What Makes a Shortcake, a Shortcake? (2024)

By: Lodge Cast Iron / April 27, 2023

For the May Recipe of the Month, we’re perfecting our shortcake, just in time for the fresh fruit summer brings. Even though cake is in the name, shortcake is really more of a sweet and magical biscuit. There are two key ingredients that give shortcakes the unique sweetness and tight crumb that make them perfect alongside a big pile of summer berries. Read on to learn more!

What Makes a Shortcake, a Shortcake? (1)

When you think of strawberry shortcake, you might imagine the small, spongy cakes sold at the grocery store, but the traditional recipe is closer to a scone or biscuit than a cake. You’ll notice this from the start. Unlike cake batter, shortcake batter is significantly thicker and reminiscent of biscuit dough.

But shortcakes don’t share the same buttery flakiness of biscuits or the dry crumbliness of a scone. That's because shortcake recipes call for eggs and use more sugar. That’s what makes them unique! This gives the shortcake a sweet taste and tight crumb—perfect for soaking up the juices from the fruit topping.

What Makes a Shortcake, a Shortcake? (2)
What Makes a Shortcake, a Shortcake? (3)

Strawberries, obviously! Then bring on the blackberries, blueberries, peaches, or nectarines. But really, the opportunities are endless—we just recommend using what’s in season! No matter what you choose, macerate your fruit with sugar and a little bit of lemon juice. This will draw out the liquid in your fruit and create a delicious syrup.

You can make your shortcake in all kinds of pans! To make a single cake, we love to use the Fluted Cake Pan or Baker’s Skillet. But if you’re going for individual servings, reach for the Mini Cake Pan, Wedge Pan, or Baking Pan. Just remember, bake times will vary based on the size of your cake.

What Makes a Shortcake, a Shortcake? (4)

Shop our favorite baking pans.

What Makes a Shortcake, a Shortcake? (5)

What Makes a Shortcake, a Shortcake? (6)

Contributed By: Lodge Cast Iron

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What Makes a Shortcake, a Shortcake? (2024)

FAQs

What makes a shortcake a shortcake? ›

Unlike cake batter, shortcake batter is significantly thicker and reminiscent of biscuit dough. But shortcakes don't share the same buttery flakiness of biscuits or the dry crumbliness of a scone. That's because shortcake recipes call for eggs and use more sugar. That's what makes them unique!

What are the 5 senses of cake? ›

Use the five senses to write a paragraph describing a cake. Tip: the five senses are sight, smell, hearing, touch, and taste. Write a topic sentence on the first line. Tip: a topic sentence gives us the main idea of the paragraph.

Why does strawberry shortcake taste so good? ›

The texture of the two types of crunchy sugar on top lends itself to part of the magic too. Syrupy tangy strawberries, whipped cream, not-too-sweet-shortcake - I promise you'll love ever single beautiful bite and want seconds.

What's the difference between a shortcake and a sponge cake? ›

A shortcake can be one of two things - a sweetened biscuit or a sponge cake. A sponge cake would only be called a shortcake if it were served with strawberries and whipped cream, which is the typical way to serve both kinds of shortbread.

What is shortcake similar to? ›

Shortbread is similar to shortcake but doesn't include baking powder. Lots of rich butter gives shortbread a high fat content, resulting in a fine, crumbly texture.

What is the meaning of short cake? ›

a. : a dessert made typically of very short baking-powder-biscuit dough spread with sweetened fruit. b. : a dish consisting of a rich biscuit split and covered with a meat mixture.

What are the 5 tastes for kindergarten? ›

They are sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami (savory). The differences we detect among foods are, for the most part, differences in smell.

How does cake smell? ›

Vanilla cake often smells sweet. Even though “sweet” is technically a taste, our nose and tastebuds are connected. When we smell scents of vanilla and sugar, our brains tell us, “There's something sweet around here!” The smell of chocolate cake right after it comes out of the oven is mouthwatering.

What cake is a big flop? ›

What Sort Of Cake Quiz
#QuestionAnswer Answer All
6.What kind of cake is a big flop?Answer Upside Down Cake
7.What kind of cake do you have for breakfast?Answer Pancake
8.What kind of cake goes well on a saucer?Answer Cupcake
9.What is the heaviest cake?Answer Pound Cake
16 more rows

Is shortcake like a biscuit? ›

Shortcake is a crumbly and crisp cake that uses butter to give it a crispy texture when you bite into it. The distribution of the butter amongst the flour is what gives shortcake its unique taste and name. Some prefer to call them "sweet cream" biscuits.

Is Strawberry Shortcake pink or red? ›

Strawberry Shortcake is a bright and energetic little girl with red hair and freckles with a big, adorable smile. Strawberry is kind, resourceful, and always ready to help a friend in need. With her pet cat named Custard normally by her side.

What is Strawberry Shortcake Girl? ›

Strawberry Shortcake is a cartoon character used in greeting cards originally published by American Greetings. The line was later expanded to include dolls, posters, and other products featuring the character, as well as an extended cast of friends and pets.

Is shortcake supposed to be crumbly? ›

Shortcake is not really cake. It's really a rich biscuit. A warm, crumbly, buttered biscuit, split in half, and filled with strawberries or peaches or some other wonderful summer fruit and topped with whipped cream. (Think of it as just-short-of cake.)

Is shortcake a shortbread? ›

In American English, shortbread is different from shortcake. Shortcake usually has a chemical leavening agent such as baking powder, which gives it a different, softer texture, and it was normally split and filled with fruit. The most popular example of this difference is strawberry shortcake.

Is shortcake like a scone? ›

Whereas a scone has a shorter, more biscuity crumb, a shortcake is almost half cake and half scone. (These shortcakes also have cream in the dough, to add a further layer of indulgence.

What's the difference between a scone and a shortcake? ›

Whereas a scone has a shorter, more biscuity crumb, a shortcake is almost half cake and half scone. (These shortcakes also have cream in the dough, to add a further layer of indulgence.

Why is it called shortcake and shortbread? ›

Shortcakes once again went through a name change by the 18th century. Parliament began placing taxes on luxuries like cakes and biscuits, so to avoid this, bakers started calling the cakes "shortbread" to keep them classified as bread -- a non-luxury good. The first printed shortbread recipe was from a woman named Mrs.

What is different about Japanese shortcake? ›

In Japan, strawberry shortcake is made with sponge cake instead of biscuits. The sponge cake is typically lighter and fluffier than American biscuits, which gives the cake a lighter and more delicate texture.

Is custard a boy or girl strawberry shortcake? ›

Custard is Strawberry Shortcake's playful kitty. She loves to help Strawberry and the others, and she can usually be found with Pupcake.

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