Easy and Tasty Strawberry Shortcake

Do I even need to explain?  Strawberry Shortcake is divine.  With a few tweaks this recipe can be made low-fat.  I prefer to splurge every now and then and enjoy every minute!

I'm not ready for Meatless on Monday just yet so I thought I'd share a deliciously simple, blow that diet out in the street dessert.

Easy and Tasty Strawberry Shortcake

from food.com  Servings:6

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs strawberries , stemmed and quartered

3 tablespoons sugar

For the cake

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

For the whipped cream

1 1/2 cups heavy cream, chilled

3 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest

Directions:

Mix strawberries with 3 tablespoons sugar and refrigerate while juices develop, at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Add heavy cream and mix until just combined. Place mixture in an ungreased 8-inch square pan and bake until golden, 18 to 20 minutes.

Place a metal bowl and beaters in the freezer during shortcake cooking time.

Remove shortcake from pan and place on a rack to cool slightly. Cut into 6 pieces and split each piece in half horizontally.

Mix all whipped cream ingredients in the metal bowl with metal beaters about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.

Spoon some of the strawberries with their juice onto each shortcake bottom. Top with a generous dollop of whipped cream and then the shortcake top. Spoon more strawberries over the top and serve.

Totally off the subject of cooking, I'm hosting a super fun, Heirloom Seed giveaway over at Back to the Basic!  Just in time for Christmas!

Enter to win the Seeds in a Stocking giveaway!

Linking up HERE!