Strawberry Shortcake Comes to Breakfast

Pancakes are having a moment, delighting modern diners with builds that feature unexpected textural play and tap into warm nostalgia. Sunny Street Café lands on the ideal flavor profile with its Strawberry Shortcake Pancakes, a stack of fluffy buttermilk pancakes infused with crunchy pieces of shortbread. A flourish of housemade strawberry sauce, crème anglaise, whipped cream and a scattering of shortbread crumbs finish the look.

“The pancakes are a best seller because they deliver the perfect balance of flavors and textures—light and fluffy yet delightfully crunchy, with just the right mix of sweet and savory,” says Matthew Stasko, corporate chef and field trainer of this breakfast/lunch concept. “They evoke a sense of nostalgia while offering a fresh, exciting twist. Visually, they’re a showstopper, with a pop of color that makes them as enticing to the eyes as they are to the palate, creating an experience our guests love.”

When developing the recipe, nailing the textural element of the shortcake was crucial to success. “The key to perfecting our Strawberry Shortcake Pancakes was unlocking the rich, buttery shortbread flavor in the pancakes themselves,” says Stasko. “After experimenting with various approaches, we discovered that deep-frying day-old biscuits and tossing them in sugar created the ideal crunchy texture while adding an extra layer of flavor. This unexpected twist brought the dish to a whole new level, delivering the perfect balance of sweetness and crunch.”


Originally published in Flavor