Strawberry Shortcake

Ingredients:

Strawberry shortcake

• 9 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing the pan
• 1.5 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting the pan
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 1.5 cups + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 0.5 cup sour cream, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 450 g strawberries + extra for decoration (optional)

Glaze

• 700 g powdered sugar, sifted
• 220 g of cream cheese, room temperature
• 220 g unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• A pinch of salt

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 175°C. Grease and flour a 20cm diameter, at least 5cm deep cake tin.
2. Sift together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter with 1.5 cups of granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition.
3. Add the sour cream and vanilla extract and mix until smooth. Add the sifted flour mixture and mix on low speed to incorporate the flour and form a dough (do not overmix).
4. Fill the pan with batter, making sure it's no more than half full. Bake until set, 45-50 minutes. Immediately remove the cake from the pan. Place it on a wire rack and let cool completely.
5. Hull the strawberries, cut them in half, and then mash them. Sprinkle the strawberries with the remaining 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar and let them sit for 30 minutes.
6. Glaze:
   
   In a bowl, combine powdered sugar, cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Beat until fluffy.
7. Cut the cake in half horizontally to create two layers. Evenly distribute the strawberries over each layer, pouring out any juices. Freeze the cakes for 5 minutes to make it easier to apply the glaze.
8. Remove the cake halves from the freezer. Spread a little less than a third of the frosting on the bottom cake layer and spread it evenly. Place the second cake layer on top. Add half of the remaining frosting, spreading it evenly. Spread the remaining frosting around the sides of the cake.
9. Leave the cake as is or garnish with strawberry halves. Serve slightly chilled.
   
   Note
   
   This cake is best served slightly chilled. Since the glaze contains butter, it softens at room temperature. Store the cake in the refrigerator.