This giant American-style shortcake is a celebration of summer, combining tender, buttery shortcake with softly whipped cream and an extravagant assortment of fruits. Instead of prescribing a single fruit combination, the recipe encourages using whatever looks and smells best at the market: strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, greengages, apricots, cherries, nectarines, or peaches all work beautifully. A mix of juicy stone fruit and berries brings different colours, textures, and levels of sweetness to every bite, making this dessert a true summer bonanza.
Preparation and Ingredients
For the shortcake, you will need 380g plain flour, 70g caster sugar (plus an extra tablespoon), 3 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, 150g cold unsalted butter, 250ml cold double cream (plus an extra tablespoon for brushing), 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon fennel seeds (lightly toasted and crushed), and a few small mint leaves for garnish.
For the fruit, use 350g of your chosen stone fruit (stoned and cut into 5-7mm wedges) and 350g of berries (halve or quarter strawberries depending on size), along with 40g caster sugar (adjustable based on fruit sweetness), 2 teaspoons lemon juice, and a pinch of fine sea salt. For the cream, whip 350ml double cream with 20g icing sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and a pinch of fine sea salt until soft peaks form.
Method
Begin by cutting a sheet of baking paper to fit a large baking tray, then draw a 20cm circle on it using a cake tin or dinner plate as a guide. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, caster sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Place the cold butter between two sheets of baking paper and give it a few firm whacks with a rolling pin until it forms a rough sheet about 5mm thick. Tear the butter into irregular pieces and add to the flour mixture, tossing to coat. Rub the butter lightly between your fingertips to flatten into smaller flakes of about 1-2cm across, leaving some pieces visible.
Combine the cream and vanilla, then pour into the flour mix. Stir gently with a fork until the mixture forms a shaggy dough, then use a flexible spatula to fold it over a few times until there are no obvious dry patches. The dough will still look rough, which is exactly what you want.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, flour your hands, and gently pat and press it into a rough disc. Transfer to the baking paper, placing it on the side without the circle. Using the drawn circle as a guide, gently press the dough into an even 20cm round about 2cm thick. Wrap the dough in the baking paper and chill for at least an hour, or up to three hours.
Baking and Assembly
When ready to bake, heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Unwrap the dough, place it (still on the baking paper) on a large baking tray, and brush the surface with the remaining tablespoon of cream. Mix the crushed fennel seeds with the extra tablespoon of caster sugar and sprinkle evenly over the top.
Bake for 30 minutes, then reduce the oven to 190C (170C fan)/375F/gas 5 and bake for a further 15 minutes, until deeply golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
About 30 minutes before serving, combine the fruits, sugar, lemon juice, and salt in a bowl. Toss gently and leave to macerate until the fruit releases some of its juices. Meanwhile, whip the cream with the icing sugar, vanilla, and salt until it holds soft peaks.
Place the shortcake on a serving plate. Using a serrated knife, slice horizontally to lift off the central crusty-domed cap (about 1cm thick). Don’t worry if it cracks into a few pieces; reserve on a plate for serving. Spoon the whipped cream over the shortcake and pile most of the fruit on top, along with a little of the syrupy juices. Finish with a few small mint leaves.
To serve, cut the shortcake into wedges and transfer to plates. Spoon over the extra fruit and juices, then tuck pieces of the crisp fennel-sugar top alongside each serving.
