Make Ahead Shortcake Recipes

THE BEST CLASSIC STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• For the shortcakes: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Whisk the heavy cream, sour cream and vanilla in a small bowl; refrigerate until ready to use. Pulse the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt in a food processor until combined. Add the butter; pulse until the mixture looks like fine meal. Pour in the chilled heavy cream mixture and pulse until just combined.
• Lightly flour a work surface and dump the dough onto it. Pat out the dough 1/2-inch thick. Cut out as many biscuits as you can with a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter. Then pat the remaining dough out to 1/2-inch thick again. Cut more biscuits; you should get 12.
• Put 6 of the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops generously with cream, then top each cream-brushed biscuit with one of the remaining biscuit rounds. (This makes it easier to split once they are baked.) Brush the top of each biscuit stack with more heavy cream and sprinkle 1 teaspoon granulated sugar on each biscuit.
• Bake the biscuits until golden and puffed, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
• Meanwhile, for the topping: Toss the strawberries and 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar in a medium bowl.
• Just before serving, beat the heavy cream, sour cream, the remaining 2 tablespoons brown sugar and vanilla in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes.
• Split the shortcakes in half. Spoon half the cream on the bottom of the biscuits, top evenly with the strawberries and top with the remaining cream. Put each biscuit top on and serve.

MAKE-AHEAD SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• Arrange cake slices in a single layer in an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. dish. In a large bowl, beat milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes or until thickened; beat in ice cream. Pour over cake. Chill. , Meanwhile, in a large bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water; stir in frozen strawberries. Chill until partially set. , Spoon over pudding mixture. Chill until firm. Garnish with fresh strawberries if desired.

OLD-FASHIONED SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Grease an 8-inch baking pan.
• Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Cut in butter with a knife or pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Beat egg and milk in another bowl; stir into flour mixture until batter is just blended. Spread batter in the prepared baking pan.
• Bake in preheated oven until golden, about 15 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees; grease a 9x9 dish & set aside.
• In a large bowl, cut flour, sugar & butter together until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside 1/2 cup of this mixture.
• To the remaining butter mixture, add the rest of the ingredients & mix well.
• Pour into prepared dish & sprinkle topping over.
• Bake 30-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Note #1: The edges of the cake may turn a light golden brown while baking, but the topping should not brown.
• Note #2: Double the ingredients to make a larger (9x13) cake.

MIXED BERRY SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• In a heavy saucepan, combine 1/2 cup sugar and cornstarch. Stir in milk until blended. Bring to a boil over medium-low heat; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat. Stir a small amount into egg yolks; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. transfer to a bowl; press a piece of plastic wrap on top of custard. Refrigerate., In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and remaining sugar. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in buttermilk until a soft dough forms. Pat gently into a 9-in. square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack., Cut shortcake into 3/4-in. cubes. In parfait glasses, alternate layers of shortcake, custard, sliced strawberries and blueberries. Garnish with halved strawberries and a dollop of whipped topping.