Every year I look forward to strawberry season. In the Northeast we have a short window of opportunity to enjoy the first, sweet fruits of summer. Yes, rhubarb is earlier and very versatile, but, be honest, it’s really not sweet. My sister has a June birthday and always requested strawberry shortcake as her birthday cake. We didn’t make shortcake with the traditional New England biscuit, but used a denser type of cake, more like a pound cake. Not traditional, I know, but we loved it. The cake soaks up all that delicious berry juice and topped off with sliced strawberries and whipped cream makes a perfect summer dessert.

We had our own berry patch and I remember going out on summer mornings with baskets and bonnet to pick fresh berries. It is still best to pick berries in the morning with the air still cool from the night and the berries are glistening with dew drops that evaporate as the day warms. I recently picked at Wellwood Orchard in Springfield, VT. They have several fields with varieties that ripen at different times so the season is extended a little longer. I re-use picking containers or take along a basket that they weigh so you only pay for the berries. At the height of the season, it doesn’t take long to have a basket brimming with yummy berries. It’s not unusual for me to come home with 25 pounds.

So, what happens to all those berries? A lot of them just get eaten as fresh fruit. But the possibilities are endless: strawberry shortcake, strawberry jam, strawberry spinach salad, strawberry rhubarb pie, strawberry coffee cake, strawberry scones, strawberry smoothies, on cereal for breakfast. If there isn’t time to make jam immediately, I freeze them. Frozen berries work just as well as fresh.

If you want to try Strawberry Shortcake with cake, here is the recipe. It’s a simple cake that is easy to make, bakes quickly and perfectly complements the berries and cream. I believe it originally was published in a Crisco give away cookbook way, way back in time. It is officially named Crown Cake because of the type of pan it was baked in, but I found that it bakes just fine  in a 9 x 13 inch pan.

CROWN CAKE

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 1/3 cups sugar

1/2 cup Crisco

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

Mix these ingredients in a bowl for 2 minutes at medium speed of an electric mixer.

Then add:

3 teaspoons double acting baking powder

1/3 cup milk

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix for another 2 minutes or until the batter is smooth, light and fluffy.

Pour into a greased 9 by 13-inch pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until the top is golden and a cake tested inserted in the middle comes out clean. Another way to test for doneness is that sides of the cake will start to pull away from the sides of the pan a bit.

Let the cake cool. To assemble the shortcake, cut squares and then split them in half so you have two layers. Spoon the prepared berries over the first layer, put the second layer on top, add more berries then top with whipped cream and drizzle with berry juice.

Prepare the berries: Wash and hull the berries or remove the stems. There are little strawberry hullers that make this step go quicker than using a paring knife and you don’t throw out extra fruit. Slice a few of the ripest berries, mash them in a bowl and sprinkle with a little sugar. The amount of sugar is personal preference; really sweet berries don’t need a lot of extra sugar but a little will help draw out the juices. Slice more berries until you have enough then mix the slices with the mashed and let sit at room temperature. You can do this 20 or 30 minutes before you are ready for dessert.

You will also need whipped cream. It’s easy and quick to make and tastes so much better than premade toppings. If you are only making a couple of desserts about 1/4 cup of whipping cream should make enough. It doesn’t look like much in the bowl, but it expands as you whip it. Beat with an electric mixer at medium speed until the cream thickens and holds soft ripples, add a little sugar and vanilla to taste and mix for a minute or two more. Don’t overmix or you could end up with a bowl of sweet butter!