Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake Sundaes
A decadent twist on a classic. Buttery, not-too-sweet chocolate shortcakes, fresh strawberries, homemade bittersweet hot fudge & vanilla bean ice cream.
Servings: 8
Ingredients
Chocolate Shortcakes
- 1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 cup salted butter
- 2/3 cup buttermilk
- 3 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped finely
- 4 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp milk for topping
- 1 tbsp coarse sugar for topping
Quick & Easy Bittersweet Hot Fudge Sauce
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup half and half
Strawberries
- 2 lbs strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp almond extract
Instructions
Chocolate Shortcakes
- Place oven rack in lower-middle position and preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium mixing bowl with a whisk. This ensures the baking soda and baking powder are well distributed.
- Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut in the butter until it’s in pea-sized pieces. Gently, stir in the buttermilk with a rubber spatula, until mostly combined and then stir in the chopped chocolate pieces.
- Dump rough dough out onto lightly-floured surface and form into a square, about 6 inches by 6 inches and 1 ½ inches thick.
- Using a serrated knife, score the top to create a grid of 9 shortcakes, “drawing” two lines across length wise and two across width wise.
- Cut your shortcakes with the serrated knife and place onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Using a pastry brush, brush the shortcakes with the milk and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
- Bake for 12-17 minutes, until they’re firm but not burned on the bottom. Cool completely.
Quick & Easy Bittersweet Hot Fudge Sauce:
- In a medium saucepan, whisk the cocoa powder, sugar and half-and-half together over medium heat until sugar is fully dissolved and sauce is slightly thickened, about 7 minutes, stirring often. Do not allow the mixture to boil. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain a low simmer while cooking. (Can be made and stored in fridge for up to 2 days, and then reheated before serving).
Strawberries
- Slice the strawberries and place into a medium mixing bowl.
- Sprinkle with the sugar and almond extract and gently stir.
- Let berries sit for about 30 minutes (or up to 2 hours in the fridge) until they release some of their juices.
To Assemble Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake Sundaes:
- Slice shortcakes in half to create a top and a bottom with a serrated knife.
- Top shortcake bottom with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or homemade whipped cream (or both!), and top with a few tablespoons of chocolate sauce.
- Place a generous serving of the strawberries on top of the chocolate sauce, followed by the shortcake top and another drizzle of hot fudge.
- To make it extra fancy, you can dip a whole strawberry into the chocolate sauce and place it next to the plated dessert.
- Enjoy!