Chocolate-Strawberry Scone Cake

Two rounds of buttery scone dough pressed together around a hidden layer of chocolate chips that melt during baking, then served warm with strawberry whipped cream. This is somewhere between a giant scone and a shortcake, and it works beautifully either way.

The dough uses the classic scone method: cut cold butter into the flour mixture until it looks like coarse meal, then add the milk-egg mixture and stir just until moistened. Overworking is the enemy here. A few light kneads to bring the dough together and you stop. That minimal handling keeps the crumb tender and flaky rather than tough and bready.

Patting the dough into two 8-inch circles and sandwiching the chocolate chips between them creates a stuffed scone effect. The chips melt into a gooey layer during the 18-20 minute bake while the outside gets golden and springy. Scoring the top halfway through into six wedges before baking lets you break the finished cake apart easily.

The egg white wash on top with a generous sugar sprinkle gives the crust a sparkly, crackly finish that adds crunch against the soft interior. Serve the wedges still warm so the chocolate layer is soft and stretchy.

Pro Tips

• Keep the butter cold and cut it in quickly. Warm butter makes dense, flat scones instead of light, layered ones.
• Press the edges of the two circles together firmly. If they separate during baking, the chocolate chips leak out and burn on the pan.
• Score the top before baking, not after. Cutting through the hot cake will drag melted chocolate everywhere.
• The strawberry whipped cream should be barely sweetened. The scone and chocolate are sweet enough on their own.

Variations

• White chocolate raspberry: Use white chocolate chips and fold fresh raspberries into the whipped cream instead.
• Blueberry lemon: Scatter dried blueberries with the chips and add lemon zest to the whipped cream.