This month on Recipes in English we are presenting a delicious Berry Shortcake that will be a crowd pleaser for sure! You can find the subtitles on the video if needed and the full recipe below. You can also learn some of the vocabulary words used in the video. Learning English can happen in lots of different ways: in a classroom, online or even while cooking! Enjoy!
Vocabulary Minute 0:00 to 4:00
Exceptionally
- something that is greater than usual
- This cake tastes exceptionally good.
Hand mixer
- a certain type of an electric mixer used for eggs and cakes.
- Click here to see what it looks like
- Hand mixers can save you a lot of time if you have to mix egg whites.
Stand mixer
- This is a strong mixer that you do not have to hold while it is mixing.
- Click here to see a picture.
- The gave me a stand mixer as a wedding present.
Melted
- Heated and softened
- I melted the butter so that it mixes more easily.
Cake flour
- this a more finely grained flour which is great for cakes as it has a lower protein content.
- In Spain, I use harina de reposteria.
- I like to use cake flour in my recipes because it comes out lighter.
Low speed
- this refers to the lowest or second to lowest pace on the mixer.
- Use a low speed to mix the ingredients so they don’t clump up.
High speed
- This is the highest or one of the higher speeds on the mixer.
- Once the ingredients are combined, mix them on high speed for 5 minutes.
Scrape the walls
- use a sharp edge to remove something from the walls, in this case I was referring to the batter.
- Make sure you scrape the batter from the walls so that it all gets mixed together.
Fluffy batter
- batter is the mixture of the ingredients and fluffy means light and full of air.
- After mixing the batter for 5 minutes, it should be light and fluffy.
Vocabulary Minute 4:00 – end
Pre-greased
- That the object has some type of oil or butter on it so that it does not stick to the batter.
- I always pre-grease my pans with butter so that the cake doesn’t stick to it.
Floured
- something that has a light layer of flour on it so that it does not stick.
- My pans are greased and floured so that it is easier to remove the cake later.
Use some muscle
- This is an expression we use to say that you need to use physical strength to do something.
- I really need to use some muscle to get rid of all the dirt on the wall.
Toothpick test
- This refers to an easy and effective way to check if the cake is completely cooked.
- Stick a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean (meaning there is no batter sticking to the toothpick) than your cake it done.
- Before you take the cake out, do a toothpick test. It may need an extra minute!
Cool
- To allow something to become colder.
- It’s a good idea to let the cake cool before removing it from the pan or else it may break.
Wire rack
- A plate made out of metal that allows air to cool the bottom of the cake.
- It’s quite common to cool cakes or cookies on a wire rack before serving them.
Whipped/whipping cream
- Whip means to mix something in a certain way.
- Whipping cream is cream that has been mixed to the point that it is no longer in liquid form.
Stiff peaks
- When the whipping cream does not move anymore but looks like mountain peaks (the tops of the mountains).
- This is how you know the whipping cream is done.
- Keep mixing the cream until it forms stiff peaks.
Display
- to arrange something to be seen.
- She had a beautiful display of flowers on the table.
Ingredients
1/2 cup (113 grams) butter | 2 large eggs |
1 cup (200 grams) and 1 Tablespoon sugar | 1 teaspoon vanilla extract |
1 1/2 cups (187 grams) cake flour | 1 kilo of mixed berries |
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder | 1/2 cup (115 grams) jam |
1/4 teaspoon salt | 1 cup (122) heavy whipping cream |
1/2 cup (122 grams) milk |
Now that you have seen Recipes in English: Berry Shortcake, take a look at our Recipes in English series:
Recipes in English: Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
Recipes in English: Bunny Carrot Cake