Strawberry and limoncello shortcake (in Mason jars)
- Preparation 30 min
- Refrigeration 2 h
- Cooking 1 h
- Servings 8 to 10
- Freezing I do not suggest
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🍓 The real reason behind the Mason jar format
Honestly, I tried making this shortcake as a classic layer cake twice and each time I found it collapsed, looked cheap, and the mascarpone and strawberries spilled over the sides. I got fed up. Why not serve this in Mason jars? It’s beautiful, it’s easy to make, you can prepare it ahead of time, keep it in the fridge and take it out 15 minutes before serving. I tested it, I loved it, and it became THE format for my shortcake. Each guest gets their own individual Mason jar, it’s elegant, it’s presentable, and nobody ends up with a weird slice that’s dripping. If you want to bring this to someone’s place, you put on a lid and you’re good to go.
🧀 The completely insane combination
The combo of strawberries macerated in limoncello-maple-vanilla-lemon zest mixed with mascarpone whipped cream is completely mind-blowing. The dense and moist Victorian cake absorbs the flavors of the macerated strawberries and the fruit juices, the mascarpone gives the whipped cream incredible stability that holds for hours without falling, and the limoncello in double dose (in the strawberries and in the whipped cream) brings that citrusy acidity that wakes everything up. The brown sugar and maple syrup in the strawberries caramelize slightly during maceration and give a deep-Québécois side to this Italian-English base. It’s a dessert you just can’t help but finish.
🌞 Right during Quebec strawberry season
This is THE recipe to pull out during Quebec strawberry season, in June-July when local strawberries are at their best. The season passes quickly and we definitely don’t want to miss it. Buy your strawberries from your local producer, macerate them in the morning to serve in the evening, and you get a dessert that celebrates the season without any effort. It’s perfect for a Sunday brunch, a summer dinner with friends, a birthday, Mother’s or Father’s Day, or just to treat yourself on a Thursday night because it’s hot and you deserve an amazing dessert.
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🍰 Why 1 single 8″ pan for the Victorian cake
I tried twice as a classic layer cake with 2 pans. It collapsed, looked cheap, and the mascarpone spilled over the sides. For a Mason jar cube format, 1 single 8-inch pan for 1 hour is more than enough. You get a dense and moist cake that cuts perfectly into cubes, and you save one pan and 15 minutes of dishes. The “2 pans for uniform layers” of traditional layer cake makes no sense in our format.
🧀 Mascarpone in the whipped cream, the secret to stability
Classic whipped cream falls in 30 minutes. With mascarpone, your whipped cream holds firm for 4 to 5 hours in the fridge without collapsing. That’s what allows you to assemble your Mason jars a few hours ahead and arrive at the table with a dessert that still looks professional. Whip both together directly in the same bowl. No need to soften the mascarpone separately.
🍓 Large ½ to 1 inch cubes to hold well
The size of the cake cubes matters. Too small, they turn to mush under the maceration juice and whipped cream. Too large, it’s hard to eat with a spoon and you see fewer layers. ½ to 1 inch is the perfect size. Large enough to hold their shape in the Mason jar, small enough to absorb flavors well and fit on a spoon.
🍯 The maple + brown sugar + limoncello + vanilla combo in the strawberries
This is non-negotiable, you put all four together. The brown sugar gives a deep caramelized side, the maple syrup brings the Quebec note that balances the Italian side of the limoncello, and vanilla ties everything together. The lemon zest amplifies the citrus of the limoncello. It’s this blend that makes your maceration amazing and justifies drizzling it over the cake.
🥄 The syrup from macerated strawberries: don’t waste this treasure
When you macerate your strawberries with brown sugar and limoncello, a beautiful thick syrup forms at the bottom of the bowl. NEVER THROW IT AWAY. When you assemble your Mason jar, drizzle some over the cake cubes. That’s what soaks them, makes them moist and juicy, and makes them absorb all the flavors of the macerated strawberries. You can also add a spoonful over the whipped cream at the final step.
📦 Prepare everything ahead for zero stress
The genius of the Mason jar format is that you can prepare everything separately the day before. Bake your cake, let it cool completely and keep it covered at room temperature (it will be even better the next day). Macerate your strawberries in the fridge from the morning. Make your mascarpone whipped cream and keep it in a covered bowl in the fridge. On serving day, you just need to cut the cake into cubes and assemble the jars. 15 minutes of assembly and you’re ready for 8 to 10 guests.
🚫 Alcohol-free variation
For guests who don’t drink, simply replace the limoncello with fresh lemon juice (same amount). You lose the sweet citrus depth touch of limoncello, but you keep the essential acidity. Also add 1 tsp of additional lemon extract to the whipped cream to compensate. The result is still amazing.
