Shortcake
Source of Recipe
Grandpoohbah
Recipe Link: http://messageboards.ivillage.com/n/mb/message.asp?webtag=iv-fdcooking&msg=10412.1
Though it's most commonly a rich biscuit, shortcake can also refer simply to cake. The classic American shortcake is a large, sweet biscuit that is split in half, then filled and topped with sliced or chopped fruit (traditionally strawberries) and softly whipped cream. Shortcake is most often thought of as a dessert but savory versions can be made by filling and topping the biscuit with creamed chicken or other food.
Shortcake, shortened cake or fat cake are different names for the same kind of cake. These are a common and much-loved bakery item, the most recognizable examples being pound cake and butter cake. Shortened cakes have a dense crumb, a tender, moist texture and a rich, buttery taste. These cakes are relatively easy to make, and they're hearty and satisfying. They require a minimum of decoration and dressing up. They are typically served simply: all by themselves, perhaps toasted and buttered, or topped with a few slices of fresh fruit and a dollop of whipped cream. Shortened cakes are great as a simple and luscious dessert, a special breakfast treat or a heartwarming lunchbox addition.
Know Your Ingredients:
The main ingredients of shortened cakes are few and simple: fat, sugar, eggs and flour. All shortened cakes contain these four ingredients, although some recipes also call for chemical leaveners (baking powder or baking soda), and milk, buttermilk or sour cream. One feature that characterizes shortened cakes is their high proportion of fat, sugar and eggs. These ingredients are what make the cake tender, moist and dense. Because the recipe for shortened cakes is so simple, each ingredient must be treated with great care. Choose the highest quality, measure with perfect accuracy and follow the recipe directions to the letter.
The fat used in shortened cakes is usually butter or shortening, or a combination of the two. Occasionally, you will also see a recipe that uses cream cheese in this role. Shortening is easier to work with, because it is already partially aerated and remains at the same texture over a wide temperature range. Butter, on the other hand, must be carefully whipped to aerate it, and it can go from solid to liquid very quickly as it warms up. But nothing tastes as good as butter. Many people prefer to use a combination of butter and shortening: It gives you the best of both worlds -- the ease of shortening and the incomparable taste of butter.
The Mixing Method:
Another thing that shortened cakes have in common is the way that they're mixed. The "creaming" method is the same mixing technique you would use for a batch of chocolate chip cookies. Softened butter is whipped with sugar until light, fluffy and aerated, and then the eggs are beaten in one by one, followed by the dry ingredients and any additional liquid. The careful mixing of the batter is just as important as the ingredients themselves for creating the texture and taste you expect from a superlative short cake: Regardless of whether the cake contains chemical leaveners, it is still important to beat lots of air into the batter. Chemical leaveners cannot create air bubbles; they can only enlarge the air bubbles that already exist in the batter.
Making Nothing Short of Great Cake:
Before you even put anything in the mixing bowl, there are a couple of things you need to do. First, make sure that all of your ingredients are at room temperature, particularly the fat, eggs and any liquid you may be using. It's essential that all these items be at room temperature because, if they are cold, the batter will curdle and you will not be able to whip air into it. Likewise, if any of the ingredients are warm, the fat will melt and you still won't be able to whip air into it.
The second thing you need to do before mixing the batter is to thoroughly sift together all the dry ingredients. Unevenly mixed ingredients will result in an unevenly risen cake with big holes and tunnels through the middle. It doesn't count to just give the dry ingredients a couple of tosses with a spoon -- you need to use a sifter or a wire whisk and make sure those ingredients are really and truly mixed together.
Master Your Mixing Method:
Now, and only now, you may begin mixing. You don't have to have a stand mixer to make a shortened cake, but it sure helps. Begin by beating the softened butter at medium speed until fluffy and light in color, about three minutes. With the mixer running, pour in the sugar and continue to beat for about four minutes longer. Start adding the eggs one at a time with that mixer still running, and beat for several seconds between each addition. If the batter does curdle, just continue whipping it; it should smooth out once it warms up.
After you've beaten in the eggs, you must mix in the remaining ingredients as gently and quickly as possible to avoid deflating the air you've so carefully beaten into the mixture already. Slow the mixer down to low speed and sprinkle in about 1/3 of the dry ingredients. Mix very tenderly while pouring in about 1/3 of the liquid (this includes milk, buttermilk, sour cream, fruit juice and any flavored extracts). Continue in this fashion until all of the ingredients are incorporated into a smooth batter. Any nuts, fruit, chocolate chips or other additions should be very gently folded in by hand after the batter is mixed.
The Waiting is the Hardest Part:
Pour the batter immediately into a prepared baking pan and bake in the preheated oven. As the cake bakes, it will rise high in the middle and turn a dark golden brown on the outside. Don't panic: These are the signs of a successful cake! Once you remove it from the oven, try to resist its fragrant, golden temptation for 10 to 20 minutes longer while it cools slightly. After those long, torturous minutes have passed, run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake, and turn it out onto a cooling rack. Now reward yourself for all that hard work by treating yourself to a warm, buttery slab of perfectly made cake!
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