Strawberry & white chocolate shortcake

by Metropol | September 16, 2026 8:33 am

This is food at its most fashionable. The recipe book GIVE in collaboration with charity Breast Cancer Cure invites some of Aotearoa’s top designers to share their favourite recipes to
fundraise for breast cancer research.

Biddie Cooksley, founder of Tuesday Label and lover of all things beautiful, believes women deserve to look and feel great every day, like wearing a dress on a Tuesday rather than waiting for a special occasion. This philosophy is the core of her brand Tuesday Label. Biddie takes a similar approach for her recipe for this book: ripe strawberries and luscious white chocolate sandwiched between a buttery shortcake dough. It’s a combination to be enjoyed from the first arrival of spring berries to the final harvest in February, not just for milestone moments. Try raspberries, boysenberries and blueberries as well. Makes 20 pieces.

Ingredients
• 200gm butter, softened
• 1/2 cup caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla essence or extract
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 to 1 1/2 punnets (250–300gm) strawberries, hulled
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips (or 100gm white chocolate, chopped)
• Edible flowers to decorate (optional)

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and line a 20cm square cake tin with baking paper. Set the oven rack in the centre of the oven.
2. Beat the butter and sugar together until light in texture and pale cream in colour. Use a fork to lightly mix the egg and vanilla together in a cup or small jug and then gradually beat in the creamed butter and sugar a little at a time, beating for several minutes until the mixture is smooth and light.
3. Sift the flour and baking powder over the top of the creamed mixture. Mix on low for 30 seconds to just combine.
4. Press two-thirds of the shortcake dough into the cake tin, press it evenly over the base and into the corners. Cut the strawberries into halves or quarters, if large. Scatter the strawberries and chocolate over the top of the shortcake base. Using floured hands, dot the remaining dough evenly on top.
5. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until well browned and the cake has shrunk away from the sides of the tin. Remove from the oven and cool in the tin for 10 to 15 minutes before turning out onto a cake rack to cool completely. Do not turn out too soon as the shortcake needs to ‘set’ or it breaks up.
6. Cut into squares and serve dusted with icing sugar. If you wish, decorate with edible flowers.

Source URL: https://metropol.co.nz/strawberry-white-chocolate-shortcake/

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