Some think shortcake isn’t shortcake unless it has a biscuit consistency. The ‘shortness’ of the cake actually refers to the amount of butter added, so the texture is really a matter of preference. This version has a crusty exterior and is soft on the inside. It can be served with an array of toppings and fillings, such as apricot and lemon thyme, fig and raspberry, plum and almond, to name a few. It is best eaten on the day that it’s made.
Ingredients
Lemon crème fraîche
Method
Main
1.Preheat oven to 190C. Combine flour and 90gm sugar in a bowl. Coarsely grate over butter and use your fingertips to rub into flour mixture until incorporated. Combine milk, egg yolk and lemon rind in a jug and pour into flour mixture, mixing to combine. Divide mixture in two and press with your hands into 2 buttered and floured 20cm-diameter cake tins. Brush tops with cream, scatter with remaining sugar and bake until golden and an inserted skewer withdraws clean (25-30 minutes). Cool for 5 minutes in tins, then turn out carefully and cool completely on a wire rack.
2.For lemon crème fraîche, whisk all ingredients in a bowl until firm peaks form. Refrigerate until required.
3.Combine strawberries and raspberries in a bowl. Add lemon rind, juice and icing sugar and toss to combine. Place 1 cake on a serving plate, top with crème fraîche and sandwich with remaining cake. To serve, dust with icing sugar and top with berries.
