Shortbread Letter Cookie Cake With Berries
Looking for a unique and fun dessert idea for a birthday or anniversary? This shortbread alphabet cookie cake is filled with layers of strawberry swiss meringue buttercream, then topped with elegant berries and mint leaves.
Servings: 12 people
Calories: 1051kcal
Equipment
- silicone baking mats or parchment paper
- piping bag round tip (Wilton 2A)
Ingredients
Shortbread Cookie
- 452 grams (4 sticks) unsalted butter room temperature
- 198 grams (1 cup) granulated sugar
- 5 grams (1 ½ teaspoons) vanilla extract
- 600 grams (5 cups) all-purpose flour
- 3 grams (¾ teaspoon) fine sea salt
Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- 113 grams (about 4) egg whites
- 225 grams (1 ⅛ cups) granulated sugar
- 255 grams (2.25 sticks) unsalted butter room temperature, cubed into 1 inch pieces
- 150 grams (½ cup) seedless strawberry jam
- 7 grams (½ tablespoon) vanilla extract
- 1 gram (¼ teaspoon) fine sea salt
Decorations
- blackberries
- blueberries
- fresh mint leaves
- raspberries
- strawberries
Instructions
For the Shortbread Cookie
- Add butter, sugar, and vanilla extract to a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as necessary.
- Add in flour and salt, then mix on low speed just until all the dry ingredients are incorporated and you have a smooth dough. Shape the dough into two equal rectangles, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for 60-75 minutes until the dough is firm.
- Heat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Remove dough from the refrigerator. Generously sprinkle flour on a clean work surface as well as on each side of the dough. Roll out one piece of dough into a large 8.5 inch (22 cm) x 11 inch (28 cm) rectangle, about ½ inch (1.2 cm) thick. Print and cut out your letter cookie template of choice. Place the letter template in the middle of the dough, then cut along the outside of the template using a sharp paring knife. Remove excess dough. Gently place the dough on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Repeat with the other piece of dough.
- Bake cookies for 18-22 minutes, flipping the baking sheets halfway through the cooking process until cookies are lightly golden brown around the edges. Allow to completely cool on the baking sheet.
For the Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Prepare a stand mixer bowl and whisk attachment by wiping down with some white vinegar on a paper towel. This will remove any oils that may be left on the equipment that can ruin the meringue.
- Fill a medium saucepan with a couple of inches of water. Place over medium-low heat and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Hand whisk egg whites and sugar in a heat-proof bowl that can sit on top of the saucepan without touching the water (like a bain marie). Heat the egg mixture over the simmering water, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 160°F (71°C) on an instant-read thermometer.
- Once the egg and sugar mixture has reached temperature, transfer to the stand mixer bowl. Whip on high speed until the egg whites reach stiff peaks and the mixing bowl is no longer warm to the touch. To test the meringue stiffness, pull the whisk out. A stiff peak should stand straight up (no curl at the tip). You'll also know it's ready because you can fully flip the bowl over and nothing moves or falls out. Make sure not to overbeat the meringue at this stage.
- With the mixer running on medium speed, add in one cube of butter at a time, allowing the butter to fully incorporate before adding in another cube. Once all the butter has been added, the buttercream should be light and smooth. Beat in strawberry jam, vanilla extract, and salt. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure all the ingredients get incorporated and allow the mixture to beat for an additional two minutes on low speed. If at any point your buttercream becomes runny or curdled, see troubleshooting notes below.
- Deflate the buttercream by hand using a rubber spatula. Press the buttercream around the side of the mixer bowl. Continue until most of the air bubbles have disappeared. This helps the buttercream pipe smoothly.
- Prepare a piping bag with a round tip (Wilton 2A). Push part of the side of the piping bag into the piping tip to ensure nothing leaks out. Set the bag inside a tall glass, and pull the remaining top of the piping bag out over the outside of the glass to make filling the piping bag easy and clean. Pour the buttercream into the piping bag.
For the Decorations
- To assemble the cake, place one cookie on the serving tray. Pipe dollops of buttercream in a row along the cookie until the whole cookie top is covered in buttercream. Place the second cookie on top of the buttercream piped cookie, and check that everything is even using a ruler. Repeat by piping another layer of buttercream on top of the second cookie.
- Decorate the top layer of buttercream with blackberries, blueberries, mint leaves, raspberries, and strawberries. Serve immediately or gently cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for up to 8 hours.
Video
Notes
My buttercream is soupy & runny. How do I fix this?
To help prevent this make sure the butter isn't too soft. You want it right at room temperature, but not melty or runny.
If you still notice the buttercream not whipping up (staying soupy or runny), place the entire mixing bowl in the refrigerator (no need to cover it) for 20 minutes to cool down. Make sure not to leave it in the fridge for longer than 20 minutes or the butter will start to harden. Then, place it back on the stand mixer and beat it on medium speed for an additional two minutes.
My buttercream is curdled. How do I fix this?
Allow the meringue to continue mixing with the butter for a few additional minutes.
If it still looks curdled (the egg whites are separated from the butter), it's likely because the butter wasn't room temperature and it's too cold. To fix this, take ½ cup of the buttercream mixture and heat it in the microwave just until it's melted (not boiling). Turn the mixer on medium speed, and slowly stream in the melted buttercream mixture. Increase the speed to medium-high and allow it to beat for an additional 2 minutes.
Are you having a hard time transferring the cookie over to the serving platter to decorate? Try placing it on a parchment-lined baking sheet in the freezer until it firms up. This will encourage the cookie not to break as easily.
This dessert is best served at room temperature. If you decide to store the cookie in the fridge for a bit, allow it to come back up to room temperature before serving.
If it still looks curdled (the egg whites are separated from the butter), it's likely because the butter wasn't room temperature and it's too cold. To fix this, take ½ cup of the buttercream mixture and heat it in the microwave just until it's melted (not boiling). Turn the mixer on medium speed, and slowly stream in the melted buttercream mixture. Increase the speed to medium-high and allow it to beat for an additional 2 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 1051kcal | Carbohydrates: 110g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 66g | Saturated Fat: 41g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 173mg | Sodium: 147mg | Potassium: 126mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 67g | Vitamin A: 2008IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 3mg