IT’S STRAWBERRY SEASON!! Even if you don’t go out and stoop over a bunch of strawberry plants in the middle of a field, at least to support your local farmers’ market and buy some fresh and ripe. Then you can make this dessert I’m about to share with you called Strawberry Shortcake Surprise.
You may think this is just your average Strawberry Shortcake recipe, but it is not!
This is a STRAWBERRY SURPRISE!
Pronounced: STRAW-BERRY (pause) SIR-PRIZEEEEE!
Light fluffy shortcake cupcakes covered with a thick syrupy strawberry compote, topped high, with fresh sliced strawberries, whipped cream.
How To Make Strawberry Surprise
The Strawberries:
Slice up one pint of fresh strawberries. Sprinkle with sugar (or vanilla sugar) to desired sweetness and let them macerate in the
refrigerator while the cupcakes are baking and cooling.
The Shortcake:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a cupcake pan for 6 cupcakes.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla until smooth.
Alternately whisk in the flour mixture and milk, making three additions of flour and two additions of milk.
Beat until smooth. Scoop batter into prepared pan.
Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown and tops of cupcakes spring back when lightly touched. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing. Cool completely.
The Strawberry Shortcake Surprise Compote:
Slice up the fresh strawberries and place them in a small pot. Sprinkle with sugar; cook the strawberries, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and continue to stir until the mixture thickens slightly. Turn off heat and allow it to cool. Refrigerate before serving.
Assemble the Strawberry Shortcake Surprise:
Once everything is cooled and chilled, take one of the cupcakes to cut it in half horizontally.
Place the cupcake slices cut side up onto a dessert plate. Using a spoon, pour some fresh macerated strawberries and juice on one side of the sliced cupcake.
Spread the strawberry compote on one side of the sliced cupcake.
Spread over a little of the whipped cream on top of each half with the compote.
Sandwich the two cupcake slices back together. Basically, you end up with a sandwiched upside-down cupcake.
Add macerated strawberries and sweetened whipped cream on top of the cupcake. Garnish with fresh julienned basil.
Note: If you are trying to impress with the presentation, toothpicks will help stabilize the cupcake, but warn your guests!!
I do have one requirement of you if you make this dessert…
I insist you that you pronounce it STRAW-BERRY (pause) SIR-PRIZEEEEE!
Strawberry Shortcake Surprise
Ingredients
The Strawberries
- 1 pint fresh strawberries sliced
- ¼ cup sugar or vanilla sugar
Shortcake Cupcakes | Yield: 6 cupcakes | Time: 45 Minutes
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled slightly
- 1 egg
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup milk
Strawberry Compote | Yield: 1 Cup | Time: 15 Minutes
- 1 pint fresh strawberries sliced
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water
The Strawberry Surprise | Yield: 1 | Time: 2 Minutes
- 1 shortcake cupcake
- 2 tablespoons macerated strawberries
- 1 tablespoon strawberry compote
- 1 tablespoon sweetened whipped cream
- fresh basil julienned for garnish (optional)
Instructions
The Strawberries
- Slice up one pint of fresh strawberries.
- Sprinkle with sugar to desired sweetness and let them macerate in the refrigerator while the cupcakes are baking and cooling.
Shortcake Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a cupcake pan for 6 cupcakes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla until smooth.
- Alternately whisk in the flour mixture and milk, making three additions of flour and two additions of milk. Beat until smooth.
- Scoop batter into prepared pan.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown and tops of cupcakes spring back when lightly touched.
- Let cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing. Cool completely.
Strawberry Compote
- Slice up the fresh strawberries and place them in a small pot.
- Sprinkle with sugar (approximately ¼ cup)
- Cook the strawberries, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the cornstarch mixture and continue to stir until the mixture thickens slightly.
- Turn off heat and allow it to cool. Refrigerate before serving.
Make the Strawberry Surprise
- Once everything is cooled and chilled, take one of the cupcakes to cut it in half horizontally.
- Place the cupcake slices cut side up onto a dessert plate.
- Using a spoon, pour some fresh macerated strawberries and juice on one side of the sliced cupcake.
- Spread the strawberry compote on the other side of the sliced cupcake.
- Spread over a little of the whipped cream on top of each half with the compote.
- Sandwich the two cupcake slices back together. (Basically, you end up with a sandwiched upside down cupcake)
- Add macerated strawberries and sweetened whipped cream on top of the cupcake.
- Garnish with fresh julienned basil.
Rachel says
Holy smokes. This is out of this world. You need to mass produce these. So yummy!
The Mountain Kitchen says
Thanks Rachel! 🙂
Dana @ IveGotCake says
Hahahahaha!
I love it!
I can totally picture you saying it just this way too!
The Mountain Kitchen says
Yeah, kinda like a mix of Gomer Pyle and the prosecuting attorney on My Cousin Vinny… 😉
Cheryl "Cheffie Cooks" Wiser says
Well…Golly…
The Mountain Kitchen says
😉
dogear6 says
Yummy! Looks simple to make too.
Nancy
The Mountain Kitchen says
It is, Nancy. The cupcakes are so good and I could see doing more with them this summer as other berries are ripening…
Julie is HostessAtHeart says
How fresh and pretty are these! I just love strawberries and have gone though so many. DON’T even care. Love em while we have em.
The Mountain Kitchen says
Thanks, Julie. Absolutely! I think a strawberry milkshake may be in my future. Just sliced up some more last night! 😉
Seana says
This looks so refreshingly wonderful. I love fruity desserts, actually I could just eat this for dinner! A couple of months ago I did pull up a chair and read your staycation story! I couldn’t believe it. What a story! Sounds like an incredible place to live, however, I couldn’t believe all the misfortunes…hitting a deer, hand injury, wrecking your truck!! What a story…
The Mountain Kitchen says
Oh Seana, than you so much for reading Staycation! I am so sorry I haven’t finished it yet. Of course it has a happy ending, but I NEED to finish it. It was very trying, but we didn’t give up. I want others to know that if there is something you want to fight for it, no matter how hard you get knocked down!. I sure hope to finish it soon. Perhaps some Straw-berry (pause) Sir-Prizeeeee! could be used as motivation… 😉
Annie says
You read my mind! This is on my list of to-do’s! 🙂
The Mountain Kitchen says
I look forward to reading about it! Have a great weekend!! 🙂
Sarah says
I love stawberries!!! So happy they’re in season 🙂 I promise when I make this I will pause, haha!
The Mountain Kitchen says
Perfect, Sarah! Hope you have had a great weekend. 🙂
Jenny says
These look divine! I have been looking for different things to do with strawberries when strawberry season arrives here. I think my kids would love these!
The Mountain Kitchen says
Oh, you have to make them for them and pronounce it the way I do. They’ll love it!