Gluten-Free Strawberry Shortcakes

Summer Fruit

I love summer fruit.  Especially berries.  All kinds of berries.  And stone fruit, like peaches, nectarines, plums, cherries, apricots.

Huh.  When was the last time I had a fresh, juicy apricot?

I can't remember.  I'll have to find some this summer.

We've had berries already this summer, but I couldn't resist again when I saw the great price on some beautiful strawberries.  Two pounds of ripe, red strawberries.  When I grabbed them, I didn't know what I was going to do with them.

But it hit me before I had even left the produce aisle.

Strawberry Shortcake.  Of course.

It could have been pie.  I've made luscious, fresh strawberry pies in the past. But that didn't occur to me this time.

This time I had cake on my mind.

That gluten-free white cake from the trifle was still in my taste buds.  Um... my memory.  Still in my memory.

Gluten-Free White Cake

I know shortcake is usually something a little different than a normal white cake.  It is spongier.  Maybe a bit sweeter.  And usually pale yellow.

This is what this gluten-free white cake is like.  Not really white.  Not quite crumbly.  Yes, a bit yellow.  Yes, quite spongy.  And, yes, very delicious.  Perfect for shortcakes.

I baked a full recipe in a square pan, and planned to just cut out circles for the shortcakes.  I used a biscuit cutter.  I had to work it down through the cake a bit more than I expected, but the cake sprang right back after cutting.  Nice.

Gluten-Free Strawberry Shortcake

I had to wait to enjoy those two pounds of luscious strawberries. And wait. And when I finally did get to enjoy them, some weren't so luscious anymore.  Some were gone.  Some were half gone.  I was sad.

But not too sad to enjoy the rest of them!

I cleaned them, took off the tops and sliced them.  Then I sprinkled a bit of granulated sugar on them, but not too much.  Maybe two or three tablespoons worth.  Just enough for the strawberries to make a nice amount of juice.  I stirred them well and let them juice up in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.

I also put the mixing bowl and wisk attachment into the freezer.  For a couple of hours.  This seems to greatly speed the whipping of the cream.

Did I mention the cream?

Oh, yeah.  Fresh whipped cream on the strawberry shortcakes.  A must have.  And only the real thing.

When we were finally ready to serve the shortcakes, I poured about a cup of heavy whipping cream into the freezer-cold mixer bowl and slowly started whipping.  I also added about two tablespoons of powered sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla.  As the cream started to thicken, I gradually increased the speed of the mixer.  Soon, it was going full speed.

Within five minutes of starting, my cream was already stiff.  Beautiful stuff.  I might have stopped it before it got that stiff, but I didn't realize it would whip that quickly.  In a warm bowl, it can take twenty minutes or more.

I didn't hear any complaints about the whipped cream.  Quite the opposite.

I placed one cut shortcake in each plate, spooned the chilled, juicy strawberries over the top and down the sides, and then topped each with a large spoonful of whipped cream.  Outstanding!

Beautiful, scrumptious gluten-free Strawberry Shortcakes with Whipped Cream!  Perfect for a summer afternoon.