Strawberry Shortcake
A luscious dessert featuring tender shortcake layers, fresh strawberries, and tangy creme fraiche
Ingredients:
• 1 CUP La Bonne Vie Crème Fraîche, chilled
• 1½ LB fresh strawberries, stems removed
• 1 Sponge Cake (9 in)
• ½ CUP granulated sugar
• 1 CUP heavy cream, chilled
• Pinch of kosher salt
Directions:
1. Create a double boiler by filling a small saucepan with about 1 inch of water and set over medium heat until the water steams.
2. Chop a quarter of the strawberries and combine them in a medium bowl with the sugar. Cover the bowl tightly and set it over the saucepan. Keep the water just below a simmer and allow the berries to sit, swirling the bowl to dissolve any sugar clumps for 35 to 45 minutes. Remove the bowl from the heat, uncover it, and strain through a fine-mesh strainer.
3. In a separate medium bowl, combine the heavy cream, La Bonne Vie Crème Fraîche, and salt. Whisk the mixture vigorously or beat with a hand mixer on medium-high, until thick and light. Chill the bowl of whipped cream. Thinly slice the remaining fresh strawberries lengthwise.
4. Invert the sponge cake on a flat serving plate or cake stand. Slice the cake horizontally into two even layers. Set the top layer aside.
5. Use a pastry brush to dab several tablespoons of the strawberry sugar syrup across the bottom layer, lightly soaking the entire surface. Pull the bowl of cream from the refrigerator and dollop about half of it across the soaked layer, then spread all the way to the edges. Arrange half of the sliced strawberries on top of the cream, then place the second cake layer on top of the first.
6. Lightly soak the top layer of cake with the strawberry and sugar syrup, reserving any remaining syrup for serving. Spread the remaining cream on top of the cake, then pile the remaining sliced strawberries over top.
7. Slice the cake and serve. Drizzle the slices with any remaining strawberry syrup. Enjoy!
(Serves 8-10)