Strawberry Angel Shortcake

Miniature angel food cakes topped with amaretto-laced fudge sauce, sliced strawberries and a dollop of sweetened whipped cream.

Recipe Ingredients:

1 (16-ounce) package one-step angel food cake mix
3 pint baskets California strawberries
Sugar to taste
1/2 cup whipping cream, whipped and sweetened to taste*
3/4 cup prepared hot fudge sauce*, at room temperature
2 tablespoons amaretto liqueur or 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Cooking Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Prepare cake batter as package directs; spoon 1/2 cup each into eight 6-ounce non-greased ovenproof custard cups, filling no more than two-thirds full. Spoon remaining batter into non-greased 9x5x3-inch loaf pan; refrigerate loaf pan.
3. Place custard cups spaced apart on baking sheet and bake in center of oven 20 to 25 minutes until tops are dark golden brown. Cool cups completely on racks. (Meanwhile, bake loaf pan about 35 minutes until top is dark golden brown. Cool and remove from pan as package directs; reserve for another use.)
4. Reserve eight strawberries with caps, for garnish. Stem, and slice remaining strawberries into bowl. Sweeten with sugar as needed; cover and chill.
5. With thin sharp knife remove cakes from custard cups and halve horizontally with serrated knife.
6. In small microwave bowl or saucepan mix fudge sauce with amaretto or almond extract; heat just until warm.
7. To assemble desserts, spoon 1 1/2 tablespoons fudge sauce onto each of eight dessert plates. Place bottom halves of cakes on plates. Cover with sliced strawberries and cake tops. Spoon more sliced strawberries over cakes. Top each with 2 tablespoons whipped cream and garnish with a whole strawberry.

Makes 8 servings.

*For a lighter dessert replace fudge sauce with prepared nonfat fudge sauce and whipped cream with light whipped topping.

Variation: Bake cake batter in two non-greased 9x5x3-inch loaf pans as package directs; cool and remove from pans. With serrated knife cut sixteen 1/2-inch slices cake. (Reserve remainder of cake for another use.) Assemble desserts as above, using two cake slices for each dessert.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/8 of recipe): 349 calories; 10 g fat; 20 mg cholesterol; 305 mg sodium; 61 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 6 g protein. Lighter Version: 304 calories; 2 g fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 330 mg sodium; 67 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 5 g protein.

Recipe provided courtesy of California Strawberry Commission. ©2003 California Strawberry Commission. All rights reserved. Used with permission.