Shortcake and pound cake are two distinct desserts that are often confused for one another due to their similar names. While they share some ingredients and preparation methods, there are key differences between shortcake and pound cake that set them apart.
What is Shortcake?
Shortcake is a sweet biscuit (similar to a scone) that is traditionally split horizontally and filled with fruit and whipped cream. The most classic shortcake filling combo is strawberries and whipped cream, creating a dessert called strawberry shortcake. Other common shortcake fillings include peach, blueberry, blackberry, and mixed berry.
Shortcake dough is rich, slightly sweet, and delicately crumbly. It gets its name from the fact that it contains a higher proportion of fat to flour than typical biscuit dough, resulting in a crumbly, tender, and “short” texture. Shortcakes are chemically leavened with baking powder, which causes them to rise and take on a soft, cake-like texture while baking.
The basic ingredients for shortcake dough are:
- Flour
- Sugar
- Salt
- Baking powder
- Butter
- Milk or cream
After mixing the dough, it is either rolled out and cut into rounds, or scooped and dropped onto a baking sheet before baking. Once cooled, the shortcakes are split and filled with lightly sweetened whipped cream and fresh fruit.
What is Pound Cake?
Pound cake is a dense, buttery cake that gets its name from its traditional ingredient ratio of 1 pound each of flour, butter, eggs, and sugar. It contains no chemical leavening, so pound cake gets its structure and rise solely from the creaming of butter and sugar, and the air beaten into the eggs.
Pound cakes are longer-lasting and more sturdy than many other cakes. Their dense crumb stays fresh and moist for days at room temperature. Their structure also makes them well-suited for splitting and filling with whipped cream or fruit, similar to shortcakes.
The basic ingredients for pound cake are:
- Flour
- Butter
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla Extract
Pound cake batter is creamed together, poured into a loaf pan, and baked until golden brown and cooked through. Variations include marbling the batter with chocolate or lemon, adding nuts, fruit purees, or citrus zest.
Similarities Between Shortcake and Pound Cake
Despite their different ingredient profiles and preparation methods, shortcake and pound cake do share some common characteristics:
- They are both lightly sweet, cake/biscuit-style baked goods.
- They can both be split horizontally and filled with whipped cream and fruit.
- They are both sturdy enough to transport easily.
- They make excellent bases for desserts when topped with fruit, custard, or chocolate.
- They pair wonderfully with coffee or tea.
Differences Between Shortcake and Pound Cake
| Shortcake | Pound Cake |
|---|---|
| Uses baking powder as a leavener | Uses no chemical leaveners |
| Lower ratio of fat to flour, more biscuit-like texture | Higher ratio of fat to flour, dense and moist texture |
| Made with individual dough rounds | Made in a loaf pan |
| Tends to be more crumbly | Tends to be more sturdy |
| Fruit filling is essential | Fruit filling is optional |
While their names may be similar, shortcakes and pound cakes have distinct ingredients, textures, preparation methods, and traditional serving styles. Shortcake is characterized by a delicate, biscuit-like crumb that is perfect for soaking up juicy fruit fillings. Pound cake has a sturdier, tighter crumb that can stand up to heavier fillings and glazes.
Shortcake Recipes
Basic Shortcake
This simple shortcake recipe has only 6 ingredients and comes together quickly for an easy dessert base.
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1⁄4 cup sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1⁄2 tsp salt
- 6 tbsp cold butter, cut into pieces
- 3⁄4 – 1 cup cold heavy cream or milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
- Cut in butter using a pastry blender or two forks until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Stir in heavy cream a little at a time until a soft dough forms.
- Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead gently just until smooth.
- Pat into a 3⁄4” thick round. Cut out circles using a 3” biscuit cutter, rerolling scraps as needed.
- Arrange shortcakes on prepared baking sheet. Brush tops with cream.
- Bake 12-14 minutes until golden brown.
- Let cool 10 minutes before splitting and filling.
Lemon Blueberry Shortcakes
The tangy lemon glaze on these shortcakes perfectly complements the sweet fresh blueberry filling.
