Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Chocolate Biscuits
- 200 g all-purpose flour
- 50 g dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 60 g granulated sugar
- 15 g baking powder
- 2 g baking soda
- 3 g fine sea salt
- 115 g unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1cm cubes
- 180 ml buttermilk, cold
- 15 ml heavy cream
- 10 g turbinado sugar
Tart Raspberry Cream
- 200 g fresh raspberries
- 20 g granulated sugar
- 5 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 240 ml heavy whipping cream, very cold
- 100 g creme fraiche, cold
Assembly and Garnish
- 100 g fresh raspberries
- 20 g dark chocolate, shaved or finely chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 571 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbohydrates
- 57 g
- Fat
- 37 g
- Fiber
- 7 g
- Sugar
- 22 g
- Sodium
- 617 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 23 g
- Trans Fat
- 1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 10 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 101 mg
- Potassium
- 453 mg
- Calcium
- 260 mg
- Iron
- 2.7 mg
- Magnesium
- 72 mg
- Phosphorus
- 242 mg
- Zinc
- 1.4 mg
- Vitamin A
- 332 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 14 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.7 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.4 mg
- Vitamin K
- 7 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.2 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.09 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.24 mg
- Niacin
- 1.0 mg
- Folate
- 27 mcg
- Water
- 115 g
- Caffeine
- 8 mg
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F.
Line a heavy baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even browning.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, dutch-processed cocoa powder, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and fine sea salt until evenly distributed.
Add the cold, cubed unsalted butter to the dry ingredients. Use a pastry blender to quickly cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles a coarse meal with pea-sized pieces remaining.
Make a well in the center of the mixture and pour in the cold buttermilk. Use a silicone spatula to gently fold the mixture until a shaggy dough just begins to form.
Turn the shaggy dough out onto a clean surface and gently pat it together to a 2cm thickness. Press a round biscuit cutter straight down into the dough to cut out six biscuits.
Transfer the unbaked biscuits to the prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops gently with heavy cream and sprinkle evenly with turbinado sugar.
Bake the biscuits for 15 to 18 minutes until they have risen substantially and feel firm to the touch.
Carefully transfer the hot biscuits to a wire cooling rack and allow them to cool completely.
While the biscuits cool, mash 200g of fresh raspberries in a medium mixing bowl with the granulated sugar and lemon juice. Set aside for 15 minutes to release their natural juices.
Using an electric mixer, whip the heavy whipping cream and creme fraiche together until medium peaks form.
Drain off a small amount of excess liquid from the macerated raspberries, then gently fold the crushed berries into the whipped cream mixture.
Once the biscuits are entirely cool, use a serrated knife to carefully slice them in half horizontally.
Spoon generous dollops of the raspberry cream onto the bottom halves of the biscuits. Top with the reserved fresh raspberries and shaved dark chocolate, then place the biscuit tops gently over the filling.
Chef's Notes
- Dutch-processed cocoa powder provides a smoother, earthier chocolate profile that pairs beautifully with the acidity of the raspberries, without making the biscuit overly bitter.
- The addition of creme fraiche to the whipped cream provides necessary structure and a sophisticated, subtle tang that perfectly balances the rich cocoa biscuit.
- Environmental heat is the enemy of flaky biscuits. If your kitchen is very warm, consider chilling the dry mixture and bowl in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before cutting in the butter.
- Do not skip macerating the raspberries. The sugar and lemon juice pull out pectin-rich juices that slightly thicken when folded into the dairy, enhancing both color and flavor.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Store biscuits and cream separately in airtight containers to prevent sogginess.
Freezer: 1 month — Unfilled biscuits freeze exceptionally well if tightly wrapped.
Reheating: Warm un-filled biscuits gently in a 150C/300F oven for 5 minutes to refresh their texture before serving.
Troubleshooting
Biscuits are dense and failed to rise significantly.
Cause: Twisting the biscuit cutter sealed the edges, or the dough was overworked causing gluten development and melting the butter.
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Keep the butter ice cold, handle the dough as minimally as possible, and press the biscuit cutter straight down without twisting.
Raspberry cream is too loose and weeps down the sides rapidly.
Cause: Adding too much liquid from the macerated berries or under-whipping the dairy base.
Fix: Fold in an additional spoonful of stiffly whipped cream or mascarpone to try and stabilize the mixture.
Prevention: Whip the cream to firm medium peaks and drain a portion of the raspberry juice before folding.
Cultural Context
Traditional American shortcake dates back to the mid-nineteenth century, typically featuring sweet, vanilla-scented baking powder biscuits layered with sweetened strawberries and cream. This grown-up adaptation reimagines the classic dessert by introducing European flavor sensibilities, contrasting a deep, slightly bitter cocoa biscuit with the sharp, bright acidity of fresh raspberries and cultured dairy.
