My Grandma Ruth is one of the best home cooks I’ve ever known. When I was little, she used to take us to the berry patches in Ohio and we’d pick our own strawberries. Sometimes when we were out in the country she’d pull over to the side of the road and pick wild blackberries or raspberries and then cook up something delicious, always from memeory with no recipe at all. I grew up on her strawberry jam and blackberry cobblers. It’s no wonder berries are one of my favorite foods.
Today I love bringing fresh strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries home and looking for new ways to eat them. Of course I love them with ice cream, but sometimes I crave a light cake. This shortcake fits the bill. Moist, crumbly, and slightly lemony, this shortcake lets you enjoy any berry you love. The cream is light, low-fat, and full of flavor. You can prepare the cream and the berries a day ahead of time. The shortcake is best the day that it’s baked, or even slightly warn.
If you want to eat this shortcake in the middle of winter go right ahead! It pairs beautifully with any fresh fruit.
Find more great recipes at The WHOLE Gang Foodie Find!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour Mix
- 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal, stone-ground
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- scant 1/4 cup agave nectar
- 1 cup 2% cottage cheese
- 1 cup non-fat plain yogurt
- 2 tablespoons agave nectar (optional)
- 4 cups of your favorite summer berries
Instructions
- Adjust a baking rack to the middle position of the oven. Preheat oven to 425F. Spray a 8" round cake pan with baking spray. Line with parchment paper and spray again. You can also use a 8x8 square pan. Set aside.
- To make the shortcake, place flour blend, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a sifter. Sift the dry ingredients together. Put dry ingredients in a small mixing bowl and make a well in the center.
- Mix wet ingredients together in a large measuring cup. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with a fork until just combined and dough comes together. Place into prepared pan and spread with a spatula so that the top is flat. Bake for 12 – 15 minutes or until golden brown. The shortcake will pull slightly from the edges of the pan.
- Place on a wire rack and cool for 5 minutes. Then remove from pan and place on a clean kitchen towel on the wire rack and let it cool further.
- While the shortcake is in the oven, place cottage cheese and yogurt into a food processor or blender. Process until completely smooth. Scrape sides down several times. Once mixture is smooth, add agave and process until incorporated. Transfer to another container, cover, and refrigerate. Then, prepare berries if necessary.
- Slice the shortcake into 8 wedges and slice each wedge in half. Place the bottom half of the shortcake wedge on a plate. Place 1/4 cup of cream on the bottom half. Top with 1/2 cup of berries. Place top half of wedge on top of berries.
Heather @CeliacFamily
posted on August 21, 2009 at 10:51 am
Yum. That looks fabulous!
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Diane- The WHOLE Gang
posted on August 21, 2009 at 2:03 pm
That looks really good. I’d like to take a bite right now. Thanks for sharing this on Friday Foodie Fix.
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renee
posted on June 23, 2010 at 10:37 pm
I just made this shortcake tonight for a potluck tomorrow. Wonderful! At first when I tasted the cake – without any berries or cream – I thought it was too bland but then I tasted the subtle sweetness in them and could appreciate it for that and that it would be plenty sweet with berries on top – the perfect shortcake! Yum! Thanks!
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Amy Reply:
June 24th, 2010 at 9:42 pm
@renee, I’m glad you like it! Did you use the same flour blend I did or did you try something different? Just wondering because I made it with Pamela’s a couple of nights ago. It was delicious but more like cornbread than shortbread. I haven’t tried anything else with it.
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renee Reply:
June 26th, 2010 at 4:37 pm
@Amy, I used your sorghum, sweet rice, tapioca, cornstarch mix. It worked well. I have only just started using sorghum.
I made a double batch of it since I was taking it to the potluck – also because my husband wanted me to leave a little at home for him. It worked well in a 9×13 pan.
The more I eat it, the more I like it. I am trying to learn to appreciate the subtle sweetness in things and reduce my sugar consumption. Retraining the tastebuds is hard!
Thanks for another great recipe!
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Amy Reply:
June 30th, 2010 at 10:24 am
@renee, Thanks for the info, Renee!! It takes a little time to retrain your palate. I do find, though, that with some stevia sweetened whip cream and sweet berries, it’s perfect.
Mircat
posted on July 4, 2011 at 3:00 pm
Just went GF 2 weeks ago and made this recipe today (my first EVER GF baked dessert). Used Bob’s Red Mill GF flour (garbanzo/potato/white sorghum/fava), added about 50% more lemon zest and vanilla, and subbed honey for 1/2 the agave (I ran out). The “cream” is OUTRAGEOUSLY good. Also used some honey in it, TONS of vanilla, and used full fat greek yogurt/nonfat cottage cheese, since that’s what I had on hand to use up.
I only had 2 little 6″ pans, so I divided the batter equally between them, and they baked up in about 18-20 minutes. I was concerned b/c the batter was not at all dough-like or biscuit-like in consistency–it was very liquid and pourable. At about 15 minutes, I turned the oven down to 350, and they baked through without scorching on the sides/top/bottom.
Can’t believe the tender crumb and beautiful texture of this cake. It also rose very well and has a delicate, lemon-vanilla taste with some interesting texture from the cornmeal. Served w/ strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries = OUTRAGEOUS. Thanks for a yummy, easy recipe, and nice, clear instructions.
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Amy Reply:
July 8th, 2011 at 9:32 am
@Mircat, Yea! Thanks for sharing your adaptations.
I made this for my sister and niece when they came to visit and they loved it too.
Hugs,
Amy
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