Step 1
In a small heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the Redpath® Golden Yellow Sugar with the water. Place over medium heat, and bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar; 3 to 5 minutes. Add in the yuzu juice and stir until well combined.
Step 2
Remove from the heat. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Lightly grease and line the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Do not grease the paper. Ensure the longer sides have approximately 1–2 inches of parchment paper overhang to make unmoulding easier.
Step 2
In a bowl, whisk together the cake flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and baking soda until free of lumps.
Step 3
In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or a large whisk, beat together the egg yolks, the Redpath® Golden Yellow Sugar, canola oil, milk, and vanilla extract, until sugar is dissolved and egg yolk mixture is thickened and pale in colour; 3 minutes.
Step 4
Sift the dry ingredients evenly over the surface of the yolk mixture. With a large rubber spatula, gently fold in until no flour streaks remain; do not overmix. Set aside.
Step 5
Add egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or a large bowl using a hand mixer. Whisk on medium speed until foamy. Add in lemon juice, and continue whisking until egg whites are opaque and white and the “bubbles” of the egg whites are small and uniform. Gradually add the Redpath® Granulated Sugar in a slow but steady stream.
Step 6
Once all the sugar is added, increase speed to medium-high and whip to a stiff peak; whites should be thick and glossy. To test, lift the whisk from the meringue; it should hold a peak with no droopy tip; be careful not to over-whip.
Step 7
Add and quickly fold in ⅓ of the egg whites to the yolk mixture; this will lighten the yolk mixture, making it easier to fold in the remaining egg whites. Add remaining whites to the yolk mixture. Quickly and gently fold in until no egg white streaks remain and batter is smooth.
Step 8
Pour and spread the batter into the prepared pan with an offset spatula, ensuring an even thickness. Drop the pan a few times onto a flat work surface to rid batter of any large air pockets. Place pan into the preheated oven. Bake until top is golden in colour and not sticky to the touch; 18 to 22 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, or when the sponge is gently pressed, it slowly springs back.
Step 9
Remove cake from oven and let cool slightly in the pan; 3 to 5 minutes. Place a wire cooling rack over the pan and carefully flip the cake onto the cooling rack. Carefully peel away the parchment paper.
Step 10
Immediately place a piece of parchment paper onto the cake’s surface, place another wire cooling rack (larger than the cake) onto the parchment paper and flip the cake right side up. Cool completely; 2 hours.
Step 1
Slice hulled strawberries in half; quarter strawberries if they are particularly large. Place into a large bowl and sprinkle strawberries with the yuzu juice, tossing to coat. Sprinkle in the Redpath® Golden Yellow Sugar. Use a large rubber spatula to toss the strawberries in the sugar. Cover and place into the fridge to macerate; 20 to 30 minutes.
Step 2
Place a sieve over a bowl and strain strawberries. Reserve juices (see Chef’s Tips).
Step 1
In a large chilled bowl, add the cold heavy cream. Using a hand mixer (see Chef’s Tips), whip the cream on low speed just until it begins to thicken.
Step 2
Sift in the Redpath® Icing Sugar and milk powder, and add the vanilla extract. Increase speed to medium and whip to soft peaks. Increase speed to medium-high and whip until stiff peaks begin to form; do not over whip.
Step 1
Carefully place the completely cooled cake onto a platter or back into the cleaned cake tin if transporting to a party or event.
Step 2
With a clean pastry brush, lightly brush the top of the completely cooled cake with the yuzu simple syrup (see Chef’s Tips). There will be leftover syrup; expect to use approximately ⅓ cup of yuzu syrup on cake.
Step 3
Spoon and spread or pipe the whipped cream onto the cake. Either decorate and/or top the entire cake with the strained, macerated strawberries (if planning to eat the whole cake that day), or top individual frosted cake slices with the strawberries. Alternatively, individuals can top their cake slices with whipped cream and macerated strawberries.
*If you can’t find yuzu juice, substitute with Meyer lemon juice or equal parts grapefruit and orange juice. Lemon juice will also work in a pinch.
*If cake flour is unavailable, substitute 1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour and remove 2 tablespoons (16 grams) of flour and replace with 2 tablespoons (16 grams) cornstarch. Whisk together.
*Ensure bowl and whisk attachment are free from any traces of fat (e.g. grease, oil, yolk) before beating egg whites.
*Use the reserved juices from the strawberries to flavour sparkling water. The juice can also be added to the yuzu simple syrup if desired.
*To ensure the heavy cream whips up quickly, chill the bowl and whisk attachments for at least 15 minutes before using. Use heavy cream that is just taken out from the fridge for optimal results. The skim milk powder helps to stabilize the whipped cream.
*To ensure no cake crumbs end up in the yuzu simple syrup, pour a small amount of the syrup into a separate bowl and use that to dip the pastry brush in, adding additional syrup to that bowl as needed.
*Any leftover yuzu simple syrup can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Use syrup to flavour sparkling water, teas, and/or sweeten berries.
*Use the alternative method of plating the cake, cutting slices and topping with whipped cream and strawberries as needed for ease of storage. Keep unfrosted cake in an airtight container in a cool, dry location at room temperature to prevent the sponge cake from drying out in the fridge. Place whipped cream and strawberries in airtight containers and store in the refrigerator, and use as needed.
*If there is leftover frosted cake, place pieces of parchment paper or wax paper on the cut edges to slow down the staling of the cake. Eat frosted cake within a day or two.
*Redpath® Dark Brown Sugar can be substituted for the Redpath® Golden Yellow Sugar in the shortcake, though the resulting cake may be darker in colour and have a more noticeable caramel undertone.
*Redpath Simply Raw™ Turbinado Sugar can be substituted for the Redpath® Golden Yellow Sugar in the simple syrup and the macerated strawberries, as the raw sugar will allow the subtle yuzu flavour to shine through.
