Name: Strawberry and Pear Shortcake recipe
Prep time: 50 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 9
Ingredients: 2 cups plain flour; 2 tsp baking powder; 1 pinch salt; 1/2 cup caster sugar; 125 g unsalted butter cut into cubes; 1 egg; 2/3 cup thickened cream; 250 g fresh strawberries thinly sliced; 500 g canned pears thinly sliced juice discarded; 300 ml thickened cream; 3 tbs icing sugar; 1 dash vanilla essence

by dayna_hoskin Last updated on 01/14/2021

I came across this shortcake in a cute little bakery in Kyoto. It was quite honestly the best thing I've ever tasted! - dayna_hoskin

Ingredients

2 cups plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup caster sugar
125 g unsalted butter cut into cubes
1 egg
2/3 cup thickened cream
250 g fresh strawberries thinly sliced
500 g canned pears thinly sliced juice discarded

Filling

300 ml thickened cream
3 tbs icing sugar
1 dash vanilla essence

Method

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 180C.
Step 2

Prepare two 8-inch (20cm) diameter cake tins. Set aside.
Step 3

Sift flour, caster sugar, salt and baking powder into a large mixing bowl.
Step 4

Add butter and using your fingers rub the butter into the dry ingredients until it is thoroughly combined and looks like coarse flour.
Step 5

Into a separate small bowl, add 2/3 cup of cream and egg, and whisk with a whisk until cream mixture is thoroughly aerated, but not whipped.
Step 6

Create a well in the centre of your flour mix and pour in your whisked cream. Mix gently with a soft spatula so as not to knock out the air in your cream.
Step 7

Once combined, separate you batter into two equal halves, and scrape one half into each pre-prepared cake tin.
Step 8

Smooth your batter out into the edges, and once you're satisfied that the batter is evenly spread, place side by side in the oven to bake for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of you cake is removed clean.
Step 9

Sit cakes in the fridge to completely cool.
Step 10

Filling: Place 300ml cream, vanilla essence and icing sugar into a bowl.
Step 11

Using electric beaters, whip your cream mixture until it can hold stiff peaks.
Step 12

Retrieve your cakes from the fridge, place one layer onto a serving platter, cake base or stand, apply a very thin layer of cream on top, arrange your sliced fruit as desired, apply another thin layer of cream and sandwich in between your second cake layer.
Step 13

Using the remainder of your whipped cream and fruit, decorate the top of your cake, and chill for 30 minutes before serving to allow the cream to set.