Every summer, I get crazy about strawberry shortcake…. the lightness of vanilla cake with piles of fresh whipped cream and juicy strawberries. Ah, the thought of this summer treat always has me smitten.
The first summer of being married, I was well on my way to my baking addiction and I vowed I’d be “the best baker in my husband’s world”. In our new apartment, I came across a recipe for Giada De Laurentiis’ Ricotta Orange Pound Cake. I made her recipe as written for a dinner party and loved it. My husband completely loved it. He even asked me to make it again and again. I was on my way, succeeding at baking and earning a baking medal in the eye’s of my new husband. With so much confidence, I decided to do something different – transform this cake to be naturally sweet.
The best part about this cake are the flavors of orange and almond – expertly combined for a strong flavor you can really see and taste. Those little zesty orange flecks baked away in the moist cake aren’t added for nothing and the plump ripe strawberries on the side add a delicious perk.
Although you can’t see the complimentary almond extract in there, it is in there. Promise.
Of course, it just wouldn’t be strawberry shortcake, without a little, a lot of whipped cream. At our house, we pile it on and you should too. It’s the nature of strawberry shortcake. There’s nothing like the first bite of summer!
Strawberry Orange Shortcake
Naturally sweetened shortcake with hints of almond and orange!
Shortcake:
1 1/4 cups Homemade Cake Flour
2 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
1 1/4 cups Ricotta Cheese or Sour Cream
1 1/2 sticks Butter, at room temperature
1 cup Powered Honey
1/2 cup Xylitol
3 large Eggs at room temp.
1 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
1 Orange, zested (1- 1 1/2 Tablespoons)
2 Tablespoons Almond Extract
1 pint sliced Fresh Strawberries
Whipped Cream:
1 1/2 cups Heavy Whipping Cream
2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
1 dash salt
2 Dashes Stevia, to taste
Pre-heat your oven to 350. Mix first three ingredients together. In a separate bowl, whip up the butter, cheese, sweeteners and eggs until fluffy. Then add all extracts and orange zest. Combine the dry ingredients with the wet , mixing until just combined. Bake at 350 in a greased 8X8 pan for about 48-52 minutes. Cover half way into baking.
Whip up the heavy whipping cream with vanilla, stevia and salt. Top cake with whip cream and strawberries. This cake is yummy enough on it’s own without the cream, but why you’d want to skip it, I have no idea!
Based on 1 Review(s)
No-Bake Chocolate Raspberry Brownie Bites
Lemon Meringue Tartlets
Blueberry Muffins
Healthy Teriyaki Pasta Salad
Tropical Trail Mix
Leave a Reply