Description
Delight in these irresistibly pretty Strawberry Shortcake Dessert Cups, perfect mini parfaits featuring layers of moist vanilla cake, luscious strawberry cream, and fresh strawberries. This no-bake, quick-to-assemble dessert is elegant enough for special occasions yet simple enough for everyday indulgence.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Layer
- 1 baked vanilla cake layer, crumbled
- 1 tbsp sugar (optional)
Cream Mixtures
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup strawberry puree
- Pink food coloring (optional)
Fruit and Garnishes
- 2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
- Pink sanding sugar (optional)
- Heart-shaped decorations (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare Cream Cheese Mixture: Beat the softened cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, mixing thoroughly to combine the flavors evenly.
- Whip Cream to Stiff Peaks: In a separate bowl, whip the heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form, ensuring the mixture is fluffy and holds shape.
- Fold Cream into Cream Cheese: Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture to keep the mixture light and airy without deflating the whipped cream.
- Divide and Flavor Cream: Split the combined cream mixture into two equal parts. To one half, add the strawberry puree (and optionally pink food coloring) to create a vibrant strawberry cream layer.
- Prepare Cake Crumbs: Crumble the baked vanilla cake layer into small, uniform pieces to create the base texture for the parfaits.
- Assemble Dessert Cups: In each dessert cup, layer the cake crumbs, strawberry cream, sliced fresh strawberries, and vanilla cream. Repeat these layers to fill the cups as desired, creating a visually appealing parfait effect.
- Pipe Strawberry Cream Topping: Using a piping bag, swirl a generous dollop of strawberry cream on top of each dessert cup for a decorative and flavorful finish.
- Add Garnishes: Sprinkle pink sanding sugar and/or heart-shaped decorations on top for an extra festive touch and added texture.
- Chill Before Serving: Refrigerate the assembled dessert cups for at least 1 hour before serving to allow flavors to meld and the cream to set perfectly.
Notes
- Using a chilled bowl and beaters for whipping the cream helps achieve stiffer peaks.
- Optional pink food coloring can enhance the dessert’s presentation but is purely decorative.
- Use fresh, ripe strawberries for the best flavor and appearance.
- These dessert cups are best served within 24 hours for optimal freshness.
- The sugar in the cake crumb layer is optional depending on your taste preference and the sweetness of the cake.
