Marionberry Shortcake (with Roasted Strawberries)

I made this cake for my birthday lunch hosted by my parents.  I used strawberries because I was unable to locate  Marionberries.  My sister suggested roasting the berries.  It helps with her food allergy and she’d seen it done at one of her favorite restaurants.

To roast the berries, I hulled and sliced them, spread them out in a 9 x 13 pan, and sprinkled them with sugar.  They baked in a 350 oven for about 20 minutes.  After they cooled a bit, I stirred in the Chambord.  The flavor was intense, still tart and sweet.

The shortcakes gave me a chance to use the little ramekins I brought home from Poland.  I was in a hurry, so I didn’t bother to brown the butter.  With that step omitted, the batter came together very quickly.  The eggs and egg yolk were heated with the sugar over simmering water until lukewarm.

While this mixture was being whipped until light and fluffy, I added vanilla to melted butter and measured out the Wondra flour.  These two were gently combined with the fluffy eggs, and then the batter was spooned into the prepared cups.

The shortcakes rose nicely, just over the top of the cups, but I had to take the pan straight from the oven to my car.  They cooled as I drove across town, and I worried that the delicate, light cakes would collapse from the road vibration.  They did lose some height as they cooled, but the texture was still light as we ate them.  We were left with six very clean plates.

Unlike my other blog posts, as part of the Heavenly Cake Bakers, I don’t post recipes from this book on the Internet. One of the reasons for this baking group is to encourage readers to purchase the cookbook. That strategy worked on me! After follow the group’s baking adventures for a couple of months, I ordered a copy from Amazon because I wanted join in.