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Lavender Blackberry Shortcake with Mascarpone Cream

May 8, 2021 (Last updated January 23, 2025) · Nicole Triebe

Sweet, buttery lavender shortcakes topped with juicy blackberries and lightly sweetened mascarpone cream.  These lavender blackberry shortcakes are bursting with flavor! 

Mother’s Day is this weekend, and the weather forecast looks absolutely perfect! As soon as the weather warms up in Chicago, I crave all the beautiful fresh fruit from the markets. If you remember last year, I made a delicious Strawberry Spinach Salad to celebrate Mother’s Day! It’s one any mom would love!

This year I’m celebrating with lavender blackberry shortcakes because this momma needs dessert! I love these light and fluffy shortcakes topped with lavender sugar.

Why We Love These Blackberry Shortcakes

These little desserts bring nostalgia and comfort to your table in just a few steps! With the help of your food processor, it takes just minutes to come together, making it the perfect summertime dessert! And while it’s easy to make, blackberry shortcake looks elegant and impressive, making it a great choice for both casual and formal settings.

ingredients for dough for lavender blackberry shortcakes on marble surface

Key Ingredients for these Blackberry Shortcakes

Fresh blackberries

The juicy, tender texture of blackberries complements the crumbly, slightly dense texture of shortcakes. Together, they create a match made in pastry heaven! Peak blackberry season is June through August, depending upon where you are live! They ripen earlier in Southern states and later in the season in the Midwest and North. Look for berries that are plump and deep, rich purple-black in color. Avoid berries that look shriveled or dry or show signs of juice leakage in the container.

Mascarpone Cheese

Rich, creamy, and mildly sweet, mascarpone has a delicate flavor that tempers the tartness of blackberries. Mascarpone cream’s subtle sweetness enhances the natural sugars in ripe blackberries, making both components taste more indulgent without overpowering one another.

Butter

Cold butter is the star ingredient in shortbread, providing richness, flavor, and tenderness. It also contributes to the crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Use high-quality, unsalted butter for the best flavor.

Sugar

Sugar adds sweetness and also affects texture. Granulated sugar creates a slightly crisp texture, while powdered sugar results in a softer, more delicate shortbread.

Flour

Flour provides structure to the shortbread. All-purpose flour is best.

Salt

Enhances flavor and balances sweetness.

Heavy Cream

The fat and protein in the heavy cream when brushed on the tops of shortcakes before baking promote browning, making perfectly golden brown biscuits.

Turbinado Sugar

Turbinado sugar crystals are larger and coarser than regular granulated sugar, creating a pleasantly crunchy topping that contrasts with the tender shortcake interior.

Lavender

Lavender’s floral essence enhances the fruity characteristics of blackberries, making the berry flavor seem more vibrant and multidimensional.

lavender blackberry shortcakes  dough in food processor

Step by Step Instructions To Make These Lavender Blackberry Shortcakes

Start by pulsing together the dry ingredients until combined.

Take a frozen stick of butter and grate it using a cheese grater. Add it to the flour mixture in the food processor.

Pulse some more until the texture resembles coarse sand.

Whisk the egg, buttermilk and sour cream together and add to the food processor. Pulse until the dough just comes together. Do not overwork the dough.

Place on a lightly floured surface and pat dough into a rectangle 3/4″ thick and using a floured biscuit cutter, cut dough rounds.  Place on a parchment paper or silpat lined baking sheet. 

Brush the tops with cream and sprinkle with a combination of lavender sugar and turbinado sugar.

What if I don’t have a biscuit cutter?

If your kitchen isn’t stocked with all the tools a pastry chef may have, don’t panic! If you’re short a biscuit cutter, you can cut these lavender shortcake biscuits with a few different items everyone has at home! You can use:

  • An upside down glass
  • A cookie cutter
  • An empty, clean can from canned vegetables, tuna or tomato sauce
  • Go rustic and shape them with your hands!
lavender blackberry shortcakes  dough rolled on surface with rounds cut out

Tips for making the best blackberry shortcakes

  • Use frozen butter.
  • Don’t overwork the dough. Stop pulsing right when the dough comes together. This will prevent the development of gluten, which can make the shortbread tough. Pulse until it just comes together to ensure a tender biscuit.
  • Chill the dough before baking.
  • Don’t skimp on the sugar on top of the biscuits.
lavender blackberry shortcakes assembled on plate
Print
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Lavender Blackberry Shortcake with Mascarpone Cream

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  • Author: Nicole Triebe
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 14 minutes
  • Total Time: 24 minutes
  • Yield: 6 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: English

Description

Indulge in the flavors of summer with lavender blackberry shortcakes. Sweet, buttery shortcakes topped with juicy blackberries and mascarpone cream.


Ingredients

Scale

For the biscuits:

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface and biscuit cutter

½ tsp fine grain salt

1 tbsp baking powder

3 tbsp lavender sugar

1 stick unsalted butter (8 tablespoons), frozen

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup sour cream 

1/4 cup buttermilk

1 tablespoon heavy cream

2 tbsp lavender sugar for sprinkling

For the mascarpone cream:

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup powdered sugar (sifted)

1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon mascarpone, softened

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

For the blackberry syrup:

3 pints fresh blackberries

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup water


Instructions

For the mascarpone cream:

In a medium bowl beat the cream and sugar until thick peaks appear very thick.

In a medium bowl whip the mascarpone and vanilla until smooth and creamy.

Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture until combined.

Don’t over mix. 

For the biscuits:

Preheat oven to 400 F degrees.

Start by pulsing together the dry ingredients until combined.

Take a frozen stick of butter and grate it using a cheese grater.  Add it to the dry ingredients in the food processor. 

Pulse some more until the texture resembles coarse sand.

Whisk the egg, milk and sour cream together and add to the food processor.  Pulse until the dough just comes together. 

Pat dough into a rectangle 3/4″ thick and using a floured biscuit cutter, cut dough rounds.  Place on a lined baking sheet 

Brush the tops with cream and sprinkle with a combination of lavender sugar and turbinado sugar.

Bake until golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes. Place baking sheet on wire rack; cool cakes until warm, about 10 minutes.

To make the blackberry syrup:

Combine sugar, water and 1 pint blackberries in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 5 minutes.  Blend if desired to create a smooth sauce, or mash the blackberries to create a chunkier sauce. 

Spoon a portion of berries, a tablespoon or two of sauce, and then a dollop of whipped cream over each cake. Top with another cake and more cream; serve immediately.


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