheese, and pulse again until largest pieces are the size of peas. Add buttermilk, and pulse until dough comes together. Transfer to a bowl, and gently knead into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rest in the refrigerator at least 1 hour (or overnight).
• Divide dough in half. Working with one portion at a time on a lightly floured work surface, pat into a disk, then roll into a 10-inch round. Transfer to baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
• Brush biscuits with buttermilk. Generously sprinkle raw or sanding sugar over tops and sides. Brush off sugar from parchment. Bake until dough has risen slightly and is golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes (if bottoms brown too quickly, reduce temperature to 400 degrees). Leave biscuits on sheets. Using a 2 1/2-inch star cutter, cut out (but do not remove) 7 stars from one biscuit while it is still warm. Let cool.
• Using a paring knife, carefully remove star shapes. Reserve for snacking or another use. (Biscuits can be made up to 8 hours ahead; store on wire racks, and cover loosely with plastic wrap.)
• Make the filling: Combine blueberries, strawberries, and 2 tablespoons sugar, and let macerate until juicy, 10 minutes.
• Just before serving, beat cream to medium peaks with remaining tablespoon sugar and the vanilla.
• Assemble the cake: Place uncut biscuit on a large plate. Spoon half the berries and their juices on top of biscuit, then spread the whipped cream over berries. Top with all but about 1/2 cup berries. (Make sure surface is even; it will support the top biscuit and prevent it from breaking.) Carefully place cutout biscuit on top. Fill star cutouts with reserved berries. Serve immediately, or refrigerate, uncovered, up to 3 hours.

SUMMER SHORTCAKE SUPREME

Steps:

• 1. Prepare cake mix as directed on box for 9x13 pan. Let cool completely. I like to make ahead and refrigerate, covered.
• 2. Wash and hull strawberries, let dry til damp. Cut in half, or quarters if large, and place in large bowl. Wash peaches, smoothing fuzz with hands under running water. Let dry and cut into 1/2 - 1 inch chunks. Put in bowl with strawberries. Add 1/4 cup sugar and stir gently to distribute. Store in fridge a few hours to allow to make it's own sauce with the added sugar.
• 3. In another large bowl, make vanilla pudding with only 1 cup milk, mix as directed on package. Carefully fold in thawed whipped topping thoroughly. Can see if completely mixed because pudding will be different color than topping. Store, covered, in fridge until time to serve.
• 4. Cut cake into squares. Can be sliced in half horizontally if refrigerated. Scoop strawberries and peaches with some juice over cake. Top with combined pudding/whipped topping mixture. Repeat if sliced in half for a double decker version.

SUMMER FRUIT SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• 1. In bowl, sprinkle fruit with 2 tablespoons of the sugar and lemon juice; toss to mix well and set aside.
• 2. LEMON BISCUITS In measuring cup, add enough milk to lemon juice to make 2/3 cup; stir and set aside for 15 minutes to sour.
• 3. In bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and lemon rind; using pastry blender or two knives, cut in shortening and butter until well mixed.
• 4. With fork, blend in soured milk to make soft dough - Don\'t overmix.
• 5. Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface; knead 6-8 times.
• 6. Roll out or pat dough to 1/2 inch thickness.
• 7. Using floured 3 inch round cutter, cut out 6 biscuits; sprinkle lightly with more sugar.
• 8. Bake on greased baking sheet in 425 oven for 12-15 minutes or until tops are browned.
• 9. Let cool until warm; cut in half horizontally.
• 10. Spoon fruit mixture onto bottom halves of biscuits, reserving some fruit for garnish.
• 11. Stir strawberry puree with remaining sugar; spoon over fruit mixture.
• 12. Top with dollop of whipped cream, then biscuit tops - Garnish with more cream and remaining fruit.

SUMMER STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE SOUP

Steps:

• Place strawberries in a blender; cover and process until pureed. Add juices and confectioners' sugar; cover and process until smooth. Transfer to a bowl; whisk in wine and sour cream. Refrigerate, covered, until chilled, 1-2 hours. Stir., Serve with sponge cakes, whipped cream and additional strawberries.

SUMMER FRUIT SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F To Prepare Shortcake: Combine baking mix and 1/2 cup sugar. Stir in yogurt and egg whites until dry ingredients are just moistened. Spread batter in greased 9- inch round cake pan.
• Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 15 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on wire rack.
• While the shortcake is cooling, combine fruit with remaining 1/4 cup sugar to sweeten. Cover and refrigerate.
• To Assemble: Soften ice cream or frozen yogurt at room temperature for about 5 to 10 minutes.
• Split shortcake in half horizontally, and place bottom layer, sliced side up, onto serving plate. Top with a layer of ice cream or frozen yogurt (about 2 cups); place half of fruit mixture on top of yogurt. Repeat layers ending with fruit. Garnish with mint.

SUMMER SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• Make the biscuits: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a food processor, pulse flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until combined. Add butter, and pulse until largest pieces are the size of peas. Add cream cheese, and pulse again until largest pieces are the size of peas. Add buttermilk, and pulse until dough comes together. Transfer to a bowl, and gently knead into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rest in the refrigerator at least 1 hour (or overnight). Divide dough in half. Working with one portion at a time on a lightly floured work surface, pat into a disk, then roll into a 10-inch round. Transfer to baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Brush biscuits with buttermilk. Generously sprinkle raw or sanding sugar over tops and sides. Brush off sugar from parchment. Bake until dough has risen slightly and is golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes (if bottoms brown too quickly, reduce temperature to 400 degrees). Leave biscuits on sheets. Using a 2 1/2-inch star cutter, cut out (but do not remove) 7 stars from one biscuit while it is still warm. Let cool. Using a paring knife, carefully remove star shapes. Reserve for snacking or another use. (Biscuits can be made up to 8 hours ahead; store on wire racks, and cover loosely with plastic wrap.) Make the filling: Combine blueberries, strawberries, and 2 tablespoons sugar, and let macerate until juicy, 10 minutes. Just before serving, beat cream to medium peaks with remaining tablespoon sugar and the vanilla. Assemble the cake: Place uncut biscuit on a large plate. Spoon half the berries and their juices on top of biscuit, then spread the whipped cream over berries. Top with all but about 1/2 cup berries. (Make sure surface is even; it will support the top biscuit and prevent it from breaking.) Carefully place cutout biscuit on top. Fill star cutouts with reserved berries. Serve immediately, or refrigerate, uncovered, up to 3 hours