Stacked Vanilla Strawberry Shortcakes

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: North American

Prep Time: 1

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 1 20

Servings: servings

Calories: 1523kcal

Author: Lord Byron's Kitchen

These gorgeous mini individual-sized cakes are super easy to make and look quite impressive. Stacked Vanilla Strawberry Shortcakes are prepared with vanilla sheet cake, strawberry shortcake crumbs, buttercream frosting, and fresh strawberries. You're going to love these shortcakes!

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Ingredients

For the Cake:

1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the Buttercream:

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
4 cups confectioner's sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablepoons whipping cream (or milk)
1/4 teaspoon salt

Assembly & Garnish:

4 cups Strawberry Shortcake Crumbs
Fresh strawberries for plating and garnish

Instructions

For the Cake:

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside. I’m using a two thirds sheet pan (also referred to as a three quarter size sheet pan) and measures 21 x 15″.
In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar for 2 to 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and blend well into the sugar and butter mixture. Next, add the vanilla and beat that into the batter.
Scrape down the bowl and add the following ingredients in this order: flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat the dry ingredients into the wet until well combined. Add the milk and fully incorporate.
Coat the parchment lined baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Be sure to spray the sides of the pan! Pour the batter into the pan and use a rubber spatula to press down so that the entire pan is covered.
Bake for 20 minutes, testing with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven. Place the pan on a cooling rack and let set for 10-15 minutes. Next, place a cooling rack onto the cake and carefully invert the cake onto the rack and out of the pan. Remove the parchment paper and allow the cake to fully cool.

For the Buttercream:

Start by adding the butter to the mixing bowl, and using the paddle attachment, whip the butter for 5-7 minutes. Be sure to scrape down the bowl a time or two in between.
Add two cups of confectioner’s sugar to the bowl and beat on low speed until just incorporated. Add the vanilla extract and beat again to just combine. Now, add two more cups of confectioner’s sugar and beat until incorporated. Increase the speed and beat well for another two to three minutes.
Finally, add the whipping cream or milk. Beat well into the buttercream mixture for three to five minutes. Be sure to scrape down the bowl before this one last mix. Once buttercream is mixed, cover the bowl and let it sit at room temperature. Do not refrigerate. Once the cakes are cooled and ready, beat the buttercream again for another minute before using.

Assembling the Cake Stacks:

Slide the cake onto a large cutting board, or onto your kitchen counter. Place a sheet of parchment paper onto your counter first, if you are not using a cutting board. Use a large circular cookie cutter to cut twelve circles out of the cake.
Transfer a quarter of the buttercream to a large piping bag with a small round piping tip. (I used #803.) Add the rest of the buttercream to another piping bag fitted with a medium-sized rosette tip. (I used #826.)
Place the Strawberry Shortcake Crumbs into a bowl that is at least six inches wide and has a good inch or so of depth to it. You will use this to dip the layers of cake into to coat them with the crumb mixture.
Working with one cake round at a time, and using the round piping tip, cover the surface with buttercream. You’ll use about two tablespoons of buttercream to cover the cake round.
Next, invert the round and press it lightly into the bowl of shortcake crumbs. This will help the crumbs stick to the buttercream. Place the cake round, crumb-side up, onto a serving plate or large platter.
Next, using the rosette tip, pipe about a quarter cup of buttercream onto the round. Do this until you have six rounds completed.
Now, place a second cake round onto the top of each of the six previously prepared rounds.
Using the rosette tip again, pipe about a quarter cup of buttercream onto the round. Do this until you have six rounds completed.
Spoon a tablespoon of the Strawberry Shortcake Crumbs over the top of each stacked cake.
At this point, I like to garnish with a strawberry. If you are serving these cakes immediately, go ahead and garnish now. Otherwise, do not add the strawberry to the top of the cake until you are ready to serve. If serving later, go ahead and gently cover the cakes with plastic wrap. You can leave the cakes at room temperature if serving within the next five hours, otherwise you should refrigerate them until one hour before serving.

Notes

The nutritional information is a rough estimate only. The calculations do not reflect the cake that is not used once you cut the rounds out. It also does not account for the leftover buttercream or any leftover shortcake crumbs.

Nutrition