Trifecta Strawberry Shortcake

Memorial Day weekend is always a little hectic at my house! We typically have friends staying with us from out of town, and we spend the days working on the farm. Therefore, dinner and dessert need to be quick and easy.

This year, I served a new version of strawberry shortcake. I call it Trifecta Strawberry Shortcake because it is the perfect combination of 3 delicious ingredients! Instead of using traditional pound cake or shortcake, I served St. Louis-famous gooey butter cake from Ann & Allen Baking Company.

Ann & Allen Baking Company is owned by a brother and sister from the St. Louis area. Dale and Marilyn have used their mother’s recipe to create more than 70 kinds of gooey butter cakes. It is our pleasure to sell their delicious cakes and cake mixes in our Belleville store and to partner with another local bakery.

I found this interesting excerpt on the Ann & Allen website: "Gooey Butter Cake originated by accident in Saint Louis the 1930s. According to legend, when a German baker added the wrong proportions of ingredients into a deep butter cake (similar to a pound cake) he was making, it baked to have a gooey filling. His wife then tasted the 'mistake' and said, 'It’s good, but it sure is gooey.' This led to its name Gooey Butter Cake."

I guess next time I have a recipe flop in my kitchen, I should keep an open mind.

Eat well this spring, Angie

 Trifecta Strawberry Shortcake

INGREDIENTS

Ann & Allen Gooey Butter Cake or baking mix (you can purchase the cake in our store or buy the mix and make your own)

Eckert’s Frozen Vanilla Custard

Sliced Eckert’s strawberries with a dash of balsamic vinegar and few twists of fresh cracked pepper

Serve a slice of cake with a scoop of custard and a generous spoonful of strawberries.