1 Strawberries, 1 to 1 1/2 pints (about 340–510 g) per short cake, sweetened to taste
1 Cream Sauce I (see cross-reference)
Instructions
1. Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Lightly butter two 9-inch (23 cm) round layer cake tins or Washington pie tins.
2. Measure the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Sift the dry ingredients together twice, so they are thoroughly aerated and combined.
3. Work the butter into the sifted dry ingredients using the tips of your fingers — a technique sometimes called rubbing in — until the mixture resembles coarse, uneven crumbs with no large butter chunks remaining.
4. Add the whole milk gradually, stirring just until a soft, shaggy dough forms. Do not overwork.
5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board. Divide it into two equal portions. Pat each portion gently with your hands, then roll it out to fit the prepared tin. Transfer each round to its tin.
6. Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 10–14 minutes, until the tops are deep golden brown, the edges pull slightly from the sides of the tins, and a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Begin checking at 10 minutes.
7. Remove the short cakes from the oven and allow to cool just enough to handle, 3–5 minutes. Split each round horizontally and spread the cut surfaces generously with butter.
8. Place the strawberries — hulled and sweetened to taste — on the back of the stove (or a warm burner set to the lowest setting) just until they are warmed through and beginning to release their juices, 5–8 minutes. Crush them slightly with a fork or potato masher.
9. Spoon the warm strawberries between the two halves and over the top of each assembled short cake. Cover the top with Cream Sauce I. Serve immediately.
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