Strawberry Shortcake

The roomie and I went on a Target run the other day. Honestly I don't remember what we needed in the first place, but we for sure left with more junk than we needed. Target, the best place ever. Anyways, we were in the refrigerator aisle, with the Jell-O. Turns out she really likes the Jello-O Mousse Temptations. Personally I think they are sick. Your spoon leaves a perfect indent where you scooped, the texture is all wrong and the list goes on. Maybe I deserved her next comment after sharing my thoughts on Jell-O Mousse. She compared my butterscotch pudding to these pre-packaged mousse puddings. That right there is a total food foul, an insult!

The moral of the above story is comparing my food to packaged, processed food is not the way to make me like you. She won't be hearing the end of that one for awhile. A better way to make me your best friend is to tell me its the best you ever had, like this shortcake. A friend told me this shortcake is better than his aunts. Score! That is saying a lot too, when the family gathering is centered around strawberries. Those are the sorts of food praises I never forget. Why you ask is it the best?

This shortcake is not your overly crumbly or dry shortcake. It is super moist and a cross between dense and fluffy. The perfect shortcake. The outside has a slightly crunch sugar coating from sprinkling the pan and top of the cake with sugar. Try it out for yourself, I promise you will like it. Who knows, maybe it will even be the best shortcake you have ever had!

xo

April

From Epicurious
Ingredients:
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup whole milk
2 large eggs
1/3 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 quart strawberries; rinsed, hulled and sliced
Sugar, depending on their sweetness

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9-inch diameter pan with 2-inch-high sides with nonstick spray. Sprinkle bottom and sides of pan with sugar; tap out any excess sugar. Whisk flour, baking powder, and sugar in a medium bowl. Using a stand mixer, beat 1 cup sugar, cream cheese, and butter to blend. Beat milk, eggs and vanilla in a measuring cup to blend. Beat milk mixture into cream cheese mixture. Add dry ingredients; beat until smooth. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Sprinkle remaining 1 tablespoon sugar over top of the batter. 
2. Bake until the cake is golden brown on top and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35-40 minutes. Cool in pan, on a rack.
3. For the strawberries, add enough sugar for the desired sweetness. Let strawberries stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or until some of their juices are released.