Batter Up: Hot Milk Cakes with Strawberries and Cream
These are a wonderful dessert that is divided into individual servings, so it’s perfect for your dinner for two, girls’ night in or just for your own enjoyment! The hot milk technique separates it from a traditional shortcake and the result looks beautiful despite relatively little effort to assemble. While you could use pre-whipped cream, I really recommend whipping heavy cream yourself until it has stiff peaks. If you make an extra cake, just refrigerate the toppings separately and consume them and remaining cake(s) within a day or two.
Ingredients:
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
2 extra-large eggs
2/3 cup plus 1/2 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, divided
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons self-rising flour
2/3 cup whole milk
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound large strawberries, hulled, thinly sliced lengthwise
1/2 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray six 3/4-cup custard cups (or ramekins) with nonstick spray. Beat eggs in a bowl until thick. Gradually beat in 2/3 cup sugar; beat until thick and light yellow. Beat in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Add flour and continue beating. Bring milk and butter to a boil in small saucepan. Stir the mixture until the butter melts. Add hot milk mixture to batter; beat until smooth. Pour batter into custard cups. Place cups on rimmed baking sheet.
Bake cakes until tops rise, for about 16 minutes (tall rounded peak will form in center of each), they will turn pale golden and be firm to the touch. Cool in cups for at least 20 minutes. DO AHEAD: Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cool completely in cups, then cover and let stand at room temperature.
Toss strawberries in a bowl of the remaining 1/2 cup sugar coat them; let stand 20 minutes for juices to form. In an addition bowl, beat the cream, powdered sugar, and remaining vanilla together. Do this until peaks form
Remove warm or room-temperature cakes from cups and transfer to bowls. Cut off the top of each cake. Spoon some berries and juices into the cakes. Cover berries with tops of cakes. Place whipped cream on top of cakes and garnish with remaining berries and juices.
This recipe comes from Epicurious.com.