Strawberry season is in full swing. If you’re looking for something else to do with those ripe berries you bought at the farmers market or picked in your local farmer’s field, try this elegant strawberry shortcake from the Black Point Inn at Prout’s Neck.

The recipe comes courtesy of Renee Landry, pastry chef at the inn, who makes her Grand Marnier Macerated Strawberries, Orange Pound Cake and Sweetened Whipped Cream with local strawberries from Moorebrook Farms in Scarborough.

 

GRAND MARNIER MACERATED STRAWBERRIES

8 cups quartered strawberries

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup Grand Marnier

1/2 cup orange juice (preferably fresh)

1/4 teaspoon salt

Place the strawberries in a large bowl, add the sugar, and stir until they start to look moist. Combine the strawberries with the rest of the ingredients, stir together, then let sit for at least 30 minutes.

 

ORANGE POUND CAKE

1/2 cup softened unsalted butter

3 cups sugar

Zest of 2 oranges

1 cup sour cream

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

6 whole eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare a 10-inch tube pan by spraying, then flouring the pan. Tap out any extra flour.

To make your cake have the strongest orange flavor, place the sugar in a bowl, then add the orange zest and rub the two together until the sugar gets an orange tint. This will help more evenly spread the orange flavor and stop clumping of the zest.

Now that your sugar is ready, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the sour cream. Once that is combined, sift together the flour and baking soda. Add the flour in 3 stages, alternating with the eggs and vanilla extract and scraping down between each addition.

Pour into the prepared baking dish and bake for 1 hour. When it’s done, you will be able to stick a toothpick into the cake and have it come out clean. It might take up to 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Cool. Slice and serve. Can be made up to two days ahead if stored in a cool, dry area.

 

WHIPPED CREAM

2 cups heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Put all ingredients in a bowl using a hand or stand mixer. Whip until medium peaks. Chill until ready to use.

 

ASSEMBLY

Slice the pound cake into 1-inch-thick slices, and take the strawberries and put them in a heat-proof pan. Place into the oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes until they are nice and roasted. Spoon the warm strawberries over the pound cake and top with whipped cream. Roasting the strawberries is not necessary, it’s just delicious!