Super Scrumpdiliumptious Strawberry Shortcake – It's Gluten Free, too

Have the glorious days of summer hit your neck of the woods? I know that it’s still springtime for us Northern Hemisphere folks, but it feels like summer! Picture me doing a happy dance! After enduring month after month of having to drive with my windshield wipers permanently in the “on” position and shrouding myself with jackets, I am now sporting sunglasses and slathering on sunscreen. Yep, I’m a happy gal. Again, picture me doing a happy dance.

Here’s a recipe that will make you and yours dance happy, too! I’m talking about the shortcake component of strawberry shortcake. Oh, folks, you are gonna love me! Yep, I’m that confident. You will love me! Well, at least I’m certain that you’ll love this shortcake! It’s soooo easy and each bite is a delight sensation. Best of all, it’s gluten free. Bestest of all (yes, I know ‘bestest’ is not a word, but when I get really happy I like to make up words. Did you see the title of this post? I was really happy when I wrote that!), is that it doesn’t require any unusual ingredients. Truly! I’m not kidding! Take a quick peak at the ingredient list. I bet you have every single ingredient just waiting in your pantry for this dessert!

I found this recipe on line at RecipeZaar and just had a feeling that it would be awesome! Perfect timing, too, as this worked marvelously as my gluten-free babe’s birthday treat. Let me point out that this is a spongecake style recipe. These are similar to those little shortcake sponge cakes that are sold in grocery stores, only these taste way better. Made in cupcake muffin tins, they provide individual servings that look so pretty on a dessert plate.

Here we go!

½ cup butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar (also called confectioners or icing sugar)
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup corn starch
1-1/4 teaspoons baking POWDER

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 12 – 15 -muffin pan. In a large bowl cream butter and sugar, using electric mixer. Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat until light and fluffy. In another bowl, mix the cornstarch and baking powder together and add slowly to the creamed mixture. Add slowly to keep it from powdering your entire kitchen. Mix for only about a minute or two until well blended.Fill the greased muffin tins half full. I filled mine more than half full because I only have 12 muffin tins. Actually, I used two 6 tins. Anyway ... Bake for 15 minutes.Test with a toothpick, after 15 minutes, even if the top looks shiny. Can you see my little toothpick hole smack dab in the center there? It came out perfectly clean. Remove the shortcakes from the pan while still warm. I coaxed mine out with a fork. They will look like little cupcakes, but taste just like little spongecakes/shortcakes.Ain’t she sweet? Looks like a little cupcake, but tastes like spongecake!Serve topped with strawberries and whipped cream. I had blueberries to add as well, but the kidlins were hovering. It was all I could do to snap a quick photo.Just look at this fine crumb! (Uh, please excuse the, uh, cottoncandy nail polish. Yes, I do let my just-turned-10-year-old paint my nails. Hey, it’s a mom and little girl thing. I’ve even let her do my hair and make up, but that’s a post for another day.) Back to the crumb ... so light and very spongy! Click on the photo if you want a closer look!

If you wanted, you could slice these in half and serve them open faced. I like the vertical presentation, but the split version is easier for the kidlins. These little babies will be gobbled up by you and yours in no time! So, go ahead and whip up a quick batch of these gluten free darlings and join me in a happy dance!

Do you have a favorite shortcake recipe? Any fun stories to go with it? Would love to hear about it!