Shortcake Ingredients
- 2 1⁄4 cups flour
- 1⁄4 cup sugar
- 2 1⁄2 tsp baking powder
- 1⁄2 tsp salt
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 8 tbsp cold butter, diced
- 1 cup cold heavy cream
Lemon Glaze Ingredients
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Blueberry Filling Ingredients
- 4 cups blueberries
- 1⁄4 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 cup whipped cream
Instructions
- Make shortcakes: Whisk together dry ingredients. Cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in cream until a dough forms.
- Roll out to 3⁄4” thickness. Cut into rounds using a 3” cutter.
- Bake at 425°F for 12-14 min until golden brown. Let cool.
- Make lemon glaze: Mix powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth.
- Make blueberry filling: Gently mix together blueberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Let sit 15 minutes until juicy.
- Split shortcakes and drizzle lemon glaze over cut sides. Top bottom half with blueberries, whipped cream, and top half of shortcake.
Pound Cake Recipes
Classic Pound Cake
This straightforward pound cake recipe highlights the pure flavors of butter, sugar, flour and eggs.
Ingredients
- 1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups sugar
- 6 large eggs
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1⁄2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease a 10” tube pan and line with parchment.
- Beat butter and sugar with mixer until light and fluffy, about 5 mins.
- Beat in eggs one at a time until combined.
- Whisk together flour and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix just until incorporated. Stir in vanilla.
- Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 65-75 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cake cool completely before removing from pan.
- Dust cooled cake with powdered sugar before slicing.
Marble Pound Cake
Swirling chocolate batter through this pound cake gives it a beautiful marbled effect when sliced.
Ingredients
- 1 3⁄4 cups (3 1⁄2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 1⁄4 cups sugar
- 5 large eggs
- 3 cups cake flour
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 oz semisweet chocolate, melted
- 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease and flour a 10” tube pan.
- Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time.
- Whisk flour with 1 tsp vanilla. Add flour to butter mixture in thirds, mixing well after each addition.
- In a separate bowl, mix melted chocolate, cocoa powder and remaining 1 tsp vanilla.
- Alternately drop large spoonfuls of the batter and chocolate batter into prepared pan.
- Use a knife to swirl batters together gently.
- Bake for 65-75 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cool completely before removing from pan.
How to Store and Serve Shortcakes and Pound Cakes
Storing
Both shortcakes and pound cakes can be stored well for several days. Here are some tips:
- Store completely cooled cakes/shortcakes in airtight containers at room temperature.
- Shortcakes stay fresh 2-3 days. Pound cakes stay fresh 4-5 days.
- For longer storage, refrigeration extends their shelf life. Bring to room temp before serving.
- Well wrapped pieces also freeze well for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in fridge.
Serving
Shortcakes and pound cakes lend themselves to both simple and elegant presentations.
Shortcakes
- Split shortcakes horizontally and fill with lightly sweetened whipped cream and fresh fruit like strawberries, peaches, or berries.
- Dust with powdered sugar or top with fruit glaze for extra sweetness and decoration.
- For individual shortcakes, serve on pretty plates with fruit spooned over the top.
- For larger cakes, place on a pedestal cake plate and spoon fruit filling alongside.
Pound Cakes
- Dust sliced pound cake with powdered sugar or top with berries for simple presentation.
- Layer sliced pound cake with pastry cream and fresh fruit for an elegant trifle.
- Glaze or drizzle pound cake with chocolate, caramel, or citrus icing.
- Serve pound cake slices with fresh whipped cream and warm chocolate sauce.
Conclusion
Shortcake and pound cake certainly have some commonalities, from their dessert status to their propensity for being topped with fruit and cream. However, when it comes to preparation, ingredients, texture and structure, they veer into very distinct cake territories.
Shortcake has a delicate crumb that easily soaks up juicy fruit fillings. Pound cake boasts a sturdy, dense texture perfect for adding decadent toppings. While their names may sound similar, understanding the differences between shortcakes and pound cakes allows bakers to choose the right cake for every occasion.