SweetScrutiny

Secrets of the Strawberry Shortcake

Hi fellow Sweet Tooth,

Welcome to the very first official case file at Sweet Scrutiny! I am absolutely thrilled to have you here in our cozy corner of the internet, where we investigate the world’s sweetest treats through a digital magnifying glass and a cute art.

To kick off our launch week, we are putting the spotlight on my absolute favourite dessert of all time: The Strawberry Shortcake.

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🕵️‍♂️ The History File

While we usually think of strawberry shortcake as a fluffy, delicate sponge cake, its early American origins in the 1800s were actually much sturdier! The original treat was made using heavy, split biscuits or soda crackers layered with fresh, wild strawberries and thick cream. It wasn’t until the invention of baking powder and mass-market flour that the cake evolved into the airy, pillowy dessert we love today.

Did you know; that the “short” part in strawberry shortcake refers to the use of shortening like lard or butter. But it can also relate back to the earliest version of itself not using any leavening agents leaving it.. well short.

There are even many festivals around the world that use strawberries and dessert as a reason to celebrate. In Lebanon, Oregon at their Strawberry Festival they have been making their “world’s largest” since 1931 and even had a battle of the Shortcakes with Garden Grove, California. (Now that I fight I would sign up for)

There have been many variations of the fruit shortcake depending on the region and local produce. Really any berry even fruit could work for this dessert.

🔬 The Visual Science

Have you ever wondered why the strawberries in a professional bakery shortcake look so glossy and taste so intensely sweet? It is because of a process called maceration. When you sprinkle sugar over fresh sliced strawberries, the sugar draws out the fruit’s natural moisture through osmosis. This creates a brilliant, glossy syrup automatically, softening the berries and making them the perfect companion for fluffy whipped cream!

🍓🍰Quick Craving Fix🍰🍓

Sometimes you have a craving for strawberry shortcake (especially when strawberry season comes around) but can’t be bothered to put the full effort in. I’ve got a solution for you!

*First, buy the mini angel cakes ( my local grocery store sells them in a cute pack of six)

*Next, get your hands on some strawberries (I prefer fresh but frozen work as well but allow time to thaw)

*Find the fruit glaze it’s usually in the baking aisle but depending on the season can also be found with the fruits

*Lastly, the whipped cream. Now here I would strongly recommend making it from scratch (just my personal non-negotiable) but in a pinch the frozen dessert topping or the spray can work as well

*Finally, the assembly. Take your strawberries and prep them (cut/thaw) and mix with glaze according to package directions. Add your now glazed strawberries to one of the little cakes (mine have an indent on the top perfect to contain the strawberries and then top with the whipped cream.

AND ENJOY! (Most important step)

Disclaimer! This is NOT a perfect substitution and cannot replace the real thing made 100% from scratch. This is merely to help stave off the craving until you can get your hands on the real thing.

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📊 The “Sweet Scrutiny” Verdict

* Cuteness Rating: 10/10 (The perfect launch subject, I think Pip the Strawberry would agree!)

* Best Paired With: An iced matcha latte or a tall glass of cold milk.

* Fun Fact: The world’s largest strawberry shortcake was created by Municipality of La Trinidad, in Benguet, Philippines, weighing an incredible  21,213.40 lb! That’s a lot of whipped cream. This cake has held the Guinness world record since March of 2004.

Now that really takes the cake

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🎬 Behind the Scenes: Want to see the exact steps of how I sketched, lined, and shaded this shortcake? Head over to our Instagram page (@SweetScrutiny) to watch the full time-lapse video!

💬 Your Turn: Are you team traditional biscuit or team fluffy sponge cake when it comes to shortcake? Hit reply to this email and let me know your thoughts!

Stay sweet,

Lana

Chief Investigator at Sweet Scrutiny