✅ What to serve with my strawberry and limoncello shortcake in Mason jars?
This is an assertive dessert, so I serve it after a light summer meal that leaves room for sweet. Serve it after my The best traditional Greek salad, my balsamic marinated beef tenderloin on the bbq with an arugula salad, or my White fish ceviche with citrus. For a Sunday brunch, after my Blueberry and lemon waffles. Also serve my Limoncello Lavender Spritz as an aperitif to stay with the citrus theme.
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Victorian cake
- 1 cup (250 ml) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ¼ cup (310 ml) granulated sugar
- 4 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2 cups (500 ml) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) baking powder
- 1 tsp (5 ml) salt
- ¼ cup (60 ml) milk
Strawberries macerated in limoncello
- 4 cups (1 L) fresh Quebec strawberries, sliced
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) brown sugar
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) maple syrup
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) limoncello
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
Mascarpone limoncello whipped cream
- 1 ½ cup (375 ml) 35% cream, well chilled
- 275 g mascarpone
- ⅔ cup (160 ml) icing sugar
- 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) limoncello
- Zest of 1 lemon
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Preparation
- Place the rack in the centre of the oven and preheat to 350 °F (175 °C). Butter a round 8-inch (20 cm) pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- For the cake, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer for 4 to 5 minutes, until the mixture is very pale, fluffy and creamy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla and lemon zest.
- In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter-egg mixture alternating with the milk, on low speed, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix just until combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for about 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- Let cool 10 minutes in the pan, then unmould onto a rack and let cool completely (about 2 hours).
- Meanwhile, prepare the macerated strawberries. In a bowl, combine the sliced strawberries, brown sugar, maple syrup, limoncello, lemon zest and vanilla. Stir gently. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Prepare the whipped cream. In a large, well-chilled bowl, whip together the 35% cream, mascarpone, icing sugar, vanilla, limoncello and lemon zest with an electric mixer until firm but silky peaks form.
- Cut the cooled cake into large cubes of about ½ to 1 inch.
- For the assembly, in each 500 ml Mason jar, place a first layer of cake cubes at the bottom. Add a layer of macerated strawberries, drizzling with a bit of the maceration syrup collected at the bottom of the bowl.
- Cover with a generous layer of mascarpone whipped cream.
- Add a second layer of cake cubes, then top with macerated strawberries. Serve immediately or refrigerate a few hours before serving.
The best partners for strawberry are citrus (lemon, lime, limoncello), vanilla, mascarpone, cream, maple syrup, white balsamic, fresh basil and freshly ground black pepper. In this shortcake, we combine five of these partners at the same time: limoncello (citrus), vanilla, mascarpone, maple syrup and lemon zest. The result is an explosion of flavors where each element amplifies the other.
Limoncello is an Italian lemon-based alcohol, so it naturally pairs with all acidic and sweet summer fruits (strawberries, raspberries, peaches, apricots, melon), with citrus (lemon, orange), with fresh herbs (basil, mint, thyme) and with creamy dairy products (mascarpone, ricotta, vanilla gelato). For a dessert, the classic combo remains strawberries-mascarpone-limoncello like in this shortcake. It’s the perfect balance between acidic, sweet and creamy.
NO, this assembled Mason jar shortcake cannot be frozen. The Victorian cake alone (before assembly) freezes perfectly well for up to 1 month. Wrapped in aluminum foil then in an airtight bag. The mascarpone whipped cream CANNOT BE FROZEN (texture is unrecoverable when thawed), and neither can the macerated strawberries (they become gelatinous and lose their texture). If you want to prepare ahead, make the cake, freeze it, and assemble the Mason jars on serving day.
Yes, and the result is still amazing. Replace the limoncello with the same amount of fresh lemon juice (2 tbsp in the macerated strawberries + 2 tbsp in the whipped cream). To compensate for the sweet lemon note of limoncello, add 1 tsp of pure lemon extract to the whipped cream and 1 additional tbsp of maple syrup to the strawberries. You get a dessert that’s slightly less “boozy-festive” but just as delicious.
This is an assertive dessert, so I serve it after a light summer meal that leaves room for sweet. Serve it after my the best traditional greek salad, a white fish ceviche with citrus, or my balsamic marinated beef tenderloin on the bbq with a simple salad. For brunch, serve it after my blueberry and lemon waffles. To drink as an accompaniment, serve my limoncello lavender spritz or an Italian low-alcohol Moscato d’Asti to stay with the theme.
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