Mini Strawberry Shortcakes 🍓

The perfect lil sweet gift for Valentine's day. You can find the recipe for my vanilla sponge cake under 'Japanese Strawberry Shortcake' on my page. Alternatively, if you're in a hurry, you can also use store-bought sponge cake and jam. Happy baking! 🍓🍰🎀✨

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% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

In a small saucepan, combine the strawberries, sugar and lemon juice and cook over medium heat until the strawberries have softened.

Step 2

Continue cooking on low heat for 10-15 minutes until the strawberry mixture becomes thick and jammy. Strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds and transfer to a jar to cool. Chill for at least 2 hours before using.

Step 3

In a large bowl using an electric mixer, whip the cream, caster sugar and vanilla extract on high speed until stiff beaks form. Transfer 2/3 of the cream to a piping bag fitted with a round tip and 1/3 to a piping bag fitted with a small star tip.

Step 4

Measure the size of cups you're using and cut out rounds of sponge cake. I used a 4.5cm diameter cookie cutter. Prepare 2 x sponge cake rounds for each shortcake cup. Cover and set aside.

Step 5

To assemble, place a layer of sponge cake. Then arrange the sliced strawberries around the outside of the glass cups. Pipe enough cream to fill the gaps between the strawberries (focusing on the perimeter of the cup and leaving a hole in the middle). Pipe or spoon a generous amount of strawberry filling before placing down another layer of sponge cake. Fill the cup the rest of the way with whipped cream before smoothing the surface with a spatula. Repeat for the rest of the cups.

Step 6

To decorate, using the piping bag fitted with a small star tip, pipe a border of cream around each shortcake cup and top with a whole strawberry and thyme.