Dear Summer,
What I feel for you is a bundle of contradictions. I always await your return but when you're here, I can't wait to see you go. I love that everything about you is sunny, pretty and bright but at the same time you make me feel sticky, sweaty and fussy. I love that you produce the best dessert, the halo-halo but I don't like the fact that I have to chew ice to get to the banana, ube, macapuno.
So while you ponder on my request, I made you some diner-style Strawberry Shortcake. Here's a slice.
Rock on, Summer!
Love,
Aikko
For Summer's Strawberry Shortcake, I didn't follow a particular recipe, though I would love to get a hold of Mrs Yulo's recipe. I haven't tasted her Strawberry Shortcake yet but I heard it's to die for. Don't worry Mrs Yulo, if you decide to give me your secret recipe, I won't give it away, I'll just use it everytime I feel the beginnings of a Strawberry Shortcake craving.
I digress. Anyway, for this diner style shortcake, I used Alton Brown's Chiffon Cupcakes recipe then smothered the cake with whipped cream with blended strawberries (so the cream will turn a lovely.. okay... cute shade of pink) topped with the most luscious strawberries I can find.
Chiffon Cake
adapted from Alton Brown's recipe
Ingredients
5 1/4 ounces cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
5 large eggs, separated
6 ounces sugar, divided
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
Directions:
Line a 10-inch tube pan, set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
Place the egg yolks and 5 ounces of the sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk on high for 2 minutes or until the mixture becomes pale yellow and 'ribbons' when lifted. 
Add the water, vegetable oil and vanilla and whisk to combine. Add the dry ingredients and whisk just to combine. Transfer the batter to a mixing bowl while you whisk the egg whites.
Place the egg whites and cream of tartar into a clean bowl and whisk on high using the whisk attachment, until it becomes foamy. Decrease the speed to low and gradually add the remaining ounce of sugar. Increase speed to high and continue whisking until stiff peaks form, approximately 2 minutes.
Transfer 1/3 of the egg whites to the batter and whisk until well combined. Add the remaining egg whites and fold in gently.
Transfer batter into the tube pan and set on the bottom rack of the oven. Bake for 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean or the cupcakes reach an internal temperature of 205 to 210 degrees F.
