Food Recipes Desserts Cake Strawberry-Saffron Shortcake 5.0 (1) Add your rating & review Lemon syrup and saffron lends this strawberry shortcake a floral aroma and gorgeous rich color. By Hetal Vasavada Hetal Vasavada Hetal Vasavada is a cookbook author, blogger, and bakery owner who is an expert baker and is known for creating dishes with a unique combination of both her Indian and American backgrounds. She has a degree in biochemistry and uses her scientific background to create recipes.Experience: Hetal Vasavada is a cookbook author, baker, and blogger. Her first cookbook, Milk and Cardamom, was about Indian-inspired desserts. The cookbook was listed as one of 2019's best cookbooks by the San Francisco Chronicle and The Washington Post. Her recipes have been featured in The New York Times, Buzzfeed, Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, and more.Hetal owns and runs an online pop-up bakery, Milk and Cardamom Sweets. She also works as a recipe developer, food photographer, and social media consultant. In addition, she runs a popular blog and Instagram account where she shares her Indian-inspired desserts and Gujarati dishes. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on May 25, 2023 Rate PRINT Share Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christine Keely Active Time: 40 mins Total Time: 2 hrs 20 mins Servings: 12 servings Lemon syrup and mascarpone whipped cream — both scented with saffron — give a sweet, floral dimension to the season’s most familiar dessert. To get the most out of the saffron, Vasavada crushes and soaks the threads in hot liquid, a process known as blooming, to bring out the spice's subtle flavor and signature yellow hue. The berries pair well with warm spices as the two come together to create a strong aroma and color. Vasavada tints the whipped cream a pale yellow by incorporating this saffron into the lemon syrup that soaks the vanilla cake and whipped cream that tops it. Ingredients Vanilla cake Cooking spray 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole milk, at room temperature 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 3/4 cups (about 7 1/2 ounces) plus 1 tablespoon all purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature 2 large eggs, at room temperature 1 tablespoon vanilla extract Lemon-saffron syrup 1/4 cup granulated sugar 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon) 2 tablespoons water 10 saffron threads (see Note) Macerated strawberries 1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled and halved 3 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice Saffron-mascarpone whipped cream 1 tablespoon boiling water 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, lightly crushed 4 ounces mascarpone cheese 1/3 cup powdered sugar 1 1/2 cups heavy cream Directions Make the vanilla cake Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 13- x 9-inch baking sheet with cooking spray; set aside. Whisk together milk and lemon juice in a glass measuring cup; set aside. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Beat granulated sugar and butter with a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl halfway through beating time. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating for 30 seconds between additions. Add vanilla, and beat until combined, about 15 seconds. Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating gently on low speed between additions until just combined. Pour batter into prepared baking sheet. Using a spatula, spread batter in an even layer; tap baking sheet 2 to 3 times on countertop to get rid of any air bubbles and to even out cake batter. Bake in preheated oven until golden and a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 26 to 30 minutes. Make the lemon-saffron syrup Stir together granulated sugar, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons water, and saffron threads in a small saucepan over medium-low. Cook, stirring often, until sugar is dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes. Increase heat to medium, and bring to a simmer. Simmer, undisturbed, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and set aside. Remove cake from oven; immediately brush lemon-saffron syrup generously over surface of cake using a pastry brush. Let cake cool completely in cake pan on a wire rack, about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Macerate the strawberries Stir together strawberries, granulated sugar, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Let stand at room temperature, stirring occasionally, until strawberries release their juices, 30 minutes to 1 hour. Make the saffron-mascarpone whipped cream Stir together 1 tablespoon boiling water and saffron in a small heatproof bowl. Let stand 15 minutes. Beat mascarpone, powdered sugar, and saffron mixture in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. With mixer running on medium speed, gradually add cream. Increase speed to medium-high, and beat until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Dollop saffron-mascarpone whipped cream onto cooled cake, and spread in an even layer. Top with macerated strawberries; drizzle cake evenly with any juices remaining in bowl. Serve immediately. To make ahead Cake may be stored, tightly covered, in refrigerator up to 2 days. Note Saffron is available at most specialty grocery stores or online at curiospice.com. Rate It Print