Very special and exciting post today! I’m sharing what I truly believe is the best strawberry shortcake recipe. I know that’s a bold statement to make, but this recipe is extra special, as it comes from the dessert queen herself, Candace Nelson. If you’re a cupcake kind of person (or just love desserts), you’re likely familiar with Candace. She is the founder of Sprinkles Cupcakes and one of the best bakers I’ve come across. She’s also one of the kindest people I’ve been lucky enough to meet…and have the honor to bake with! I’ve followed Candace for years, but I finally met her when I was in LA a few weeks back. She graciously welcomed me (plus our entire film crew) into her home. Together we baked up these shortcakes, which truly are the BEST EVER. More on the shortcakes below, but first I want to share a little background about Candace. In the short time we had together, I learned so much about her, she is incredible and so inspiring. Not only did she found Sprinkle’s Cupcakes, which opened its first bakery in Beverly Hills in 2005, but she recently opened Pizzana, a Neapolitan style pizza restaurant in LA. Both are incredibly successful ventures. And while I’ve personally tried Candace’s baked goods (so delicious!), I’m dying to get back to LA to try Pizzana. And as if that was not enough, just yesterday, Candace launched her brand new podcast, Live to Eat, featuring the stories of culinary personalities, chefs, and food entrepreneurs. She might only be one episode deep, but I’m already hooked, and so excited to hear more! And actually, there is more! Candace is also a judge on both Cupcake Wars and Sugar Rush…season two premieres July 26th. I mean? Inspiring, right? I really can’t begin to express how much fun I had with Candace. Just another reason I am so excited to share her recipe with you all today…and the video on Instagram. So, let’s talk about these shortcakes and the Instagram video that’s coming on Monday! First, the berries. Since this is a strawberry shortcake it’s really important that you use the freshest, sweetest strawberries you can find. When I made these with Candace in LA, we were lucky enough to have access to Harry’s Berries. Which, unfortunately for the rest of the world, are only available in southern California. These strawberries are so sweet we didn’t even need to add sugar. Just make sure you purchase the best strawberries you can. Then, if needed, add sugar to sweeten. There’s also a touch of lemon added here, which I find particularly nice with the sweet berries. The strawberries need to macerate, which really just means they need to be tossed with a touch of sugar. Honey or maple syrup could also be used. The berries are then left to sit until their juices are released. This doesn’t take more than 15 minutes, but I like to start with the strawberries and then get to work on the shortcakes. For the shortcakes, Candace uses an all-butter shortcake with a touch of half-and-half. This keeps the cakes flaky, moist, and rich. The key to getting an incredibly flaky shortcake is really simple, ice-cold butter. Using cold butter will create flaky layers and pockets of butter throughout the shortcake. I recommend sticking the cubes of butter in the freezer for 10 minutes or so before using. This ensures the butter stays super cold while you work with it. I know it’s an extra step, but trust me, you want those pockets of butter and flaky layers. They make each bite beyond perfect. And now, the cream. Oh, how I love this whipped cream. I tend to find whipped cream on the boring side. But Candace has a secret that makes her whipped cream better than everyone else’s. Two words, crème fraîche. Using crème fraîche in addition to heavy cream creates a light, airy, and extra creamy whipped creamy. Lightly sweeten using honey, flavored with vanilla. It’s the perfect rich cream to spoon overtop those delicious juicy strawberries… Is your mouth watering yet? Ok, all that’s left is to put everything together to make the perfect shortcake. Your shortcakes should be slightly warm, your berries looking pretty and juicy, your whipped cream should be lick the bowl delicious, and your house should smell amazing. The only words that I can think of are YUM, so DELICIOUS and just PERFECT! Weekend plans… Strawberry shortcakes for everyone (or just you, I completely understand if you don’t want to share). Hoping I’ve now convinced you to make these. Be sure to check Instagram on Monday for the video of Candace and I making these shortcakes together in her gorgeous kitchen! And with that, enjoy your weekend! PS. If you love food, you need to be following Candace. She’s such an inspiration to me, and her cookbook is one of the only baking books I swear by. It’s such a favorite. If you make the best strawberry shortcakes, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite! Watch the How To Video:
